May 11, 2012

What was for dinner? French Dip Sandwiches

website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Slow-Cooker-French-Dip/

picture:

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus and Chips on the side

The Differences: I did not use any beer in the mixture for the meat in the crock pot, I shredded the meat instead of slicing it; I put the meat and the Swiss cheese (did I mention the cheese?) on to the open face buns covered them loosely with foil and baked the whole sandwich for about 15 minutes thereby melting the cheese and toasting the bun.

The Prep: I did not trim the fat from the meat... anyone who cooks low and slow will tell you "Remove the fat before cooking and you will remove the flavor of the meat." So I opted to put the meat in the crock pot as it came out of the container and remove the fat as I shredded the meat once it was cooked. 5 minutes to prep the meat and add the onion soup and beef broth to the crock pot. 8 hours to cook,5 minutes to shred the meat, 5 minutes to make the sandwiches, and 15 minutes to toast them. Without the crock pot cook time your prep takes about 30 minutes.

The Cost Breakdown:
Chuck Roast: $7.51
Onion Soup mix: $0.79
Beef Broth: $0.79
Sandwich Rolls: $4.19
Swiss Cheese: $4.49
Chips: $2.50

All items needed for cooking included in the cost of the meal

Total: $20.27 or $5.07 per person for a family of four

The Verdict: Goodness this was SOOO good. All of the flavors came together and it was yummy, it was hearty, it was filling, easy to put together on a busy day, and such a summertime meal (felt that way to me anyway). I wasn't sure I was going to like it cause French Dip sandwiches are not my go to meat sandwich... I wasn't sure if Erik was going to like it cause he doesn't like meat out of the crock pot... we BOTH liked this meal a great deal and would definitely have it again, it was awesome!