1. Arrange oven racks, placing one rack at the lowest level. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a 5- to 6-qt. Dutch oven heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high. Add half the beef and bacon; cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl. Add an additional 1 Tbsp. olive oil, remaining beef and bacon, and the sliced garlic to Dutch oven. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return all meat to Dutch oven. Stir in tomato paste; cook and stir 2 minutes.

2. Carefully add wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Reserve 1/2 cup of the 50%-less-sodium beef broth. Add remaining broth to meat mixture. Stir in thyme and 1/2 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper. Bring to boiling. Cover and place pot on the lower oven rack; braise 1 hour.

3. In a small bowl whisk together reserved 1/2 cup broth and the flour; stir into beef mixture. Stir in barley. Bake, covered, 35 minutes more or until barley is tender and stew is thickened.

4. Meanwhile, in a shallow baking pan combine carrots, mushrooms, onion, remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and remaining 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place on a separate oven rack; roast, uncovered, 45 minutes, stirring once.

5. Stir vegetables and peas into stew; let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

6. For croutons: Line a shallow baking pan with foil. In a large bowl combine croissant chunks, melted butter, minced garlic, and parsley; toss to mix. Spread croissants evenly in prepared pan. Bake 5 minutes or until toasted; let cool. Serve croutons over stew. Serves 6.

Tips

*If you sub in brown rice, increase baking time in Step 3 to 45 minutes.

Storage:

Cool stew slightly and transfer to an airtight container. Cover and chill for up to 3 days. (Or transfer to freezer containers. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months.)

To serve, if frozen, thaw mixture in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Place thawed or chilled mixture in a Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional beef broth, if necessary, to reach desired consistency.

Pressure Cooker:

Using saute setting of a 6-quart electric pressure cooker or a 6-quart stove-top pressure cooker, brown meat as above. Add tomato paste and cook as above. Carefully add the wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pot. Reserve 1/2 cup broth and combine with flour as directed. Add remaining broth to meat mixture. Stir in barley, flour mixture, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Lock lid. Set electric cooker on high pressure to cook for 25 minutes. For stove-top cooker bring up to pressure over medium-high heat according to manufacturer's directions; reduce heat enough to maintain stead (but not excessive) pressure. Cook 25 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid. Stir in roasted vegetables* and peas. Let stand as directed. Serve with croutons as directed.

*For roasted vegetables increase oven temperature to 400°F. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once.

Slow Cooker:

Brown meat and add tomato paste as above. Carefully add the wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pot. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Reserve 1/2 cup broth and combine with flour as directed. Add remaining broth, barley, flour mixture, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to meat mixture. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Stir in roasted vegetables* and peas. Let stand as directed. Serve with croutons as directed.

*For roasted vegetables increase oven temperature to 400°F. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once. Vegetables can be roasted, cooled, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 8 hours or until ready to use.