French Dip Sandwiches

Chris and I absolutely love French Dip Sandwiches - we get them every time we go to Arby's. My original recipe was ok - I just used a packet of Au Jus sauce mix from the grocery store, but it never seemed quite right to me, so you can imagine my excitement when I found this recipe. It's another one from my mom's neighborhood cookbook and it now replaces my old French Dip recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can French Onion soup
1 can beef consommé soup
1 1/2 cans water
1 Au Jus seasoning mix
1 - 1/2 lbs sliced roast beef
4 deli rolls - whichever you prefer
4 slices provolone cheese (you could use swiss if you prefer)


Directions:

Combine soups and water in a crock pot. Add roast beef and cook on low for 1 - 2 hours. Using tongs, remove roast beef from liquid and pile onto sliced deli rolls. Top each sandwich with one slice of provolone and then place onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Place pan under the broiler - I leave my rack in the middle of the oven - for a minute or too, until cheese is melted and rolls are lightly browned. Remove from oven, close sandwiches and then cut in half. Use remaining liquid for dipping.


*The original recipe called for a 3 lb boneless roast, but then you have to pull it out of the crock pot and slice it. That's way too involved for me, so it's easier just to get sliced roast beef from the deli. Because the meat is already cooked, you don't want to leave it in the crock pot for several hours. Just an hour or two is all it needs to flavor the meat, otherwise the meat will fall apart and you'll be left with little tiny pieces. I can tell you this from experience :(