Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches (Printable Version)
Tender slow-cooked beef on toasted rolls with rich dipping jus
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
04 - 3 cups beef broth
05 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
06 - 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
→ Spices & Seasonings
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 bay leaf
→ For Serving
11 - 6 French rolls or hoagie buns
12 - 6 slices provolone or Swiss cheese (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Arrange the thinly sliced onion and minced garlic evenly across the bottom of a 6 to 8 quart slow cooker.
02 - Season the beef chuck roast generously with black pepper, then place it on top of the onion and garlic bed.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaf. Pour the mixture evenly over the beef.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 8 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and pulls apart effortlessly.
05 - Carefully remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks, discarding any excess fat or gristle. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the cooking liquid.
06 - Set the oven to broil and allow it to preheat.
07 - Place the French rolls on a baking sheet. Divide the shredded beef evenly among the rolls and top each with a slice of provolone or Swiss cheese.
08 - Broil the open-faced sandwiches for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the rolls are lightly toasted.
09 - Pour the cooking liquid through a strainer into small individual serving bowls to create the au jus for dipping.
10 - Serve the hot sandwiches immediately alongside the strained au jus for dipping.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- You literally throw everything in a crockpot and walk away, which means dinner handles itself while you live your life.
- The au jus that comes from those eight hours of slow cooking is liquid gold, rich enough to make store bought dipping sauce taste like dishwater.
02 -
- Resist every urge to lift the lid during cooking because each peek adds roughly thirty minutes to your cook time and lets precious moisture escape.
- The broth will look thin when you first pour it in, but trust the process because eight hours of meat juices and concentrated reduction transform it into something spectacular.
03 -
- Sear the chuck roast in a hot skillet for three minutes per side before adding it to the crockpot if you want a deeper caramelized flavor that feels restaurant worthy.
- Skim the fat off the top of the cooking liquid with a spoon or fat separator before serving the au jus, because a cleaner broth means a better dip.