Can you believe that it is already October? Before we know it we will be stuck indoors because it is too cold out, and hanging Christmas lights. I plan to soak in all of what Fall has to offer before that can happen though. Unfortunately, it seems that Blair and I are always moving around this time of year so that puts a damper on some weekend fun. Instead, we have decided to take packing a little at a time, and sprinkle in some fun fall activities. I can guarantee you that I am going to squeeze in activities like apple picking, wine tasting, bike riding on Kelly Drive, and pumpkin picking. If you see me looking frantic in the next few weeks this is why. Along with the cooler weather comes my cravings for hearty and easy weeknight meals.
When I found this recipe, I immediately put it on my menu for the next week. It is another crockpot meal that comes together with ease, and has you on your feet for about ten minutes total at the end. I can promise those ten minutes are worth it, toasting the bread and melty cheese is essential to this delicious sandwich. I bought a loaf of crusty ciabatta bread and it was the perfect match to the tender beef, plus it held up really well for the dunking. Sometimes I think that Blair would eat anything that I put in front of him, but when he said that I could put this on the menu every week, I knew it was a keeper!
Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3/4 cup beef broth/stock
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp creole mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- about 3lb chuck roast
- salt
- pepper
- 6-8 sandwich rolls, split
- 6-8 slices of provolone or swiss cheese
Directions
Slice the onion into 1/4-inch rounds. Keeping the rounds intact, place them in the bottom of the crockpot. Whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic to the crockpot, add to the crockpot over the onions. Salt and pepper both sides of the roast and place on top of the onions. Cook on low 6-7 hours until beef is fall-apart tender.
Once the meat is done cooking, transfer the roast to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Remove the onions and set aside. Strain the juice into a large “defatted” measuring cup and get rid of the oil that collects on top (I just used my mesh sieve).
Heat the broiler. Place the split sandwich rolls on a lined baking sheet and toast for 1 minute or just until the bread begins to brown. Remove the tops from the pan. Scoop the shredded beef onto the bottom of the rolls and top with cheese. Return to the oven just until cheese is melted. Top with sandwich halves and serves with small bowls of juice.