Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

My sister Caterina sent me a recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon a while ago that I never made until today. I have really been missing out! This was so delicious. It has been really cold out lately and my husband had the day off from work, so I took the opportunity to prepare this while he was home to spend time with our toddlers. It took me a little while to prepare it but it was completely worth the effort. My husband and I each had a serving and I also froze two small containers of the leftovers. I had my beef cubes freezer wrapped in 2-pound packages so I only used 2 pounds of beef, but 3 pounds would have been better. If you love mushrooms, add some more. 8 ounces was fine but more is always better! Also, I used soy sauce since that's what the recipe says, and I didn't realize until after making it that in the comments section of the recipe link above, the blogger says to use Worcestershire sauce, but in her recipe and all throughout her post she says to use soy sauce. Either one will work so use whichever you have on hand!

Edit: Other times I made this I made a few changes. I bought beef chunks from Costco which were really good and tender compared to the ones I used the first few times I made this that were from the Amish Market. I cut the beef chunks into much smaller bite-sized pieces. I cut the baby potatoes which helped give them more flavor. I used a 16 ounce bag or approximately 3 cups of baby carrots instead of slicing whole carrots. I used 2 teaspoons dried thyme instead of 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, but it tasted like too much to me so next time I will try only 1 teaspoon. And I used 16 ounces of baby bella mushrooms.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Recipe Adapted from The Recipe Critic Blog

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon has crazy tender melt in your mouth beef and hearty veggies slow cooked to perfection in a rich sauce.  This meal is comforting and perfect for the cold months ahead!

5 slices bacon, finely chopped

3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut to 1-inch cubes

1 cup red cooking wine

2 cups beef broth

½ cup tomato sauce

¼ cup soy sauce OR Worcestershire sauce*

¼ cup flour

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons thyme, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)

5 medium carrots, sliced

1 pound baby potatoes

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker. Drain fat from the skillet.

Add the red wine to the skillet, scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour until the sauce thickens. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.

Note: The recipe calls for soy sauce, but the author also says that using Worcestershire sauce instead tastes better. Use whichever one you prefer!