Great Christmas Day Recipe – Easy Crockpot Beef Bourguignon and Savory French Toast Dumplings

To me, this is a Christmas staple. It's so easy to make and smells really great cooking in the crockpot. Prep time only takes about 15 -20 minutes and you have a delicious budget-friendly meal to share.

Ingredients

Beef Bourguignon

• 3 lb chuck roast
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 tbsp olive oil (can substitute vegetable oil)
• 3 strips cooked bacon cut into pieces
• 1 onion cut into slices (you can fry onions with bacon for extra flavor)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, stems and leaves separated
• Sprig of fresh rosemary
• Sprig of fresh thyme
• 3 cups red wine (I like Merlot or Cab)
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 10 baby portabella mushrooms (cut into slices)
• 10 small whole red potatoes (optional - if you choose not to make the dumplings)

Savory French Toast Dumplings

• Half a loaf of French bread (day old is best)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup of milk
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 to 2 tablespoons plain flour
• Butter, for frying

Directions

Beef Bourguignon

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown beef on all sides. Place meat in a crockpot.
2. Pour wine and tomato puree into crockpot over meat.
3. Layer bacon (with pan scrapings), onion and all herbs and spices over meat.
4. Place potatoes around your meat.
5. Cook on LOW 7-8 hours or until meat is tender.
6. Add mushrooms 30 minutes before completion time.

Savory French Toast Dumplings

1. Cut bread into golf-ball sized pieces.
2. Heat milk over low heat, add parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour over bread.
3. Gently mix in egg and flour. Form dumplings.
4. Fry each dumpling in butter when roast is done cooking.