The Most Amazing French Dip for the Crock Pot or Instant Pot!
French Dip is a flavorful shredded beef sandwich topped with melty Swiss cheese, and a carmelized onion and mushroom medly. This recipe is perfect for a game day meal to feed a crowd, or a chilly fall night to warm your inside. Use the crock pot for a set and forget slow cooker meal that's ready when you get home from work, or the Instant Pot for a quicker meal in a third of the time.
Equipment
- 1 crock pot for slow cooker method
- 1 Pressure Cooker such as Instant Pot brand for Instant Pot method
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb chuck roast
- 1 packet onion soup powder mix
- 1 packet McCormick's Au Jus Gravy powder mix
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 8 crusty French or Hoagie rolls
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 1 TBSP butter
- olive oil as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
French Dip in the Crock Pot
- Season roast generously with salt and pepper. In a hot pan over medium high heat, add a large drizzle of olive oil and sear all sides of the roast until slightly golden brown (1-2 minutes per side).
- Using the flat part of a knife, strike your garlic clove quickly to smash it down into a patty-like shape. (You don't want to break the clove apart, rather expose the aromatic garlic flesh and oils to ensure more flavorful cooking.)
- Put seared roast into crock pot. Add beef broth, onion soup mix, Au Jus gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, and smashed garlic. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours on high or low for 8 hours.
- When roast is done cooking, preheat oven to broil on high. Butter inside of rolls and toast under broiler for 5 minutes. Set aside once slightly toasted.
- While rolls are toasting, melt butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook, tossing frequently, until veggies are slightly caramelized.
- Pull roast out of crock pot and put onto a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a colander directly back into the crock pot. This will remove all the little pieces from the soup mix and fat particles to make a silky-smooth broth. Spoon ¼ cup of broth into a small dish for each diner.
- Leave any remaining broth in the crock pot. Add shredded meat back to pot and toss meat in broth to coat.
- Build your sandwiches by putting a heaping pile of shredded meat on one side of the bun. Add caramelized onions and mushrooms. Top with Swiss cheese and broil for 3 minutes, until cheese is melty. Cover with other side of bun.
- Serve with individual bowls of broth dip.
French Dip in the Instant Pot
- Cut roast into 2-3 large chunks.
- Season roast pieces generously with salt and pepper. Turn Instant Pot to "saute" and drizzle of olive oil. Sear all sides of the roast pieces until slightly golden brown (1-2 minutes per side).
- Using the flat part of a knife, strike your garlic clove quickly to smash it down into a patty-like shape. (You don't want to break the clove apart, rather expose the aromatic garlic flesh and oils to ensure more flavorful cooking.)
- Pour the beef broth into pot, scraping up any brown bits from searing the roast. Add onion soup mix, Au Jus mix, Worcestershire sauce, and smashed garlic. Add roast pieces to Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on your Instant Pot and seat. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes per pound. Then do a natural release for 15 minutes once done cooking. If there is still pressure after 15 minutes, then do a quick release to remove the rest of the pressure.
- While the Instant Pot is depressurizing, melt butter in a pan over medium high heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook, tossing frequently, until veggies are slightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to broil on high. Butter inside of rolls and toast under broiler for 5 minutes. Set aside once slightly toasted.
- Pull roast out of Instant Pot and put onto a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat.
- Strain the cooking liquid through a colander directly back into the pressure cooker. This will remove all the little pieces from the soup mix and fat particles to make a silky-smooth broth. Spoon ¼ cup of broth into a small dish for each diner.
- Leave any remaining broth in the Instant Pot. Add shredded meat back to pot and toss meat in broth to coat.
- Build your sandwiches by putting a heaping pile of shredded meat on one side of the bun. Add caramelized onions and mushrooms. Top with Swiss cheese and broil for 3 minutes, until cheese is melty. Cover with other side of bun.
- Serve with individual bowls of broth dip.