1/2 c. flour
1 tbsp. dried thyme leaves, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 (3 lb.) frying chicken, cut up, skin removed
1/2 lb. thick sliced lean bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 lg. bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced into thin strips (preferably 1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow)
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (2 c.)
2 c. coarsely chopped yellow onion
2 c. hearty red burgundy wine or tomato juice
6-8 med. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or 2 (20 oz.) cans whole tomatoes in puree, undrained
12 med.-sized carrots, thickly sliced and parboiled
2 1/2 lbs. sm. white onions, peeled and parboiled
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves or 2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves crumbled
1 c. coarsely chopped fresh parsley

In a 2 quart rectangular plastic food container, mix flour with thyme, salt and pepper. Toss in beef then chicken, a few pieces at a time, turning to coat. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels. Remove 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings and set aside.

In the remaining drippings, brown beef and chicken in 3 batches and drain on paper towels. Add additional drippings if necessary to make 2 tablespoons. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute, scraping brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and onion; continue cooking about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Return beef, chicken and bacon to Dutch oven; stir in all remaining ingredients except parsley. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, then simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves and top with the parsley. Makes 10 servings.