Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

Fry bacon until crispy and drain on paper towel. Reserve 1/2 bacon grease and brown 1/2 beef in remaining grease in pan. Add unbrowned beef to crock pot with browned beef. Add reserved grease to pan and soften carrots and onion with 1/4 tsp salt - about five minutes. Add chopped garlic and thyme and saute for about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and brown for about 30-40 seconds before adding contents of pan to crock pot. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, soy sauce and 1/2 red wine. When it comes to a simmer, add to crock pot. Add the bay leaves and tapioca and cook on low setting in crock pot for nine hours. 20 minutes before the stew is ready, add the butter, sugar, 1/2 cup water, and the frozen onionsto a hot pan. Cover pan and cook for five minutes. Uncover and cook until golden and add mushrooms. Salt mushrooms and cook until mushrooms softened. Add onion/mushroom mixture to crock pot and deglaze pan with remaining wine. Reduce wine in half and add to stew. Finish with the parsley and bacon and serve over hot buttered noodles.