Cooking with wine (and drinking it as we go) has been a thing for as long as we can remember — and there’s no shortage of ways to use it (wine ice cream, anyone?). But can we get over wine for a little while? Beer is *totally* where it’s at. Boasting full, deep and rich flavors, beer adds a lot to a dish, whether you’re going for all-out comfort food or leaning more toward sophistication. So ditch the wine (actually, just pass it to us) and crack open some bottles of ale, ’cause we’ve got 19 beer recipes that’ll knock your brewski-loving socks off.
1. Negra Modelo Steamed Clams With Chorizo and Shaved Fennel-Herb Salad: Steamed clams are a thing of beauty. In most cases they’re served with an elegant white wine sauce, but this dish proves that a rich Mexican lager can be just as elegant — and tastier. (via A Beautiful Plate)
2. Black and Blue Mac and Cheese: A great way to make comfort food more comforting is to add beer, and if you’re not putting beer into your mac and cheese, you’re not really living. This loaded mac has it all, including creamy Guinness and tangy blue cheese crumbles. (via Life As a Strawberry)
3. Brown Ale Ice Cream With Salty Caramel and Honeyed Peanuts: A little alcohol in dessert never hurt anyone, and for that we’re thankful. We want to devour an entire bucket’s worth of this dreamy and creamy ale ice cream. (via Somewhere Over the Kitchen)
4. Baileys Dark Chocolate Guinness Bread: Baileys AND Guinness? Shut the front door! This fluffy and dreamy loaf of dessert bread is laced with chocolate chips and walnuts, and finished off with a luscious Baileys glaze. (via Homemade Hooplah)
5. Bratwurst, Beer and Cheddar Pretzel Pot Pie: Not much else in the world is more comforting than a warm and gooey pot pie. You’ll be craving this puffy pretzel-topped version in the wurst way (had to). (via The Candid Appetite)
6. Puffy Tostada With Chile and Beer Braised Short Ribs: You’ll find an abundance of fresh flavors and textures on these tasty crunchy tostadas, but there’s no denying that the tender beer-braised short ribs are the star of the show. Serve with an ice-cold pilsner for a little beer-on-beer action. (via Cooking for Keeps)
7. Beer Battered Shrimp Po’Boy With Sriracha Remoulade: You can bring this beer-battered Southern classic to your very own kitchen in less than 30 minutes. It sounds bogus, but we wouldn’t joke about something as serious as a classic Po’boy. (via WhitBit’s Kitchen)
8. Hot Sausage Beer Cheese Dip: Throw on your comfiest stretchy pants, grab a huge bag of chips and slam dunk into this rich and creamy goodness. This dip is perfect for your next movie night or football Sunday party. (via Food Lovin’ Family)
9. Chicken and Vegetable Tikka Masala: Light in calories doesn’t always mean light in flavor, and this Tikka Masala proves it with the inclusion of an Indian Pale Ale. After all, spicy foods and IPAs make a perfect pairing. (via Life Food and Beer)
10. Homemade Whole Grain Mustard: There is something extremely satisfying about homespun condiments, because you know exactly what is going into them. This bright and tangy mustard calls for only six ingredients and, of course, one of them is beer. WIN! (via Kevin Is Cooking)
11. Irish Stout Onion Soup: This is where the classic and beloved French onion soup takes a back seat. Made with buttery toasted thyme croutons and a generous amount of Irish cheddar, this soup will easily become your new *fave* comfort food. (via Running to the Kitchen)
12. Slow Cooker Chicken and Stout Stew: Sunday dinner, anyone? Skip the roast and serve up this warm and comforting plate. Tender chicken, earthy mushrooms and sweet carrots are served atop a creamy polenta with tasty stout beer gravy. (via Sidewalk Shoes)
13. Slow Cooker Beef Chili: If you thought slow cooker chili couldn’t get any better, it just did — with beer. This chili is already loaded with goodies like liquid smoke, beef and legumes, but the beer is the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae. (via Show Me the Yummy)
14. Steamed Mussels With Wheat Beer and Basil: There are so many bright and beautiful flavors incorporated into this dish, we’re not sure where to begin. Just grab the crustiest bread you can find, because dippin’ into this magnificent wheat beer broth is a MUST. (via Nerds With Knives)
15. Irish Ale Potato Cheddar Soup With Beer Battered Leeks: As if dunking your spoon into a hot bowl of velvety cheddar and potato soup wasn’t amazing enough, someone had to add some smooth beer to the mix. Topped with crispy beer-battered leeks, it’s heaven-sent. (via How Sweet It Is)
16. Beer Pretzel Hot Dog Buns: Using beer in a bread or dough recipe is genius; we have to wonder why it’s not done more often. These puffy, golden buns will up your hot dog game effortlessly. (via Domestic Gothess)
17. Beer and Honey BBQ Chicken Skewers: Please make sure you throw these on the grill before grilling season is behind us — they’re just too good to miss out on. Honey, soy and Dijon play off the flavors of a dark ale in this marinade. (via Jo Cooks)
18. Beer Brat Soup With Potatoes, Peppers and Swiss Chard: We can all agree that wasting food is a bummer, so finding recipes that call for the use of leftovers is awesome. This hearty, spicy and stew-like soup is a great way to get rid of leftover brats. (via Chili Pepper Madness)
19. Reese’s Oreo Chocolate Beer Bars: How do you make brownies better? You stuff them with Oreos, duh. How do you make Oreo-stuffed brownies better? You drizzle a sweet beer glaze over them. This is how you eat brownies as an adult, friends. (via Peas and Peonies)
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Dana Sandonato
Born in Canada and now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Dana is a coffee-reliant food writer with a healthy appetite, a taste for culinary adventure, a thirst for good beers, and an endless hunger for food photography. When not writing for Brit + Co, she can be found pouring herself into her blog-turned-webzine, Killing Thyme, or taste-testing at local breweries with her husband. Dana's ideal down time includes pizza, marathoning on Netflix, or watching her fave flicks from the 80s and 90s - no matter how great or awful they are!
