We love a sandwich around here. My husband and kids eat a sandwich almost every day for lunch, and if I had the metabolism of a child or a man, I pack a sandwich in my lunch, too. My affection for sandwiches runs deep, like Joey Tribbiani from Friends deep.
And the messier the sandwich, the more I adore it. Meatball subs are my first love, but I go crazy for French dip sandwiches, too. You can probably imagine my excitement when I saw this Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwich recipe was picked for Crock Pot Thursday.
For some reason, though, while this tasty recipe was picked way back in October, I never actually made it. October was forever ago, so I have no recollection as to the circumstances that kept my family and me from this sandwichy goodness, but fate can only keep me from a sandwich for so long, and here we are. Together at last.
The beef had great flavor and the toppings add a wonderful layer of complexity. I poured the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan and mixed it with an au jus envelope to dip the sandwiches in.
Winner, winner, sandwiches for dinner!
I used my 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker to make these Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches.
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Grab some napkins! These sandwiches are as messy as they are delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 - pound boneless beef sirloin or beef rump roast, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 envelope Italian dry salad dressing mix
- 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
- 1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- your favorite sandwich rolls
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheeses (about 6 oz)
- possible topping options include: pickles, sliced onion, sliced pepperoncini and/or roasted red sweet pepper strips
Instructions
- Place beef in slow cooker.
- In a small bowl combine water, salad dressing mix, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and garlic powder and pour over beef in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove meat from cooker with a slotted spoon. Using two forks, shred the meat.
- Pile meat in rolls, and if desired, sprinkle with cheese and broil to melt cheese.
- Drizzle each sandwich with some of the strained juices, and top sandwiches with desired toppings.
- The leftover juices make excellent dipping sauce!
Feedback
Kim
These sandwiches were tasty. Don’t skimp on the pepperoncinis – they really make the sandwich. The spices and resulting jus were great, just wish there was more to accompany our leftovers. Our 5yo loved this, our 2yo not so much. We will have a third night with this meat, and I’m going to use it to make a ragu-style sauce over pasta.
Linda
This made a spicy, yummy, huge amount of shredded beef. We made it into the Italian sandwiches one night, French Dips another night, and had it like a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes the first night. The red pepper flakes added a really good spiciness. I also made my own Italian spice mixture, and used a whole roast, not pieces. I loved all the different ways to go with this recipe.
Sarah
I ate the roast over potatoes and I just gotta say… oh, my gosh! I’m not ready to say this is better than Mississippi Roast but it’s pretty darn close! The flavors were amazing! It is easy and our meat turned out super tender and juicy. I was hoping there would be enough meat leftover to have sandwiches tomorrow but it was so good it is all gone! Kids and Adults will LOVE this recipe!
Me
These sandwiches were good, and the variety of toppings made them fun. I used 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, and 1/2 tsp thyme in place of the Italian seasoning because I didn’t want to buy Italian seasoning for only 2 teaspoons.