Easy and slow cooker seem to go together. In fact, I feel like easy is a slow cooker recipe requirement.
I actually made this back in February when the hiatus began…I apologize for the delay in posting it.
This recipe was quick and easy to prepare and had great flavor. There’s also some ways that you can easily change it to fit your tastes.
The first step is to season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the meat. Brown on eat side, not moving the meat for a few minutes on each side to develop a good crust to the roast.
If you’re short on time or don’t want to use oil, feel free to skip the browning step. Just make sure to season the roast/au jus in the slow cooker.
Once the roast has been browned on each side, add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
I really feel like one of the most important ingredients to this recipe is the beer; that’s where a lot of the flavor for the au jus is going to come from. For this roast I used what I happened to have in my refrigerator which was a Guinness Blonde American Lager. The next time I make this I will use a darker beer but the lager worked since I didn’t want to go to the liquor store.
I think I let ours cook for approximately 6 hours. Going forward, if I were to use the same type of roast I would definitely cook it for closer to 8 hours so that it would be a bit more tender.
We buttered and toasted the French rolls we used for our sandwiches and then added provolone cheese and served with the au jus and roasted carrots.
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs Beef roast, I used a bottom round roast
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Course Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Bottle Beer, the darker the better
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- Hoagie Rolls
- Butter
- Provolone Cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and heat until hot. While the oil is heating, coat the roast in salt and pepper. Add the seasoned roast to the pan when the oil is hot and brown on each side until a deep crust has developed (~5 minutes a side).
- Add the browned roast to the slow cooker. Scrape the oil/juice, seasoning, and brown bits from the pan and add it to the slow cooker as well. Add the beef broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, and onions to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours (the longer the better/more tender meat).
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker and slice.
- To assemble, slice and butter the hoagie rolls and toast. Add the provolone cheese (can melt while toasting if you want). Add the sliced meat.
- Dish the liquid from the slow cooker into small bowls to use as au jus.
Recipe Notes
Bottom round roasts are a tough cut of meat, the longer and slower they cook the better. Different cuts of meat can definitely be used, I used a bottom round because it happened to be on sale at the grocery store that day.
You don't have to brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. It adds a nice crust and flavor but can be eliminated if you don't want to use oil or take the time. If not browning, be sure to salt and pepper the roast/sauce in the slow cooker.