Stephanie Sullivan: Recipe - Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Now that the holidays are over, I’ve been trying to get back on track with my health goals. It’s taken me almost three years, but I’m proud to say I’ve managed to lose 80 pounds during that time. I still have a long way to go, but I'm determined this will be the year I finally reach my goal weight. If you’re on a health journey too, I wish you much success. I’ll be posting more healthy recipes, and I have several listed on my recipe page if you want to check them out.

INGREDIENTS:

3 slices center cut bacon (chopped)
1 1/2 pounds chuck beef (trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 ½ cups cremini mushrooms (halved or quartered)
1 cup shallots (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (sliced)
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine (*See notes)
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 ½ cups carrots (cut in 1-inch pieces)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and render bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to the slow cooker and remove most of the fat (nearly all of it), reserving the rest. Toss beef in flour, onion powder, ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Brown the beef on all sides in two batches. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Add 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon fat, mushrooms and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan; cook until mushrooms begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic, cook until aromatic and soft; 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add red wine and beef stock. Stir to create a homogenous liquid. Lay fresh herbs on top followed by the carrots. Cook on low 8 hours of high for 4 to 6 hours. Remove herbs before serving.

NOTES: A dry red wine like merlot, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon (or even a standard cooking wine) works. Consider that the dish will have tasting notes of the wine when choosing.

Makes 5 cups. No Slow Cooker, No Problem! Use a Dutch Oven or a heavy oven-safe pot and bake in a 375F preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours, (check to be sure it has enough liquid after 1 1/2 hours) until the meat and vegetables are tender.

NUTRITION INFO: 1¼ cups, Calories: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 21.5g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol: 105.5mg, Sodium: 936mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g

(Recipe and photo courtesy of Skinnytaste)