Description

Make this stew in advance so that you have free time to enjoy Halloween too. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month. It is the perfect autumn meal, even if you don't pipe the potatoes into ghoulish ghosts.

Ingredients

• Beef Stew:
• 2 T. butter
• 14 slices bacon, chopped
• 10½ oz. shallots, left whole
• 2¼ lb. beef stew meat, cubed
• 14 oz. mixed wild mushrooms
• 1 quart (4 c.) Guinness (an Irish dry stout, or beef stock
• 1 bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs, tied together, used for flavoring stew or soup)
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Ghoulish Mashed Potatoes:
• 2 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and left unpeeled
• 4 oz. (1/2 c.) warm milk
• 2 oz. (1/4 c.) butter
• 1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 16 peas, cooked, for garnish

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Stew:
3. Place butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add bacon, then the shallots; cook until golden brown; transfer to a large baking dish. Add beef to the skillet; season with salt and pepper; cook until completely browned. Transfer to the baking dish. Add mushrooms to the skillet; cook for 2 minutes; season to taste; transfer to the baking dish.