• Set slow cooker on high (for a 3-4 hour cook) or medium/low (for a 6-8 hour cook).
• Combine the flour, paprika, pepper, and salt in a large bowl and toss with the beef chunks, to coat.

for extra flavor, follow the next 3 steps (optional)

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium until the oil shimmers. Add half of the beef, and saute until browned. Transfer slow cooker. Add the remaining beef to the pan and brown. Transfer that batch to the slow cooker. Add 2 cups of the beef broth to the slow cooker (refrigerate the remainder).
• With the pan still on medium heat, deglaze with some of the beer or red wine (I find beer works better). Add the onions, and stir to coat in the saucy fond. Cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the tomato paste to the pan and mix well with the onions, cooking until the tomato paste just begins to stick to the pan (a few minutes). The onion mixture should be thick and saucy; if it's at all watery, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the onions and mix in.
• Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker, along with the beer, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Cover with the lid.

If you're not pre-cooking the beef and onions:

• Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, and cover with the lid.

Cook

• Add the carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker halfway through (after 2 to 4 hours, depending on the setting your choose for your slow cooker). If the liquid level is low, add more beef broth. Re-cover.
• At the end of the alloted time, remove the bay leaves and check the beef for tenderness - it should be very tender - taste, and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.