Baked Burgundy Beef

Five ingredients. One casserole dish. Zero effort. This might be the easiest beef stew you’ll ever make.

Cubed chuck roast goes straight into a casserole with burgundy wine, condensed French onion soup, fine dry breadcrumbs, and a bay leaf. No browning, no sautéing, no fussing. Just stir, cover, and slide it into the oven.

Three hours later, the beef is fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened into a deep, wine-dark gravy with layers of beefy, oniony richness.

Spoon it over a pile of buttered egg noodles and call it a night.

Chef Tips

• Use a full-bodied burgundy or pinot noir. Cooking wine will give you flat, salty results.
• The breadcrumbs aren’t filler. They dissolve into the sauce and act as a natural thickener.
• Don’t peek too often. Every time you lift the lid, you lose steam and add to the cooking time.