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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

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Have I mentioned that Ryan and I are a one-car family? When we were first married, it was out of necessity, as we were paying loans and living on one income. Although we’re out of debt and now working for the same company, we still haven’t bought a second car. While it is occasionally inconvenient, the pros still outweigh the cons and I’m proud to think how much gas, insurance, and maintenance money we’ve saved over the past three and a half years! Because Ryan is in class two nights a week, we typically work late and then he drives me part of the way home. He then heads to class in the car and I hop on my bike to finish my commute. Save for dealing with the crazy rush hour drivers, I actually enjoy this break in my day before I head home to work on my own homework or blog posts!


Our travel arrangement has definitely made cooking dinner a little bit more interesting. We typically stick to leftovers on these nights to prevent too many stops for fast food. This French Dip recipe came in handy when I had no leftovers for Ryan to take. I stuck the roast in the slow cooker before we went to bed and by morning it was ready to be shredded! Even better, it made enough to feed us (and my brother) for a few days!
 The meat itself is on the drier side—it is best served with the leftover broth (au jus) for dipping, and we topped our sandwiches with Swiss cheese. My brother said the leftovers he took to lunch one day were his best lunch all week! Regardless of how many cars you have, I know your schedule is likely just as busy…and you can’t beat a meal like this one that does all of the cooking for you!

One Year Ago: Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto Crisps (I loved this unique salad!)
Two Years Ago: Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
from Southern Living October 1997
Ingredients:
-1 (3 1/2 - 4 lb) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1 beef bouillon cube (or substitute beef broth instead of water--I used a combo of broth and water)
-1 bay leaf
-3-4 peppercorns
-1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1 tsp garlic powder
-French rolls, split
-cheese, if desired (we used swiss)

Directions:
1. Place trimmed roast in slow cooker. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce and next five ingredients. Pour over roast. Add water to slow cooker until roast is nearly covered.
2. Cook, covered, on low for 7 hours or until very tender. Remove roast and shred with a fork.
3. Place roast in rolls and top with cheese if desired. Serve with reserved broth for dipping.