Juicy Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches: Caramelized Onions and French Bread
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Dear Reader,
These warm and delicious French dip sandwiches were a welcome treat yesterday. I made them over the weekend, so we enjoyed the leftovers for our lunch. Made with succulent roast beef chuck, Pinot Grigio, brown mushrooms, Swiss and mozzarella cheeses, and caramelized onions these roast beef sandwiches are just the perfect winter comfort meal. This recipe also incorporates the au jus, or “with juice,” aspect so that you may dip your sandwich in the delicious beef drippings. This sandwich is so cozy and comforting.
the history of the french dip sandwich:
Like many of the recipes I have been making and researching lately, this recipe has absolutely nothing to do with the French. It is an American creation from the early 20th century. So the story goes, the restaurant Phillippe the Original dropped a hot beef sandwich in the beef drippings upon serving the sandwich. The customer decided to eat the sandwich as it was and said it was delicious. Other sources say that the chef started dipping his sandwiches into the beef drippings because customers were complaining the bread was stale. There is also controversy that the restaurant Cole’s Pacific Electric Cafe invented the recipe around the same time.
I find all of these little stories so silly and charming. The French dip sandwich, of course, became a big success and is served at restaurants all over the United States. I am not really sure about it being served in other countries, but perhaps it is named something else! The original sandwich was made with shaved rare roast beef on a French bread roll. Modern variations include Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. That is how I made mine, and I decided to use one of our beef chuck roasts over shaved beef.
selecting a beef roast:
For this recipe, I recommend using a chuck roast however most any beef roast will work. Here are some tips for selecting a beef roast when you are at the butcher’s!
Look for marbling. If you are looking for a tender roast, the marbling of the muscle and fat will determine how succulent your final product will be. Marbling is the little white flecks of fat within the lean of the beef. As these flecks of fat melt, they add delicious flavor to the meat and create a juicy and tender final meal!
Leave fat on the outside of the roast. As someone who butchers their own meat, I prefer to leave about 1/2 to 1/4-inch of fat around the outsides of my roasts. This is ideal for keeping the meat tender and “fall apart” juicy! If you are getting a roast from the butcher, see if they can leaver a decent layer of fat on the outside of the roast.
planning out the recipe:
This roast beef sandwich, while quite simple in appearance, takes some time to prepare. If you are making everything from scratch, I suggest breaking up the work over two days. For instance, you can prepare all of the ingredients for the sandwich a day in advance and then build them the following day, reheating the meat. Or, prepare the bread over the weekend and leave your meat in the crockpot on a weekday to build the sandwiches after work. However, it can be done in a single day!
The order of events, I would suggest, would be to prepare the beef and place it in the slow cooker for the day. Then, prepare the bread at least 4 hours in advance of eating. Lastly, make the caramelized onions and build the sandwiches once the beef has finished cooking.
tips for making the french bread rolls:
The French bread for this recipe can be shaped in several different ways. I chose to go with a hoagie shape, but you could easily make two large loaves, shaped like baguettes, or make hamburger buns. This is a basic French bread recipe, so it is very versatile!
As always, when it comes to making bread, I always suggest taking it easy on the flour. You want a bread dough that is not sticky and clingy to your hands or the bowl, but is still soft, pliable, and easily stretched. This is how to achieve a soft inner crumb that still has some structure. You should always lean towards having a wetter dough then stiff and dry. This will cause your French bread to be dense and have difficulty rising!
keep your food warm:
As stated in the Roast Beef recipe, if you are having trouble keeping everything warm while building the sandwiches, I suggest wrapping the finished sandwich entirely in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped roast beef sandwich in a 300°-350° F (177° C) oven on a baking sheet and let it rest until ready to eat. I would say to only leave them in the oven at this high of a temperature for about 20 minutes, as the foil will prevent them from over browning.
final thoughts:
This roast beef sandwich is such a comfort! I hope that you enjoy making this recipe for Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches. Making your favorite restaurant foods from scratch can be so incredibly fun, and you can learn more about how these dishes come together for when you do choose to go out to eat.
I love playing around with my favorite take-away foods so that I can really learn what I like and don’t like about them! Even if you don’t make a sandwich, I hope that you enjoy this French bread recipe. It’s perfect for lots of other dishes as well!
xoxo Kayla
Roast Beef French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 cup brown mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 12 slices baby swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix together the water and yeast. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes or until the yeast has become bubbly and grown in size.
- Stir in the salt and begin incorporating the flour, about 1 cup at a time. Mix the dough on medium speed, kneading in the flour, until the dough no longer clings to the sides of the bowl. It will still be soft, a bit sticky, and pliable. Knead in as much of the flour as possible without making the dough tough to work with.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto the counter. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Do you not pull the dough apart. Shape each piece of dough into a small loaf. This is easily done by pressing the dough flat with your fingertips into a small rectangle, then roll it up like a jelly roll. Tuck in the ends and pinch the seam closed.
- Place the bread on a greased baking sheet or baguette pan. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let them rise until nearly doubled, about 40-45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425° F. Place a small pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven to create steam.
- When the loaves have puffed, slice them across the top with a sharp razor or knife. Dust with a bit of extra flour, if desired. Bake the loaves for 15 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 375° F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the loaves are a golden brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Let them rest at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Bring the beef to the counter and pat it dry with paper towels. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Place the roast in a crockpot or slow cooker. Add the sliced onion, mushrooms, and wine. Cook the roast until it is tender and falling apart, on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove the roast from the crockpot and shred it with two forks. Set this aside and keep warm until ready to build the sandwiches.
- Save the drippings from the roast to use as "au jus" for dipping the sandwiches.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Pour in the wine and bring the onions to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to the cook the onions, stirring constantly, until they have turned a deep brown color and caramelized, about 30-35 minutes.
- Once all of the ingredients have been prepared, and this can be done about 1-2 days in advance, it is time to build the sandwiches.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice the bread rolls in half, lengthwise. Place two slices of swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Toast the rolls for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Top the cheesy bread with hot shredded beef, mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, and close the sandwich. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
- Serve hot alongside the hot "au jus" for dipping.
- If you are finding it difficult to keep the sandwiches warm while building them, they can be put together and wrapped fully in aluminum foil. Place the sandwiches in the oven to keep them warm or reheat them.
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This recipe has been updated as of January 2024.
