Cooked low and slow for incredible flavor, this French Dip Sandwich is a mouth watering dinner option everyone will love. Tender shredded beef, melty cheeses on top of thick, crispy bread is the perfect, hearty and filling sandwich.
Quick and easy this recipe is delicious and oh so savory. Totally a sandwich must, there is no better way to feed a crowd.
Piled up on a high quality bread, this fall apart, melt in your mouth kind of shredded beef is going to leave everyone wanting seconds. And if that isn't enough temptation, let's top each sandwich off with a slice of ooey-gooey Swiss or Provolone cheese and serve it alongside a flavorful and robust au jus dipping sauce. This recipe becomes an absolute sandwich must try! This is a perfect recipe for serving large groups of people easily and with little stress or mess!
Make it a Meal
While this sandwich can definitely stand on its own pair it up with one of our favorite cheesy potato side dishes Funeral Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin, and you've got an irresistible meal. Or you could totally skip the bun and serve this on top of our perfectly fluffy every single time, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. Ohhh man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Yummmmm. Or enjoy it all on it's own ... James sure did.
Inspiration in All the Places
So, anyone else totally hooked on Tik Tok? Dallin recently fell down the rabbit hole that is Tik Tok and found the culinary side of Tik Tok. Have you tried any recipes or kitchen cooking hacks you've seen on Tik Tok recently? This recipe is totally inspired by a recipe Dallin saw there. We made a few tweaks to the original and have a new favorite meal around here! So tender, so flavorful and oh so delicious!!
Paste, Bouillon Cubes or Soup Stocks
Now when it comes to beef broth there are several different routes that can be used. Our favorite broth go-to is Better than Bouillon paste. They have any kind of flavor base you could ever need. Chicken, beef, vegetarian, roasted garlic and the list of premium pastes goes on. These pastes offer so much more flavor than other bouillons and soup stocks. Easily spoon the paste right out of the jar and add as much or little flavor as you want. Better than Bouillon paste is a time and flavor lifesaver. Give this paste a try and you will never go back!
What Red Wine is best?
We will be the first to say that our knowledge when it comes to cooking with wine is a bit lacking. So we definitely had to do some researching before we went shopping for this recipe. Jaron over at Foods Guy totally helped us narrow it down for this recipe. We followed his suggestions and went with a Pinot Noir. Since it is a heavy dry red wine with moderate tannins and keeps it's slightly fruity flavor. All of these things make it the perfect wine to pair with beef roast and stew recipes, like this delicious French Dip Sandwich.
Cast Iron vs. Standard Pot
One of the great benefits of cast iron cookware is that it gets hot quickly with not as much heat required. Which is why it is so great for cooking on open flames. But if using a cast iron pot with lid it does mean that you have to take that into account. If using a cast iron pot be sure to adjust and sear with a medium heat and cook with a low heat setting. If using a standard pot with lid use a high heat setting for the sear and more of a medium heat for the cook time to achieve a simmer.
And if you are looking to add an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven to your kitchen, we LOVE our Lodge Pot. Seriously, we could not recommend it more highly. We have the 7.5 Quart enameled pot which is awesome because it is just the right size for family meals. And while there are lots of options we went with enameled finish which is still dishwasher safe and keeps cleanup nice and simple!
I seriously love that I can use this one pot to broil, braise, bake, and roast in the oven, but also sauté, simmer, or fry on my stovetop AND use it to marinate and refrigerate food too. So again if you are in the market, we believe strongly that our Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is worth every single penny!
Cooking Style Preference
Stove Top (3 hour cook time)
In a large pot with a lid melt the butter and then add the olive oil to the pot. Season the chuck roast generously with salt and pepper on each side. Place the chuck roast in the pot and sear for 5 minutes on each side. Once seared add the beef broth and red wine to pot and place the lid. Turn down the heat on the pot to simmer and allow it to cook for 3 hours. After the meat is cooked and to desired tenderness remove from the pot and shred it. Spoon roughly 2 cups of the broth left in the pot and a tablespoon of melted butter, over the shredded meat to help keep it moist.
Crockpot or Slow Cooker (5 hour cook time)
To prep the meat, season all sides of the roast. In a hot pan or skillet on the stove, sear the chuck roast with the butter and olive oil until browned on all sides. Place in a crockpot and pour beef broth and wine over the top. Allow to cook on low for 5 hours. After the meat is cooked and to desired tenderness remove from the pot and shred it. Spoon roughly 2 cups of the broth left in the pot and a tablespoon of melted butter, over the shredded meat to help keep it moist.
Instant Pot (1.5 hour cook time)
Season all sides of the roast. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the butter to the pot. Once butter is melted add the olive oil and sear the chuck roast. Once browned on all sides pull the roast out of the Instant Pot. Add the beef broth and wine to the pot and scrape up all the browned bits from the pot. Place the meat back into the pot. Close the lid and set the pressure valve to sealed. Cook on manual for 75 minutes. Once time is up, allow it to naturally pressure release for 15 minutes and then release any excess pressure. After the pin drops take off the lid, and remove meat from the pot to shred. Spoon roughly 2 cups of the broth remaining in the pot and a tablespoon of melted butter, over the shredded meat to help keep it moist.
📖 Recipe
French Dip Sandwich
Tender shredded beef, topped with melty cheese and sandwiched between crispy slices of bread, everyone is going to be asking for seconds. Cooked low and slow this sandwich is an absolute must try.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 pound chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ¾ cup red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- ½ cup butter
- 12 sliced brioche buns
- 12 slices of provolone
Instructions
Stove Top (3 hour cook)
- In a large pot with lid melt butter. Once melted add olive oil to pot.
- Season chuck roast with salt and pepper on each side.
- Sear seasoned chuck roast for 5 minutes on each side.
- Add beef broth and red wine to pot and place the lid.
- Turn down the heat on the pot to simmer. Cook for 3 hours.
- After cooked remove meat from the pot and shred. Spoon roughly 2 cups of broth from pot and a tablespoon of melted butter over the shredded meat to keep moist.
Crockpot/Slow Cooker (5 hour cook)
- To prep the meat, season all sides of the roast.
- In a hot pan or skillet on the stove, sear the chuck roast with the butter and olive oil until browned on all sides.
- Place in a crockpot and pour beef broth and wine over the top.
- Allow to cook on low for 5 hours.
- After cooked remove meat from the pot and shred. Spoon roughly 2 cups of broth from pot and a tablespoon of melted butter over the shredded meat to keep moist.
Instant Pot (1.5 hour cook)
- Season all sides of the roast.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the butter to the pot.
- Once butter is melted add the olive oil and sear the chuck roast. Once browned on all sides pull the roast out of the Instant Pot.
- Add the beef broth and wine to the pot and scrape up all the browned bits from the pot.
- Place the meat back into the pot and close the lid setting the pressure valve to sealed.
- Cook on manual for 75 minutes. Once time is up, allow it to naturally pressure release for 15 minutes and then release any excess pressure.
- After the pin drops take off the lid, remove meat from the pot to shred. Spoon roughly 2 cups of broth from pot and a tablespoon of melted butter over the shredded meat to keep moist.
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Assemble Sandwiches and Serve
- Place sliced buns on a cookie sheet and butter both sides. Then place pan in the oven on broil to lightly toast.
- Place shredded meat on one half of toasted bun and top with sliced provolone. Toast again in oven, to allow cheese to melt.
- Place top bun on sandwich and serve alongside small dish of remaining au jus sauce in pot, for dipping.
Notes
- If using a cast iron pot with lid be aware that the internal temperature gets much hotter at a lower level of heat. If using cast iron be sure to adjust and sear with a medium heat and cook with a low heat setting. If using a standard pot with lid use a high heat setting for the sear and more of a medium heat for the cook time to achieve a simmer.
- To make beef broth we prefer a Better than Bullion paste. You can find it linked in the post above if interested.
- Add a sliced onion or onion soup mix to the pot before cooking for even more flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to two months. When ready to serve remove from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight so you can reheat it on the stove. ½
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 882Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 279mgSodium: 1332mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 52g