Slow cooker French dip is a tasty and fun family meal. Shredded, flavorful, tender beef slow cooked to perfection and served sandwich style with au jus for dipping.
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The Merriam-Webster on-line definition of lazy is: disinclined to activity or exertion : not energetic or vigorous. Yep! That's me! Good thing I have my crockpot to do all the heavy lifting for me. This recipe is a perfect example!
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🥖Ingredients
To make a crockpot French dip sandwich, you will need the following:
- roast
- beef broth or consommé
- onion soup mix
- water
- Worcestershire sauce
- beer
- garlic
- Swiss cheese
- French baguettes
🥣How to assemble
Start by adding beef into your slow cooker. Roasts such such as a eye of round roast or chuck roast will work very here. In a mixing bowl, mix all liquids and spices together and pour over the beef. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. After at least 8 hours, remove the beef from your slow cooker, shred and return to cook in the juices.
When you are ready to serve, Place shredded beef on crusty french bread/baguettes and top with cheese. To help make sure the cheese melts to a nice gooey consistency, place your cheese-topped sandwiches on a cookie sheet/rack under the broiler for a minute or two. Finally, spoon some of the juices from your slow cooker into a small bowls for dipping and you are ready to serve!
🍽Serving suggestions
Slow cooker French dip is a fun meal that can get a little messy. I usually suggest a little dipping bowl for each diner with their own au-jus. If you are looking for a little extra flavor, serving with a bit of horseradish can give a nice bite to your sandwich. Swiss cheese is the most common cheese used on this sandwich, but provolone is also a delicious option if you want to switch things up a bit.
This dish is great served with a side of cheesy potatoes or squash & zucchini parmesan.
Storing leftovers
Slow cooker French dip will store really well in both the fridge and freezer. I recommend storing your beef mixture in airtight, meal sized containers or bags. Leftovers will last about 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to about 3 months in the freezer. Of course, this assumes you have leftovers!
😉Hints & hacks
- The bread counts for this one. A nice chewy, not too fluffy baguette with medium crust really helps. If your roll is too soft, it will quickly become soggy when dipping.
- This is a perfect meal for days when your people will be eating at different times. After the cooking time, turn your slow cooker to warm (or have it automatically switch to warm if your slow cooker has this feature) and everyone can have a hot and filling meal, when they are ready to eat.
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price. Here are the liners I buy.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after
Great slow cooker beef recipes
❓Frequently asked questions
There always seems to be a lot of discussion over the best way to shred beef. I don’t really have an opinion other than that I like to wash as few dishes as possible. Therefore, I usually use two forks to just pull the meat apart. Others prefer to use everything from a potato masher to a hand mixer.
The best way to confirm if meat is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Beef is considered safe to eat when it has reached in internal temperature of at least 145ºF. Keep in mind that it is best to cook your roast well beyond the time when it first reaches that temperature to help make it extra tender.
If you want to make your dipping liquid a bit thicker the lazy way, add a tablespoon of instant potato flakes and stir to fully mix.
It is generally recommended to cook red meat with a darker, more intense beer such as a stout or dark ale.
📖 Recipe
Lazy Slow Cooker French Dip
Equipment
- 6 qt slow cooker
- measuring spoons and cups
- baking tray
- slow cooker liner (optional)
- 2 forks to shred beef
Ingredients
- 1 cup beef broth or consomme
- 1 package french onion soup mix
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 11.2 oz bottle of beer
- 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 3.5 lb eye-of-round roast
- sliced provolone or swiss cheese
Instructions
- place slow cooker liner into pot and add roast
- mix remaining ingredients and pour over meat
- cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- after at least 7 hours, remove meat and shred. I generally use two forks for this process. If you wont be serving right away, return meat to pot and keep warm in cooking juices.
- When getting ready to serve, preheat oven to 350°
- place meat on thick, crusty rolls and top with a slice of cheese
- Place assembled sandwiches on a baking tray and put in preheated oven just long enough for cheese to melt
- serve with small bowl or ramekins filled with the au jus from the original pot for dipping!
Nutrition
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