Tasty French Dip Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker

This recipe is a keeper! I made French dip sandwiches with au jus utilizing my slow cooker and it worked out great. After cooking the chuck roast for six hours, the connective tissue of the meat had really broken down and therefore, the meat was very tender. The flavors that I combined were delicious and it made me hungry all day with the delightful aroma.
I put some new twists on an old favorite by adding in some jarred mild pepper rings. I also added some celery seed along with onion to simulate partial mirepoix flavors that you would find in beef consommé. My favorite part was taking the cooked vegetables out after cooking and placing them in a frying pan with bacon to add some more umami flavor! I fried them until they were golden and topped the sandwich with them. Delicious!
The meat, melted provolone cheese, carmelized onions and bacon, and hoagie bread are so savory together. When you dip them in au jus, this meal becomes top shelf.
Ingredients:
2 pound beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans (15 ounces each) beef broth
1 large yellow onion sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup sliced mild peppers from a jar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt plus extra
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper plus extra
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon roasted garlic
5 pieces of bacon
6 Hoagie Rolls
12 slices of provolone cheese
Mayonnaise ( optional)

Remove roast from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with Kosher salt, about a teaspoon in total.

Sprinkle both sides of the roast with ground black pepper, about a 1/2 teaspoon in total.

Place a Dutch oven or large frying pan on the stovetop and heat on medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place the roast in the pan. Sear each side for about 4 minutes or until you see some golden brown color.

Remove the roast from the pan and set aside. Add one can of beef broth to the pan while still hot. This will deglaze the pan capture all of the good flavor left behind. Pour the broth into your slow cooker.

Add the onions in a layer in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add mild pepper rings in a layer on top of the onions.

Place the roast on top of the vegetables.

Add the second can of beef broth to the slow cooker.

Add 1 teaspoon of celery seed to the liquid in the slow cooker.

Add 1 teaspoon roasted garlic to the liquid in the slow cooker.

Add 1/2 teaspoon thyme to the liquid in the slow cooker.

Add 1 teaspoon parsley flakes to the liquid in the slow cooker. I used a spoon to stir the liquid at this point and turn the roast over.

Add 1 teaspoon Kosher salt distributing evenly across the roast and liquid.

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper distributing evenly across the roast and liquid. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn the setting to low. Cook for 4 hours.

After 4 hours of cooking, remove roast and slice thinly. Return slices to slow cooker and cook for 2 more hours.

Remove onions and peppers from the slow cooker. Place in a large frying pan on medium high heat on the stovetop. Fry with 5 pieces of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces. When bacon is crispy, remove vegetables and bacon from heat.

So, at this point, all of the hard work is behind you. It’s time to assemble your French dip sandwich and dig in. With a sharp knife, cut your hoagie open and add mayo (if you like), meat, provolone cheese, carmelized onions and bacon. If you want to melt the cheese, which I recommend, place the sandwich under the broiler on high) for a minute or two. Serve with au jus for a delicious meal. Enjoy!
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