Festive Guinness recipes

Not everyone loves the rich taste of Guinness, believe it or not. But St. Patrick's Day calls for the inclusion of the dark brew, so we've come up with a few ways anyone can enjoy a sip or a bite.

The taste of the Irish for dinner and dessert

Long before San Antonio, Texas was the tourist destination it is today, each night at dusk, a group of Mexican women wearing brightly colored dresses would begin building wood or charcoal fires and reheating large pots of the chili they'd been cooking all day. Known as "chili queens," these women would sell the intoxicatingly aromatic stew by the bowl to area locals.

While health-code regulations eventually pushed out these pioneers of marketing, the tradition of sharing your favorite chili recipe with neighbors lives on. This Saint Paddy's Day, share this Irish-inspired version with your friends and family!

Guinness chili recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey or lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness Extra Stout
• 1 (1.25 ounce) packet chili seasoning
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans (undrained)
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté onions with a few dashes of salt and ground pepper over medium heat in a small amount of cooking spray until they begin to soften.
2. Add ground meat and Worcestershire sauce, and turn the heat to high and brown.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes; then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour (or until the chili reaches the desired consistency).
5. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Fightin' Irish ice cream float recipe

Ice cream floats conjure up visions of a simpler time… a more innocent time when teen boys would take their steady girls to the ice cream parlor for a float to celebrate giving her his pin. Times have changed, and as much as we love a classic, St. Patrick's Day calls for a new tradition. Part cocktail, part dessert, this float is 100 percent amazing any day of the week.

Yields 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness beer

Directions:

1. In a pint bar glass, place three well-rounded scoops of ice cream.
2. Slowly pour the beer over. (Remember, a stout can have a heavy head of its own. Pour slowly, allow to settle, and then keep pouring if necessary.)

More St. Patrick's Day recipes

Irish nachos recipe
Irish "au jus" recipe
Shamrock Shake recipe