Beer & Cheese Bread

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While this Beer & Cheese Bread was originally inspired by St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, it is such a versatile bread that it pairs well with just about everything from chili to barbecue. What we love most about this recipe is how well the contrasting flavors in the bread work together. The beer adds a natural fizz to the bread, which keeps it really light and airy while it bakes. The hoppy taste from the beer also gives it a nice sour punch, which complements all of the melted sharp cheddar cheese. The secret to this recipe is the melted butter. Adding it in two stages gives the bread a crispy, chewy crust that is to die for. If no one was around we would cut the whole crust away and devour it straight out of the pan.

Beer & Cheese Bread

  • Servings: 1 loaf
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One of our favorite quick bread recipes! Although it is inspired by St. Patrick’s Day, it pairs well with everything from chili to barbecue.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 3 cups (13.5 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (4 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 (12 oz) bottle lager-style beer
  • 2 tbs melted butter, divided

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are caramelized. Add a bit of freshly cracked pepper and remove from the heat.
  3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and make a well in the center. Add the onions, cheese and beer to the flour, stirring until just combined. The dough will be sticky.
  4. Scoop the batter into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan that is coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the melted butter on top of the batter. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of butter over the top. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the center is baked through.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slice and serve with butter.

Corned Beef & Beer Cheese Loaded Fries

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St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Colorado are going to look a little bit different this year since we are battling over 3 feet of snow from the weekend! For those of us who are planners, you may have purchased a corned beef knowing the big day was coming up and are now considering how to use it up. Instead of traditional corned beef and cabbage ( a Nana specialty), we have combined every ingredient we love eat to on this Irish holiday and put them together in these decadent and over-the-top loaded fries. We’ve combined beer- a St. Patrick’s Day essential- into a rich and creamy cheese sauce which sits on top of a mound of french fries (they are baked!) and corned beef. If you are stuck inside this week with snow, this is the perfect, indulgent meal to kick off your celebrations!

Corned Beef and Beer Cheese Loaded Fries

  • Servings: 4
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An indulgent take on our favorite St. Patrick’s Day foods and flavors.

Ingredients

  • 3 potatoes
  • 2 tbs canola oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 lbs precooked corned beef
  • 3.5 tbs butter
  • 3 tbs flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1.5 cups lager beer
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
  • 3 tbs Cholula
  • green onion, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Scrub the potatoes with the skin on to remove all of the dirt. Cut the potatoes into half inch french fries. Place the fries on a baking sheet and toss with the canola oil and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are crunchy and cooked all of the way through.
  3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the corned beef per package directions and set aside.
  4. Make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a 2 inch deep sauté pan. Add the flour and continuously whisk until the flour and butter forms a roux. While whisking, add the milk and stir until the milk thickens. You want a thick, gravy-like consistency. Add the beer and continue to whisk until the texture thickens back to gravy consistency. Stir in the cheddar and provolone cheese and stir until all of the cheese is melted into the milk and beer mixture. Add the Cholula and remove the beer cheese from the heat.
  5. Put it all together. On a large serving dish, lay the fries out in a double layer. Chop the corned beef into bite sized pieces and layer over the fries. Top the fries and corned beef with the beer cheese sauce and sprinkle diced green onion on top. Serve hot!

Semi-Homemade Corned Beef Sandwiches

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We were introduced to this sandwich during our college days when a good friend (shoutout Sweet Then Savory) made us her mom’s version. It is perfect for an easy, at home, social distancing St. Patrick’s Day celebration. This sandwich is everything that is good about St. Patrick’s Day in one handheld treasure. Corned Beef? Check. Cabbage? Check. Add in some melty Swiss cheese and Hawaiian bread and you have yourself a killer meal.

You can choose your own adventure with this recipe when it comes to cooking the corned beef. Most major groceries sell pre-cooked corned beef which cuts down your cook time and prep time tremendously. If you get an uncooked corned beef, follow the cooking instructions on the label and continue on with this recipe to assemble the sandwiches. Either way, we promise you will be happy with the end result.


Semi-Homemade Corned Beef Sandwiches
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of pre-cooked corned beef
  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 package of pre-sliced Swiss cheese
  • 1 package of 12 rolls of Hawaiian bread

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Heat the corned beef per the package instructions. The kind that we used instructed us to heat the corned beef in the microwave for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, slice the brisket into 1/4 inch pieces.
  3. While the corned beef is cooking, chop the cabbage into roughly one-inch pieces. Add the olive oil to the pan and saute the cabbage, salt and pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  4. Slice the entire Hawaiian bread loaf in half. We found that the majority of the rolls stick together so you will be able to do this. If parts of the rolls separate, don’t worry. Do your best!
  5. Assemble the sandwich by creating a layer of Swiss cheese on the bottom on the bread. Add the corned beef then the cabbage. Top with another layer of Swiss cheese. Place the top of Hawaiian bread back on the sandwich, wrap the sandwich in tin foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes. This will get all of the ingredients melted together.
  6. Serve with chips, Guinness or any other sides you have on hand and enjoy!

Lamb & Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

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For as long as January felt, we blinked and here we are in the middle of March. While March is exciting for those young enough for Spring Break, for us young adults, mid-March means St. Patrick’s Day. There are two easy ways to approach a St. Patrick’s Day menu- green themed or traditional. This year we have gone the traditional route by starting our menu with Lamb & Guinness Shepherd’s Pie. Can you get any better than topping savory stew with creamy mashed potatoes? We don’t think so. 

Adding Guinness to this recipe adds to the Irish theme and also brings a hearty, almost bitter taste to the stew. This balances out the richness of the lamb and mashed potatoes. We’ve used a standard frozen vegetable mix in this version of the recipe, but if you decide to make this in the summer months, feel free to substitute for fresh veggies of your choosing.

Lamb & Guinness Shepherd’s Pie
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes   Cooking Time: 20 minutes   Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients For the Potatoes:

  • 3 large russet potatoes
  • 2 tbs butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Filling: 

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, small dice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 tbs fresh thyme, minced
  • 1 lb ground lamb 
  • 2 tbs tomato paste 
  • 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 
  • 2 tbs flour 
  • 1 Guinness beer (16 oz) 
  • 3 cups frozen vegetable medley, thawed in the microwave
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium, even sized pieces. Put them in a large pot and cover with cool water by an inch or so. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. . Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
  3. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and add the butter and milk. Continue to mash until they are creamy and to the texture of your liking. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  4. Start the filling by heating a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme.. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions star to caramelize.
  5. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper. Add the lamb to the pot and brown for roughly 4-5 minutes.
  6. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and flour to the pan and stir well to evenly distribute. Cook another 3 minutes. Add the Guinness and stir with a whisk to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Cook the lamb mixture for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add the vegetable medley to the mix and gently stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Spray each of the four ramekins (or a deep 9 x 9 x 2 baking dish) with cooking spray. Evenly distribute the filling among for four ramekins or into an even layer in a baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, being sure to completely spread the potatoes to the edges to create a seal over the filling. Bake the shepherd’s pies for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. If they haven’t browned in the 20 minutes, turn your oven onto a high broil and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Let the shepherd’s pie rest for at least 10 minutes out of the oven before serving.