French Dip Sandwich au Jus made in the Slow Cooker

This French dip sandwich has got to be one of the best dishes I've ever tried in the slow cooker. It's really tasty and incredibly easy to make. 

Take a chuck roast, which is a great cut for braising, toss it into your Crock Pot with an umami rich broth, and let all of the flavors meld until everything is perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender. 

Slice and set the beef on a crusty baguette half, top the beef with some of the onions in the braise, and broil some Swiss cheese on top. Dip it in the juices for the absolutely perfect beef dip sandwich. 

Plus, your house will smell amazing while this beef is braising. 

Ingredients:

Chuck roast

Yellow or brown onion

Beef stock

Soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Creole or spicy brown mustard

Garlic

Thyme

Swiss cheese

French baguettes, demi baguettes, or hoagie rolls: If you're really ambitious you can actually make your own! 

The beef is cooked for about 6 to 7 hours on low, then sliced and placed back into the slow cooker and kept warm. I think this step of keeping the sliced beef warm in the juices is key, as it really infuses the beef with the flavors of the au jus. 

I left the sliced beef in the slow cooker for about an hour, and was amazed with the flavor. The beef also is excellent warmed up the next day. It's ridiculously good.

How to assemble the sandwiches:

First, slice the rolls in half lengthwise and place them on a sheet pan. 

Next toast the bread under the broiler. Be sure to keep an eye on it so that your bread doesn't burn. 

I prefer a chewier roll such as a baguette. It holds up super well when you dip the sandwich into the au jus. 

After that, remove the top halves of the bread, pile some of the beef on the bottom halves of the bread, top with some of the braised onions, along with sliced Swiss cheese. 

You could also use provelone cheese if you prefer. 

Place the sheet pan under the broiler again until the cheese gets all melty. 

Top with the other half of the bread and serve with a side of juices from the slow cooker for dipping. 

French dip sandwiches originated in Los Angeles, and there is evidently a debate as to who invented them, Philippe's The Original, or Cole's French Dip. They both claim to be the "home of the French dip sandwich." 

I've never been to Cole's, but I remember my grandmother taking me to Philippe's for lunch when we went shopping in downtown Los Angeles, and later my dad taking me there to lunch when visiting me in college (as well as Julie's Trojan Barrel, which is now closed). This restaurant, along with The Original Pantry, are wonderful places to visit for a sense of old working class Los Angeles.

This is an updated post from July, 2015. I used to participate in a group called Secret Recipe Club, where we would, on a monthly basis, make a recipe from another member's blog. It was a lot of fun and I met so many wonderful food bloggers with whom I am still friends. 

I can't give myself any credit for the deliciousness of this slow cooker version of the French dip. I found it on the blog The Spiffy Cookie, my Secret Recipe Club assignment for that month. 

The Spiffy Cookie is a blog by Erin, who has her Ph.D in microbiology. Yup. She's really smart! Check out her About page.

This month, the Sunday Funday group is celebrating National Sandwich Month. We're bringing you lots of sandwich recipes to enjoy all month long.

• Bombay Chapatti Sandwich by Sneha's Recipe
• Chicken Bacon Pressed Picnic Sandwiches by Making Miracles
• Club Sandwich by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Falafel Pita Sandwich by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Grilled Kielbasa Sandwiches by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Muffuletta by Food Lust People
• Is it, Or Isn't It, a Sandwich? by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Submarine Bites with Sub Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Zucchini and Carrot Vegetable Sandwich by Cook with Renu

French Dip Sandwich Recipe

Yield: 8 sandwiches

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 7 HourTotal time: 7 H & 45 M

This French dip sandwich has got to be one of the best dishes I've ever tried in the slow cooker. It's really tasty and incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3/4 C beef stock/broth
• 1/4 C reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 C water
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T Creole or spicy brown mustard
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme
• 3 pound chuck roast
• Salt and pepper
• 6 to 8 sandwich rolls, or three demi baguettes, sliced into three rolls each
• 8 slices aged Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick round slices. Do not separate. Place the slices on the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. Add the broth, soy sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and thyme to the cooker.
3. Salt and pepper the roast on all sides and lay it on top of the onions.
4. Cook the meat on low for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and let sit for about 15 minutes while you prepare the au jus.
6. Remove the onions from the pot and place them in a small bowl.
7. Strain the liquid into a fat separating measuring cup and let the fat rise to the top. Alternatively, skim the fat off of the top.
8. Thinly slice the roast and return it to the slow cooker and switch it to "warm." Add the onions and the liquid. Let sit for about an hour.
9. To make the sandwiches, slice the rolls/baguettes in half, lengthwise, and place them on a baking sheet. Toast under a broiler, keeping a close eye, about 1 minute.
10. Remove the pan from the oven, and remove the top halves of the rolls from the pan. Pile the beef and onions on the bottom halves of the rolls, top with the cheese, and broil until the cheese is melty. Top with the other half of the bread and serve with small bowls of the jus.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

742.33

Fat (grams)

26.52

Sat. Fat (grams)

10.24

Carbs (grams)

75.67

Fiber (grams)

3.90

Net carbs

71.77

Sugar (grams)

5.88

Protein (grams)

50.31

Sodium (milligrams)

1290.34

Cholesterol (grams)

116.27

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2015/07/french-dip-sandwich-au-jus-made-in-slow.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

French dip

Slow cooker, sandwiches

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