Easy French Dip in the Slow Cooker

We really do not dine in restaurants often. (Quite honestly, I believe I have never used the term dine when discussing restaurants...we're a bit more casual than that.) However, when we do go out to eat, I tend to order the french dip (or the french onion soup...). I am oh-so-predictable, and everyone knows it.

I don't want to sound proud, so please know that it's just the recipe and not my cooking skills speaking here. Since I've been making my own french dip, I tend to be disappointed in other french dips. They tend to be chewy, tough, or unflavorful. And this one...well, it's ~~nearly~~ perfect...for me, at least. (And it's also excellent as just a cold or hot beef sandwich, too, without the big roll or cheese!)

French Dip
2-3 pound beef oven roast, fat trimmed
4 cups beef broth (approximately 1 box or 2 cans)
1 packet onion soup mix
French bread or sub rolls
Swiss cheese slices (or whatever you have)

Spray cooking spray in slow cooker. Place roast in crock. Add beef broth and soup mix. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or longer. It's ready when it shreds easily. (I prefer a minimum of 10 hours for tenderness. Sometimes if I only have 8 hours I start it on high for an hour or more and then finish on low for the next 7 hours.) Shred the beef with two forks. Return shredded beef to the slow cooker so it can absorb the juices.

Cut the bread to sandwich size and slice it. Place beef on one side. Cover the shredded beef with cheese and broil for a minute or so until cheese starts to melt and brown a little. Remove from broiler and serve. Use a ladle to scoop out some of the juice from the slow cooker and serve as au jus.

Please Note:
~ If the beef does not shred easily with two forks, then it is not cooked enough.
~ If you don't want to eat it as french dip, do not shred the beef and just call it a delicious roast. Your family will thank you.
~ Consider toasting your bread/rolls before placing beef on them to prevent sogginess. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't.
~ If you enjoy onions, add real onions to the recipe. You could also add a second french onion dip packet to the recipe.
~ This french dip freezes beautifully! Just reheat on stove top with additional beef broth for french dip.
~ Leftovers make a great beef roast. You can use the additional broth/au jus to make a gravy if preferred.

This is definitely one of my all time favorite recipes! (My other favorite is the Bacon Ranch Chicken.) What's yours?

~ Annette {This Simple Mom}