Italian Beef Sandwiches

I remember the first time I smelled this glorious dish being cooked in the slow cooker... It was love at first whiff. This is my boyfriend's mom's recipe for Italian Beef Sandwiches and the first time I tried it I HAD TO HAVE THE RECIPE! I make it on a regular basis now and it really doesn't get much easier and tastier than this, folks. Throw everything in the slow cooker, let it cook and get super tender for 8 hours, melt some cheese on a sandwich roll, and stuff your face. That's what happens when this sandwich is on the plate in front of you - pure happiness and face-stuffing. And your house will smell FANTASTIC and did I mention it was easy? Ugh. Yum (*does happy-food-dance).

Thank you Mrs. E for sharing the recipe with me!!! :) 

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours and 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 lb bottom round roast or chuck roast

1 onion

6 Italian rolls

6 slices provolone cheese

12 fl oz (1 jar) hot banana pepper rings

0.7 oz Italian salad dressing mix (dry packet)

Enough water to cover the roast in the slow cooker

1. Slice onion. Add roast, onion, banana pepper rings (including the juice from the jar), and salad dressing mix to the slow cooker. Add enough water to just cover the roast. Cook on high for 8 hours. (This can be done with a larger roast as well, up to 3-5 lbs. Add more onions and water to the slow cooker for a larger roast)

2. Shred beef with two forks and discard any fatty pieces. Slice rolls in half and put provolone cheese slice on one side. Broil to melt the cheese, about 2 minutes.

3. Use a slotted spoon to scoop Italian beef, onions, and banana peppers onto the rolls with cheese. Drizzle juice from the slow cooker over the beef or serve with a side of the juice for dipping. Enjoy!

Want to know how easy this recipe is? This is the hardest step - slicing an onion.

Put the roast, sliced onion, banana peppers with the juice, salad dressing mix, and enough water to cover the roast in the slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours. Yay for setting it and forgetting it!

Oh my. Just look at how beautiful it is after 8 hours!

It is so tender that it falls apart when you take two forks to it. Shred it into small enough pieces for a sandwich.

Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and onions and peppers but you'll also want to either ladle some of the juice onto your sandwich or get an extra little bowl of juice for dipping! 

Brown the sandwich bun and melt the cheese in the broiler for a few minutes, assemble the sandwich, stuff face. Mmmm warm, tender meat with very VERY little work. And whatever you do, don't let the delicious juice go to waste! Either drizzle some directly on the sandwich or have a little dipping bowl like above.