Step 1

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. If desired, in a large nonstick skillet cook and stir half of the meat over medium-high heat until brown. Drain off fat. Place meat in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining meat.

Step 2

Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to cooker. In a bowl stir together broth, wine, mustard, and dried thyme (if using). Pour mixture over meat in cooker.

Step 3

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Step 4

If using low-heat setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting. In a small bowl stir together butter and flour. Stir in 2 tablespoons cooking liquid to make a paste. Stir in fresh thyme, if using. Stir mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high-heat setting about 30 minutes more or until mixture thickens.

Step 5

Serve meat mixture with Whole Wheat Bread Planks. Sprinkle with fresh thyme.