Step 1

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. To the same hot pot add the cubed beef and brown all over. Depending on the size of your dutch oven, you may need to brown the meat in batches. Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pot.

Step 2

If needed, add a drizzle of olive oil to the same pot you browned the meat in. Once hot, add the carrots, onions and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Toss in the mushrooms + butternut squash and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot with veggies. Add the butter and flour, tossing well to coat all the veggies + meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook one minute and then deglaze the pot with the beer, scrapping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the beef broth, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, oregano, crushed red pepper and bay leaf. Bring the stew to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. If desired you can add 2 sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary(I did). Stir in the reserved bacon. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 1/2-4 hours, the longer the better. If you can, simmer the stew all day, it can be cooked up to six hours over low heat.

Step 3

When the stew is ready, remove from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 4

Grease 6 mini ramekins (or just leave the stew in the oven safe pot you cooked it in and make one big pot pie). Divide the stew among the ramekins. Unroll the puff pasty and cut it into 6 squares. Sprinkle a little cheese over top each ramekin and then place the puff pastry over-top the cheese. Tuck the sides of the pastry down into the ramekins.

Step 5

Brush the tops of the pastry with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes (maybe more or less depending on the size of your pot pies) or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley and salt. Enjoy warm!