Beef Daube Provençal

Here's a good winter slow-cooker meal for ya. The beef gets cooked just perfectly. We both thought the stew itselft could've used a little more flavor though. Don't get me wrong, it was really good, just needed a little something extra. You wouldn't think it with 12 whole cloves of garlic! I still think it's a worthy recipe - we'll likely try it again and just tinker with the spices. If anyone gives it a try and finds the perfect combo, let us know! Modified from Cooking Light - serves 5-6.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried fresh thyme
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. 
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef and set in slow cooker. 
3. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Pour into slow cooker.
4. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, onion, broth, paste, rosemary, thyme, ground cloves, tomatoes and bay leaf to slow cooker.
5. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.
6. Discard bay leaf and serve over noodles.