Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients:

1 (4 to 6 pounds) beef chuck roast

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 pieces of bacon, cut in pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cus dry red wine

1 cup of beef stock

1 tablespoon beef soup base

2 tablespoons tomate paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 1/2 cups baby peeled carrots

1 cup frozen pearl onions

3 tablespoons butter

1 (16 ounce)  whole button mushrooms

Fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Trim fat and cut beef into 2 to 3 inch pieces.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Toss beef with 1/2 cup flour.  Shake off extra flour.  Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan.  Saute beef in hot oil for a minute or two (you may have to do this in batches) until browned.  Put beef in slow cooker.  In the same pan, add bacon and cook for a few minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Next, pour in red wine.  Deglaze the pan with red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add this liquid and bacon to slow cooker.  Next, add beef stock, beef soup base, tomate paste, thyme and carrots.

Cook on low heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  An hour before you are ready to eat, quickly cook mushrooms in butter in a large skillet.  Season them with salt and pepper.  Add mushrooms and onions to slow cooker.  Cook another hour on high setting.  (If you like thicker gravy, you can remove some of the liquid from the slow cooker to a bowl and whisk it together with a couple tablespoons of cornstarch, then add it back to slow cooker and cook a little longer).  Serve hot in bowls with parsley on top.  Great on top of noodles, or mashed potatoes, or serve with crusty french bread for dipping.