Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 (10 ounce) cans beef broth
• 8 french rolls or hoagies
• 16 slices Provolone cheese
• butter for rolls

Directions:

1. Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker.

2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast. Add the beef broth to the slow cooker. 

3. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 6-8 hours, or until meat is very tender. Mine was done after 5 hours so it depends on your slow cooker; it could take more or less time.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for toasting the rolls. Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Slice or shred meat depending on your preference. I prefer it sliced really thin.

5. Slice rolls in half and place on a cooking sheet. Spread with butter and bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until barely toasted.

6. Pile meat on rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of Provolone cheese. 

7. Place rolls back in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

8. Skim any fat off the surface of the reserved broth in the slow cooker. Serve with reserved broth   

-You may need to add water to adjust the strength of the au jus. Sometimes it is stronger than others and you can adjust it easily by adding water to your preference. Serve in ramekins so everyone can dip their own sandwiches.-

Meatball Marinara Subs

I love Meatball Marinara sandwiches, so I tried this and loved it. Got it from Rachel Ray, can't go wrong with her :)

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano
Coarse salt and black pepper

5 Minute Marinara Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 semolina crusty sub rolls, with or without sesame seeds (I use hoagie rolls)
1 (10-ounce) bag (2 1/2 cups) shredded provolone or Italian 4-cheese blend

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. 

3. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper. 

4. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. 

5. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes. Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.

6.Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. 

7. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. 

8. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. 

9.Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.

10. Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls, 4 meatballs per sub. 

11. Top with shredded cheese and place under subs under broiler to melt cheese. 

12. Top with shredded basil or arugula and serve with a pile of oven fries, recipe follows.

Barbecue Meatball Hoagie

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crusty french loaf
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
16 frozen cooked meatballs (about 8oz), thawed
Shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray

2. Cut loaf of dough crosswise into 4 pieces to make buns. Place dough pieces seam sides down and 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

3. With hands, stretch each dough piece until 4 inches long. With sharp knife, cut 2 diagonal slashes, 1/2 inch deep, on top of each.

4.  Bake 21 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat barbecue sauce and meatballs over medium-low heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot.

6. With serrated knife, cut buns in half horizontally, cutting to but not completely through one long side. Spoon 4 meatballs with sauce into each bun.

7. Sprinkle with cheese if desired

Pulled Pork (Crock Pot)

Ingredients:

4 lbs pork roast (shoulder or butt)

2 large onions

1 cup ginger ale

1 (18 ounce) bottle favorite barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)

barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Slice one onion and place in crock pot.

2. Cut in the roast and cover with the other onion, sliced. Pour over the ginger ale. Cover and cook on LOW for about 12 hours.

3. Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin. Most of the fat will have melted away.

4. Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 hours on LOW.

5. Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce. Any leftovers freeze very well.

TIP: when making pulled pork in a crock pot, cook it in root beer all day instead of water it wont be as healthy but it will make it more flavorful.


TIP: freeze ready-made sandwiches - a scoop of meat on a bun, well-wrapped. These make a great quick meal or snack. To reheat, remove wrapping, wrap in a paper towel, and zap 1-2 minute in the microwave.

Note: Shoulder or butt are recommended because the meat shreds very well. Other cuts do not shred as readily. It is a fattier cut, but the fat melts away in the cooking and is poured away when you discard the liquid.

Note 2: I have an older, smaller crock pot. The above times work perfectly for me. But if you have a newer or bigger crock pot, you may need to revise times downward, esp. after the bbq sauce is added. I think you need at least a couple of hours for it all to meld, but that may be all you need. Update: I recently bought a bigger crockpot, I think 5 or 6 qts. I cooked a 6 lb pork shoulder in it for 8 hours and it was shreddable at that point. Shredded, added the sauce, and cooked for another hour or so to meld everything. So use your best judgment on timing!

Note 3: You might want to turn your roast over after it's cooked a while, to ensure more even cooking. I think this may depend on the size and shape of your roast and the size of your slow cooker. Remember that each time you remove the lid you lose heat and be careful, as turning a large piece of meat is awkward



Serving Size: 1 (292 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
(% Daily Value)  Calories 335.1         
Calories from Fat 6218%     
Total Fat 6.9g 10%  
Saturated Fat 2.0g 10%         
Cholesterol 125.1mg 41%     
Sodium 584.5mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 25.3g 8%     
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%     
Sugars 18.0g 72% 
Protein 40.2g 80%