Crockpot Recipes: Dump & Go Italian Beef Sandwiches for Busy Weeknights

Oct 26

3 min read

Updated: 15 hours ago

Shredded Italian beef piled on a hoagie roll with pepperoncini peppers and melted provolone

Four ingredients, 8 hours, feeds a crowd

A chuck roast, a packet of Italian dressing mix, some broth and a jar of pepperoncini. That is the whole list. Eight hours later the beef shreds under a fork and the cooking liquid becomes the jus you dip the sandwich into. It feeds a crowd for very little money and freezes for three months.

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Why this one works

Pepperoncini brine is the secret ingredient — the acid cuts through the fat and seasons the meat from the inside.
Chuck roast is cheap and it is the only cut that gives you this texture. Lean cuts go dry and stringy.
The jus is as important as the beef. Serve it in little bowls for dipping and the sandwich transforms.

At a glance

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 hr
Total time: 8 hr 5 min
Yield: 8 sandwiches
Protein: 48g per serving
Calories: 648 per serving

Ingredients

Into the crockpot

3.5 lb (1.6kg) beef chuck roast
1 packet (0.7 oz) dry Italian dressing mix
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 jar (16 oz) sliced pepperoncini, with 1/2 cup of the brine
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper

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To serve

8 hoagie or sub rolls
16 slices provolone cheese
Butter, for toasting the rolls
Giardiniera, optional but traditional

Instructions

Put it all in. Set the chuck roast in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the dressing mix over the top, then add the broth, the pepperoncini with their brine, the garlic, oregano and pepper. No browning required — the long cook does the work.
Cook on LOW. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for 5. LOW is noticeably better here: the collagen in chuck needs time at a gentle temperature to turn to gelatin.
Check it is ready. A fork pushed into the centre should twist with no resistance at all. If it fights you, it needs another hour — undercooked chuck is tough, not rare.
Shred and return. Lift the roast onto a board, shred it with two forks and discard any large fat pieces. Return all the meat to the pot so it soaks the jus back up, and let it sit on WARM for 15 minutes.
Toast the rolls. Split the rolls, butter the cut sides and toast them under the broiler for 2 minutes until golden. A soft untoasted roll collapses the moment the wet beef hits it.
Melt the cheese. Lay two slices of provolone on each toasted roll and broil 60 seconds more until melted and bubbling.
Build and serve. Pile the beef on with a slotted spoon, top with extra pepperoncini and giardiniera, and ladle the jus into small bowls for dipping.

Notes and swaps

Freezing: freeze the shredded beef in its jus for 3 months. Reheat gently in a pan — the jus keeps it from drying out.
Leftovers are excellent over mashed potatoes, in tacos, or on top of a baked potato.
If your dressing mix is very salty, use unsalted broth and taste before adding anything else.