I’m so excited to share one of my family’s favorite recipes today – Beef Bourguignon! It all started when I tried this recipe on TheKitchn.com. It was a huge hit, BUT even their slow cooker version was fairly labor intensive. So I took that recipe and both combined and cut out a few steps (my favorite thing to do with recipes!) to make it an easy weeknight meal that is now a go-to for my family. And especially as the weather is getting cooler, this is the epitome of comfort food. I’ll be making it many times this winter!

Also, here’s a little video I made (to show you just how easy it is) in partnership with the Wolf “Reclaim the Kitchen” series where they’re encouraging people to get back in the kitchen and cook dinner! :) What’s your go-to weeknight meal?
Weeknight Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients
- 4 pieces bacon
- 2 1/2 pounds stew beef, cut into cubes
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or reserved bacon grease
- 1 onion
- 4 carrots
- 4 ribs celery
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried, or 2 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme with the woodsy stem removed
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, or beef, or vegetable
Instructions
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In your largest skillet, cook the bacon on medium heat until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Crumble the cooked bacon into the bottom of your slow cooker.
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Sear the cubed beef for a few minutes on medium high until golden brown on the top and bottom. Add to the slow cooker on top of the bacon.
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Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and turning up the heat to high while scrapping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook for a few minutes until reduced by half, then pour into the slow cooker.
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Add a tablespoon of olive oil (or bacon grease if you have extra) to the pan and cook the veggies on medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the veggies to the slow cooker along with the seasonings and broth and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over whole-grain noodles and enjoy. --->For a real treat, make gravy with the liquid when it’s done cooking. That’s how it was done for the picture above!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
I have noticed that you use wine in a lot of recipes. Can you replace the wine with anything? Thanks
Depending on the recipe, you can try red or white wine vinegar or possibly chicken, beef, or vegetable broth. – Nicole
If you do experiment with replacing wine with vinegar, you’ll definitely want to use less vinegar than the amount of wine called for and make up the difference with water or broth. – Jason