Growing up, beef bourguignon was a Sunday evening staple in our household. Served alongside an episode of Heartbeat and usually an overwhelming sense of dread about being back to school the next day, it’s one of those meals that instantly transports me back to being a whippersnapper.
Though it seemed to be fairly commonplace in the early 90s, when every mam out there was rocking her slow cooker, it’s only in recent years that I started to notice this originally French dish being back on the menus in country pubs and fancy little bistros.
And so of course, I set about creating a Slimming World beef bourguignon recipe in the name of nostalgia and good old comfort food. It’s rich, it’s warming, and it’s a meal that I serve up time and time again during the colder months.
Here’s what you need to know…
For the full ingredients list and detailed instructions, see the recipe card at the end of this post. Make sure you check out this important information first though…
I personally use an Instant Pot to make this recipe. If you’re not familiar, then an Instant Pot is a bench top multi-cooker that does the job of seven different kitchen appliances in one.
It’s a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, a sauté/browning pan, and a warming pot. As you can tell, it’s pretty fancy and it’s massively handy to have.
One of the main reasons why I love it is that you can use the sauté function to seal the meat before you knock it on to the slow cooker setting, saving pans and washing up.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot though, you can still make this recipe…
If you’ve got a slow cooker without a sauté setting, then simply seal your beef on the hob, and then transfer to your slow cooker.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, then you’ll notice that I’ve included instructions for cooking your beef bourguignon in the oven.
All methods for cooking this dish result in a delicious meal, though a slow cooker is a great option if you have it.
It means that you can whack everything in and then get on with your day, and your meat will be that extra bit tender.
You’ll be pleased to know that this Slimming World beef bourguignon won’t cost you the world when it comes to Syns!
There are just 3.5 Syns per serving, or 377 calories.
Once you dig into the ingredients list, you’ll see that the Syns come from the red wine and the gravy granules.
Could you make this recipe Syn free?
Well technically, yes, of course you could.
You could substitute the red wine for a red wine stock pot, and replace the gravy granules with beef stock.
But my opinion on this one is that it’s absolutely not worth it!
The red wine adds a beautifully rich taste, and the gravy granules help create a satisfying texture. No one wants a runny casserole, do they?
And at the end of the day, we’re talking about 3.5 Syns here. You can comfortably fit that into your daily allowance, and it gives you a hearty, warming meal that’s full of flavour.
This winter warmer is perfect served with mash and your favourite green vegetables.
Alternatively, why not add a portion of Syn free Oxo roast potatoes?
I’ve got a guide with more ideas on what to serve with beef bourguignon.
At this time of the year, you can’t beat a comforting meal after a long day.
Here are some more ideas for you to try…
These Syn free steak bakes are consistently one of the most popular choices here on the blog, and for very good reason. Serve with chips and peas for real satisfaction.
This Syn free cottage pie has a deliciously cheesy topping, and you’d never guess that it was slimming friendly if you didn’t know!
And finally, these Syn free meatballs are perfect served traditionally with pasta, or made into a stuffed subway roll.
Be sure to use the hashtag #slimmingviolet and tag me @slimmingviolet over on Instagram.
Oh, and before you go…
Why not pin this recipe so you can come back to it later?
