The French Dip

Hi everyone, welcome to Sunday Supper! Today we are pulling out the Instant Pot for a scrumptious French Dip Sandwich. You can absolutely do this in a slow cooker, it’ll take all day, but you know what? It’s totally worth it. And the aroma of a pot roast cooking will be a nice companion for a chilly Sunday. And, as if that wasn’t comforting enough, you get to eat the sandwich at the end! Win-win for The French Dip!

Chuck Roast

Whether you’re slow cooking or Instant-Potting this, you want to start by seasoning and searing the chuck roast. I like to use a seasoning blend called SPG; it’s mainly salt, pepper and garlic flakes, but it also has a little sugar. You can use your favorite meat rub, or just go with an even coating of salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.

Season all sides of the chuck roast and let that sit while you slice the onions and measure out the rest of ingredients. We have 1.5 cups of beef broth, two tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, a sliced onion and a 16 ounce can of Guinness. Set the Instant pot or your slow cooker to Sauté and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sear the meat on both sides until a nice brown crust develops, about 6-8 minutes each side.

After searing, turn off the Instant Pot and add the onions, broth and beer.

Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook and set the timer for 60 minutes. If slow cooking, switch to slow cook mode and set the timer for 8 hours. The Instant Pot will go for one hour, let it have a 20 minute pressure release, then manually release the rest of the steam. During the 20 minute pressure release, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pull the chuck roast out of the cooker and place it on a sheet pan. Let it sit for a few minutes while you prep the hoagie rolls with slices of Provolone cheese. On a sheet tray, spread open the hoagie rolls and lay two slices of Provolone per roll, completely covering the surface of the roll. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. While the rolls are in the oven, use two forks to shred the beef.

I like to cover the entire inside of the roll with cheese to act as a tasty barrier to keep the bread from getting too soggy before it hits the au jus.

Assembly

Ladle some of the cooking liquid (the au jus) from the pot to a ramekin or small bowl. Then, pile the shredded roast onto one side of a roll, slice in half on a diagonal. Get to dipping! The au jus is so flavorful and will moisten the sandwich. There are French Dip recipes that doctor up the juice from the pot with flour to thicken it to make the au jus, but I don’t think it needs it all.

This is a perfect Sunday Supper; minimal prep, a set it and forget it recipe that just hits so well on a late Sunday afternoon. Especially if there is a game on. Get some salt and vinegar chips to go alongside and you’re good to go! The winter beer shandy from today’s email newsletter would be a great drink to have with this French Dip!

Sandwiches are a favorite at the Djalali house and the French Dip is one of Alex’s favorites. If you’re interested in other sandwich recipes, check out my Turkey Sandwich Trio, which are easily replicated without having Thanksgiving leftovers! Do you love a classic French Dip? Let me know! Reach out on facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. Happy Sunday all, see you tomorrow! Take care and be well, xo Kelly.

Print Recipe

The French Dip

(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)

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Lunch, Dinner, Main Course – American

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2-6

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes, or 8 Hours on Slow Cook – Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes, or 8 Hours 15 Minutes

A classic sandwich with roasted chuck roast, melty Provolone and a toasted hoagie roll is the perfect Sunday Supper!

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb. Chuck Roast
• Salt, Pepper, Granulated Garlic to coat roast
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 1.5 cups Beef Broth
• 1 -16 oz. can of Guinness
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• Hoagie Rolls
• 2 slices Provolone per Sandwich

Instructions

1

Generously coat entire roast with salt, pepper and garlic, set aside.

2

Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add olive oil.

3

Sear Roast on each side until it develops a nice, browned crust, about 8 minutes each side. Switch off Instant Pot.

4

Add onions, broth, Worcestershire Sauce, and Guinness.

5

Lock lid, switch Instant Pot to Pressure Cook and set timer for 60 minutes.

6

Let Instant Pot automatically release steam for 20 minutes. Then manually release the rest of the steam.

7

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

8

Transfer chuck roast to a sheet tray.

9

On a separate sheet tray, open hoagie rolls and lay two slices of Provolone over the entire hoagie surface. Bake until cheese is melted, about 6-8 minutes.

10

Shred the chuck roast with two forks.

11

Pile the shredded roast on one side of each hoagie roll, fold closed and slice in half.

12

Serve with a small bowl of the au jus straight from the pot.

Notes

If using a slow cooker, sauté the roast* and add onions, broth, Worcestershire Sauce, and Guinness. Set the slow cooker to Slow Cook and set the timer for 8 hours. Proceed with the rest of the recipe. * If your slow cooker doesn't have a sauté function, sauté the roast in a deep pot on the stove then transfer to the slow cooker. Try to scrape up any fond that developed in the pot, into the slow cooker.