Easy BEEF BOURGUIGNON

• slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces↗6
• lbs beef rump or 3 lbs chuck, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes↗3
• large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally↗3
• medium onion, cubed↗1
• tablespoons flour (or for GF, 1 ¼ tbsp corn starch)3
• ounces low sodium beef broth (about 2 cups)↗14
• tablespoon tomato paste↗1
• teaspoons garlic, minced↗2
• teaspoon dried thyme↗1
• whole bay leaf↗1
• ounces white pearl onions, peeled (I use frozen, thawed and drained)↗14
• lb cremini mushroom, sliced↗1
• teaspoons salt↗2
• teaspoon black pepper↗1⁄2
• cup red wine↗1⁄2

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   cook bacon in fry-pan, remove and drain most of the grease out of the pan. While bacon is cooking, prep your onion and carrots and set aside.

2. 2

   add beef cubes to same pan used for bacon and brown well. Placed browned beef cubes in crock-pot that has been coated with cooking spray.

3. 3

   add chopped cooked bacon, thyme, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and pearl onions to crock-pot on top of beef (no need to stir). Brown carrot, and cubed onion in same pan as meat and season with 1 teaspoons salt and pepper and add to crock-pot.

4. 4

   cook mushrooms and 1 tsp salt in same pan (use cooking spray if needed). Stir in flour (or corn starch). Add broth, mix well until you get a thick mushroom gravy and add as top layer in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low 7 hours.

5. 5

   add wine about an hour before serving (at 6 hours of cooking in crock-pot) and stir. Continue cooking. Serve alone with crusty bread or with noodles.

6. 6

   tip for thicker gravy: in a small pot, mix 1 tbsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water (1 tbsp butter optional) add to crock pot, stir well and cover on high for 10 minutes.