Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon for Two is the perfect recipe for a cozy, romantic date night at home. This dish rivals any restaurant experience, with rich, hearty flavors and tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef. This classic French stew is made with chuck roast, marinated overnight in red wine. The slow cooking allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a tender and juicy meal in a rich gravy-like stew.

Diced onion, carrot, celery and savory slices of bacon are added to the stew to add a smoky depth. Combining beef broth, bay leaf, minced garlic and tomato paste enhances the dish's flavor, while mushrooms and sliced onions release more flavor as they caramelize.   The slow cooker does all the hard work, transforming these simple ingredients into a gourmet meal over eight hours.

Served over wide egg noodles, this beef bourguignon is as comforting as it is elegant. Pair it with your favorite bottle of wine and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your home. This dish impresses not only with its taste but also with the love and care put into its preparation, making it a perfect date night on a memorable evening with your loved one.

Prep Time:  5 minutes (plus overnight to marinate)   |    Cook Time:  8 hours   |    Total Time:  8 hours, 5 minutes (plus overnight to marinate)   |    Servings:  2

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds USDA Choice Chuck Roast, fat removed, cut into
• 2-inch pieces*
• 750 milliliters  Walker  Napa Valley Red Wine
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 whole carrot, diced
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 6 slices  Appleton Farms  Sliced Bacon, cut into ¼-inch strips
• 2 cups  Chef's Cupboard  Beef Broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 4 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 ½   teaspoons  Happy Harvest  Tomato Paste
• 3 tablespoons  Baker's Corner  Corn Starch*
• 3 tablespoons water
• 8 ounces  Reggano  Wide Egg Noodles, cooked

*These are Seasonal items that are only in stores for a limited time and may no longer be available.

Directions:

1. Combine beef, wine, diced onion, carrots and celery in a medium bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Day two: Remove the beef from the marinade, reserve the marinade. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and remove from pan, reserve. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from pan. Brown meat in bacon fat. Reserve drippings.
3. Place browned beef in slow cooker. Pour marinade over beef; add beef broth, bay leaf and garlic. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 6).
4. Using the drippings, sauté the onion slices and mushrooms until they begin to soften. Remove from pan and refrigerate.
5. Twenty minutes before the meat has finished cooking, strain the mixture. Return the meat to the slow cooker along with the mushroom and onion mixture, cover with lid.
6. Pour the reserved liquid into a small saucepan and whisk in the tomato paste. Bring mixture to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk the corn starch and water together. Whisk the corn starch slurry into the simmering mixture.
7. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, return to slow cooker. Continue to cook for the balance of the cooking time (20 minutes). Serve over cooked egg noodles, and top with the reserved cooked bacon crumbles.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Stacey, ALDI Test Kitchen