Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

Holy Smokes!  Are you ready for the ultimate beef stew?  And a slow cooker recipe to boot?

This is a fancy pants French version of beef stew and is ah-mazing!

I made slow cooker stew once before and it was pretty…meh.  I had adapted one of my regular beef stew recipes to a freezer recipe AND to a slow cooker recipe when I found out I was pregnant with Sarah Catherine and I think I didn’t do it right.

This recipe was just plain amazing!  I mean, bacon & red wine topping the ingredient list?  You simply can’t go wrong!  The leftovers did not last long with this one!

Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

Adapted slightly from The Kitchn

½ lb bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 ½ lbs roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt & pepper

1 ½ cups red wine, divided (I used a Cabernet)

2 medium white or yellow onions, thinly sliced

3 large carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery diced

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cups chicken stock

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp, set aside on a paper towel to drain, reserving the drippings.

Drain off all except 1 tablespoon of the drippings (still keeping the remainder) and increase the heat to medium-high.  Season the beef cubes generously and add to the pan (cook in batches, do not overcrowd the pan.)  Sear the beef, flip and sear again.  Move the beef to the crockpot.  Add about ¼ cup of the wine to the pan to deglaze; add the wine to the crockpot. 

Add more bacon drippings to the pan, and repeat the previous steps until all of the beef is cooked.

Add more bacon drippings to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook the onions, carrots, and celery until they begin to soften.  Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook until fragrant.  Pour the mixture into the crockpot and stir to mix.

Add the bay leaf, remaining wine, and chicken stock to the crockpot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beef in very tender.

Meanwhile, add more bacon drippings to the skillet and cook the mushrooms until they release their liquid.  Set aside, along with the crisp bacon pieces.

Once the stew is finished cooking, stir in the cooked mushrooms and bacon.  Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for about 10 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with a side of French bread.