French Dip-licious

After what I considered a long, cold winter, spring has finally arrived here in North Carolina!  Actually, we pretty much skipped spring and went straight from winter to summer, seeing how last week it was in the 40's and this week it's in the 80's, but I'm a heat lover, so that's just fine with me.

Spring time always puts me in the mood to freshen up my home, and, since I just celebrated my 37th 29th birthday, I'm also feeling the need to treat myself to some retail therapy.  So, I decided to redecorate my great room with a fresh new color scheme.  Between cleaning the house and shopping for accessories, I haven't had a lot of time left over to do pesky chores like cook a proper supper every night!

While I could happily survive on cold cereal and frozen pizzas, my husband and child have come to expect some sort of balanced meal on the table, so what's a busy girl to do?  Throw some stuff in the Crock-Pot and come home to a ready-to-eat supper, that's what!

This recipe makes a hearty, flavorful sandwich that keeps my man happy and requires very little prep time for me, which means I have time to go to the mall, and the hubs will be so satisfied, he won't even notice.


Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches 

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 7 hrs
Serves 6

3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
14 oz beef broth
1 10.5 oz can French onion soup
6 oz red wine (or more broth)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
sliced provolone cheese, optional

Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.

Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Take beef out and rest it, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low for 30 minutes.

Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls, if using. Divide beef onto rolls and spoon the au jus (leftover roasting juices) into small bowls. Serve each sandwich with a bowl of au jus for dipping.