Beef bourguignon is a warm and comforting French stew made with large chunks of beef and vegetables that are stewed in red wine, beef broth, and herbs. The ultimate crowd-pleaser, this make-ahead dish is ideal for entertaining.
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I’m a huge fan of effortless entertaining all year but I find it to be especially crucial during the busy holiday season. Between out of town visitors, school parties, family gatherings, and more, the holidays are a busy time of year but that doesn’t mean that hosting those you love has to be complicated.
Earlier this month I partnered with my friends at Meijer to host an intimate holiday dinner party in my home for about 16 friends and family.
When putting together the menu, I decided to create as many dishes that could be prepped in advance including the star of the evening: beef bourguignon.
Warm, hearty, comforting and showstopping, nothing warms you up on a cold winter day quite like this humble yet delicious French beef stew.
Made with Certified Angus Beef®, bacon, red wine, and vegetables, I love to serve it over a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. It would also be great with crusty bread for dunking.
Entertaining Pro Tip: Beef bourguignon actually tastes better as it sits so I highly recommend preparing it 1-3 days before you plan to serve it to your guests.
To reheat, simply head on the stove over medium-low heat for about an hour or so before your guests arrive.
Another entertaining pro tip: prepare a large charcuterie board full of Meijer cheeses, cured meats, nuts and dried fruit for your guests to nibble on when they arrive.
This will take the pressure off the host to have to be ready to serve the main dish right away and it allows everyone time to grab a cocktail and mingle.
Speaking of cocktail, I love creating big batches of drinks for guests to serve themselves, in addition to offering red, white and bubbles.
Since it’s wintertime and I was feeling festive, I decided to whip up a batch of my Cranberry Moscow Mules. What’s great about Meijer is that you can source everything for your party in one place including beer, wine, and spirits.
Speaking of one-stop-shopping, Meijer also has everything you need to create a festive table including linens, dishware, glassware, decor and more. I’m a huge fan of using edible items to decorate. In case you missed it, be sure to check out my guide on how to cut, eat and decorate with pomegranates.
When you’re ready to serve the beef bourguignon, place in a bowl either on its own or over a bed of mashed potatoes. Meijer’s holiday entertaining guide has a delicious recipe for Creamy Mashed Potatoes.
Right before serving, top with the sauteed mushrooms and pearl onions then sprinkle with a little fresh parsley.
I promise no one will be complaining when you hand them a warm bowl of good old fashioned comfort food. They don’t even have to know you made it two days ago.
After dinner, I decided to enlist a little help from Meijer to make dessert and coffee easy, fun and a little different.
Instead of baking dessert myself, I simply picked up a variety of Meijer bakery pies and created a fun “pie bar” where guests could help themselves.
We had all the seasonal classics like pecan, Dutch apple, and pumpkin plus a few fun surprises like sea salt and caramel cream pie and caramel apple pie.
Don’t worry, I didn’t forget the vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.
Lastly, I created a “Boozy Coffee Station” where guests could brew their own Starbucks holiday blend coffee to either drink as is or splash with a festive liquor.
After all, the holidays are all about a little indulgence, am I right? Of course, I got these Starbucks holiday K-Cups right at Meijer along with everything else served at the party. One-stop shopping at its finest!
Thank you to everyone who joined me for this delicious evening and thank you to Meijer for making it happen.
Whether you serve it over the holidays or any time of year, I hope you enjoy this delicious beef bourguignon recipe.
Happy Holidays!
Quick and Easy Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 slices bacon (thinly sliced)
- 2 pounds Certified Angus Beef® stew meat
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 large carrots (peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 12 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup parsley (minced)
- 1 750 ml. bottle dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces pearl onions (frozen)
- 16 ounces white mushrooms (sliced or quartered)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle in olive oil. Add bacon and cook until browned and crispy, stirring frequently about 9-10 minutes. Drain bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- While bacon is browning, place beef cubes in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Place beef into the hot Dutch oven in a single layer and brown on both sides. Depending on the size of your pot you may need to do this in batches to prevent over-crowding the pan. Remove browned beef cubes and place in a bowl; set aside.
- Add the carrots and onions to the pan along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste and flour and heat for 30 seconds before adding in red wine, beef broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Return cooked beef and bacon to the pot, stir once then place in oven for 90 minutes.
- Ten minutes before you're ready to serve, melt butter in a large saute pan and add mushrooms and pearl onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve beef bourguignon topped with mushroom and onion mixture and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Find more family friendly dinner recipes on my Pinterest!
Disclosure: This post is written in partnership with Meijer. All thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Lemon Bowl possible.
I just made this, and it is wonderful! The taste is out of this world good. My hubby likes a gravy consistency, so for him I made a roux with butter and flour and thickened the sauce some. It was perfect over mashed potatoes. When I make it again, and I will, I plan to double the mushrooms, and sauté the pearl onions a bit before adding the mushrooms. This recipe can handle a bit more beef if desired, and I might use more bacon.
Hi,
I love your recipes. I am making the beef bourguignon tonight. Do I put it in the oven uncovered or covered? I also brought it to a simmer before putting it in the oven. Is that what is called for?
You add it to the oven covered but no need to bring to simmer first. :) How was it?