country french stew

6 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 boneless beef chuck roast, 2 pounds, trimmed of fat cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion cut into ½ inch wedges
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 to 8 new potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups red Zinfandel
1 cup beef both
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can, 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In a nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Place bacon in slow cooker. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat in skillet. Cook beef in bacon fat in batches 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Stir onion into beef. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Sppon into cooker.

Stir carrots, potatoes, wine, broth, flour, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and tomatoes into cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Stir in mushrooms and paprika and cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes more.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ELWINTEZ.