I’ve got some delicious Burgundy Beef Stew to share with all of you today!
Today was one of the first days in a long time that my home actually didn’t smell like drywall and paint. How did I get so lucky, you ask? Well, it’s because the retched smells of construction were completely overcome with the succulent, delicious aromas of Burgundy Beef Stew and fresh baked dill bread.
YES! Thanks to that wonderful contraption known as a slow cooker, plus my new bread maker, I was able to create a complete meal for Jay and I. I was almost giddy with excitement!
I certainly had my work cut out for me though…this was not going to be an easy feat…
Check out my fancy “work station”
Not the easiest preparation, but hey, you do whatcha gotta do! ;)
First, I got all my ingredients ready to go,
…and just started tossing everything into the slow cooker. Neatly, of course. ;)
Once I had all my meat, veggies, and spices ready to go, it was time to add the liquid. I decided to go with some Pinot Noir that I had on hand, which was actually “supposed” to be consumed on Christmas Eve…
It was part of a basket of wines that I received last year at my bridal shower, which also included bottles for a few other occasions too…one of which is coming up in less than a week! :shock:
So once the stew was prepped and cooking, I got to work on the bread. Hellooo fancy bread machine!
I had a hard time deciding, but eventually ended up choosing an Herbed Dill French Bread. It smelled amazing all day long!
Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out looking too amazing…
Fail. :oops:
It took quite a bit of muscle just to get the loaf out of the pan. Apparently, I should spray the pan beforehand???
Cody ended up taking advantage of a few pieces that fell went flying on the floor. Who knew cats like overly crusty bread? ;)
Looks like I have to work on my bread making skills!
Any tips?? :roll:
Luckily, my stew was definitely not a failure. :-D
The flavor was incredible. Savory, with a subtle hint of the pinot plus the thyme.
Yeah, I’ll say it…I definitely impressed myself! :)
[mpprecipe-recipe:47]
Along with our stew, Jay and I shared a glass of the Pinot Noir. Typically, we are not red wine drinkers, but I figured that since I cooked with it, it’d probably pair pretty well. It definitely did!
And better yet, we were even able to salvage some bread!
Now it’s time to go pack up all the leftover stew, take care of some dishwashing in the tub (ooooof), and finish up the rest of Christmas clean-up.
Until next year, Christmas Tree! :)
Question for the Evening:
Have you ever made bread in a bread machine? Any tips for me?? :)
ohhh, I hate kitchen fails! The only good thing to come from them is you really learn your lesson and never make the mistake again, lol. I don’t have a bread maker, so I don’t quite know what went wrong. I know I’ve not let mine rise enough, or when I let it rise, I didn’t oil it well enough. Hopefully your next bread adventure goes better :)
already cleaning Christmas stuff up?! It breaks my heart, I ALWAYS wait ’til after New Years! Yummmmmy dinner, though :D
I know… :(
Usually I keep mine up past New Years, but our house is just too cluttered right now!
i have never made bread before, but that stew looks AMAZING!
The stew looks fantastic. I’m saving the recipe!
french bread fantastic!!!
Sorry about the bread fail, pal. I’ve never used a bread machine. Your stew looks wonderful, though!
This is so funny – I just got a bread machine myself!! I got the Breadman Pro and I just made bread last night!
I didn’t have any problems with mine, but I ran the bread machine once on the rapid cycle, just to burn off all the manufacturing oils.. I didn’t butter or spray the pan… But I did read online to follow the measurements exactly, but it doesn’t seem like that was the issue??
Hmm.. Did you take the bread out right away? The booklet that came with mine said to take it out of the pan immediately after the bread has finished baking.
Sorry if I’m not much help!
Bummer about the bread, but you got the printable recipe plugin to work! :)
Yes!! :)
I use my bread machine all the time in the winter! Love it!
Not sure what went wrong, but I don’t spray the inside of it. I just dump in the ingredients with room temperature water and let it go. I’ll help it to mix up a bit if it’s having trouble but that’s about it. When it’s done I take it out immediately and turn it over unto a plate to get it out.
Better luck next time!
ahaha i aLWAYS forget to spray the pan!! that stew looks amazing– what an awesome cooker!
I’ve had many a bread making failure!!! No worries girlie :)
I’ve never had a bread maker so I can’t really help you out, but I just want to say that despite the bread “Failure” it still looks tasty :) At least it puffed up!
Good point…looks like it has the right texture!
I’m making Beef Stew today too with a recipe that’s pretty close to yours. The major difference is I flour and sear my beef before throwing it into the crock & then deglaze the pan with wine & tomatoes and pour it in to finish cooking. Tastewise, I bet it’s pretty close & both look yummy. Keep us posted on how you like the bread machine. Big fan of cuisinart small appliances.
Yes, I’ve done that with the beef before too…but since I have no stove top to do that, I was limited to just my slow cooker. ;)
I’ve never made bread in a machine before, but I have had my fair share of kitchen meltdowns! No shame in that!
My cats will eat anything, and I mean anything, that falls on the floor. They are more like dogs!
You’ll definitely want to spray your loaf pan before hand! And also make sure the water is the exact temp before you put it in..otherwise the yeast won’t fully activate and you can end up with a stickier bread that falls in the middle. It takes practice–you’ll get it! :-)
With the bread cooker, we have found that if the room is too cold (ie winter) it affects the final product adversely.
I’ve been searching for the perfect burgundy beef recipe – this looks like a contender.
The bread sounds yummy too. I always have the best luck when I use the dough cycle, then do a final rise in a loaf pan and bake it in the oven. Not really an option when you’re under construction, but hopefully, three years later, it’s viable!