Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

I suspect that in the next few posts you will discover that I am on an Our Best Bites recipe kick. And who wouldn't be? They have great recipes and I haven't been disappointed yet. I saw this one the other day and couldn't get it out of my mind because I love french dip sandwiches. GOOD french dip sandwiches. And this didn't involve spending an arm and a leg on deli roast beef. You make it with the cheapest beef roast you can find! And it's delicious.

One note on provolone cheese. Most varieties have smoke flavor added. Personally, I don't care for it so I search for the "plain" slices. I found them at Safeway this time. But if you don't care one way or the other, no problem.

And when it comes to using the broiler, be prepared. I naively thought it would take a good two minutes to toast the sandwiches. Hah! After one minute I had to scrape the bread because it almost burned. I'd give it 30 seconds and then check it every 10 seconds after that until they're ready.

Crap, just writing about this is making me hungry for another.

SLOW COOKER FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
from Our Best Bites

1 (2.5 - 3lb) beef roast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
2 (1 oz) packets onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 crusty sandwich rolls
slices of provolone cheese, as desired

Rub roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once hot, add roast and sear on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Add water and beef broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours and then reduce to low for another 3-4 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker and shred the meat (you can add a little of the juices to the meat to keep it moist, if necessary). Divide meat between sandwich rolls, top with cheese, and broil open-faced until bread is golden and toasted and cheese is melted. Serve with remaining juices (au jus) for dipping.