St. Patty's Day Fare

Happy St. Patrick's Day a day late! Hope you all enjoyed your Irish roots for the day. It was a gorgeous day down here in VA, and I got to start my day with a nice long 6 mile run! Training for races really takes its toll on a girl. After that I finally got my hair cut after almost a year of letting it grow I took the plunge and chopped off quite a few inches. It was a very productive day for me so I treated myself with a scrumptious Reuben sandwich and a Guinness for dinner. Now, since I live by myself purchasing beer is a toss up because I always have leftovers. I never can seem to finish a six pack on my own. I think inevitably I get sick of whatever beer I choose to purchase and drink wine instead.  So I searched the internet for an Irish inspired recipe that included Guinness and came up with this French Onion Soup with Guinness. Who doesn't love a nice steamy cup of french onion soup topped with gooey cheese? Well I sure do! I adapted the recipe to accommodate my pantry and to cut it down to two servings. WARNING: If you don't like Guinness you won't like this soup!

Irish Onion Soup
1 Tbsp. canola oil (a tad less really)
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 of a 11 oz. bottle of Guinness
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 oz. aged cheddar, grated or sliced thinly
1 small dinner roll, toasted and halved
Salt and Pepper to taste






In a large stockpot, heat canola oil over medium heat and add onions, garlic, brown sugar, and salt. Cook for about 20-25 minutes stirring often until onions begin to brown. Add broth, water, Guinness, and Worcestershire cook an additional 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. On a foil lined baking sheet place two oven safe bowls.  Put half of the bread in each bowl, top with about 1 1/2 cup of soup, then top with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese has browned slightly on top. WARNING: DO NOT eat directly after it comes out of the oven! It is hot! I know I learned the hard way! Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Reuben Sandwich
2 slices Jewish Rye Bread
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. Thousand Island Dressing
1/4 cup sauerkraut, squeezed of all liquids
1 slice Swiss cheese
3-4 slices of thinly cut deli Corned Beef

Create the sandwich layering ingredients. Butter the outside of the bread. Cook on grill pan for about 3-4 minutes each side or until cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through.

The soup came out with a very distinctive Guinness flavor. The cheese pairs well with the flavor of beer and the bread soaks up all the yummy broth. This sandwich is an all time favorite of mine and I eat it almost every St. Patty's Day! It is my once a year corned beef...kind of like my once a year burger!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. I enjoy writing it and hopefully you get some good ideas for recipes!