Slow cooker Italian beef sandwiches
Chicago-style Italian beef: tender, peppery shredded roast soaked in a garlicky jus with tangy pepperoncini, piled into rolls with melted provolone.
- 620 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 8
- About $4.17 a serving
- 650 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup pepperoncini, plus ¼ cup of their juice
- 8 hoagie rolls
- 8 slices provolone slices
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Each serving has about 650 calories, 46 g protein, 45 g carbs and 31 g fat, and costs about $4.17 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No beef broth? Bone broth works.
- No hoagie rolls? French bread works.
- No provolone slices? Shredded mozzarella works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the roast dry and rub it all over with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Set it in the slow cooker and pour the broth around it. Add the pepperoncini with ¼ cup of their juice and the pepper flakes.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the beef falls apart when you push a fork in.
Timer: 480 min
Food safety: Steak, pork chops and other whole cuts are safe at 145°F in the middle, then let them rest for 3 minutes before cutting.
the beef right in the pot with two forks, pulling out any big pieces of fat, and let it soak in the juices for 15 minutes.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Timer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: The soak is where the flavor goes in. Chicago shops keep the beef sitting in its juice all day.Heat the . Split the rolls and lay them open on a .
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Pile the beef onto the rolls with tongs, letting some juice drip onto the bread, and lay a slice of provolone on each.
1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese . Serve with cups of the jus and extra pepperoncini.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: For a true Chicago sandwich, dunk the whole thing in the jus. The beef freezes in its juice for 3 months.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
