Cheesy Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

These were SOOO good!!  Best of all - this meal requires very little effort (your slow cooker does most of the work) and yields an awesome result!  A few minutes in the morning and about 10 minutes right before dinner is all you'll need.  Just add a green salad & you're good to go.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Prep time:  10 minutes

Total time:  (including slow-cooking time)  6-8 hours 10 minutes

Servings:  12 sandwiches

boneless beef chuck roast, about 3 lbs total - I used 2 small 1.5 lb roasts

1 medium yellow/white onion, sliced

1 0.6oz Italian salad dressing seasoning packet

1 1/2 cans (14.5 oz) beef broth (I prefer low-sodium)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

12 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

12 large ranch rolls (HB bun size but not HB buns!) or ciabatta rolls

Turn slow cooker on LOW.  

Pour in 1 can beef broth.  Place roast in slow cooker.  Sprinkle 1/2 Italian salad dressing seasoning packet over roast.  Tumble sliced onions over top of roast.  Mix remaining Italian salad dressing seasonings with remaining 1/2 can beef broth and pour over roast & onions.

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or on HIGH 4-5 hours.

To serve: 

Preheat broiler.

Remove meat & onions from slow cooker to a medium-size bowl.  If you don't like the onions, you can throw them away.  I like to keep them in a separate bowl & top the sandwiches with them.  (Well, my sandwich since the family doesn't like cooked onions - lol!)  Set aside.

Pour liquid in crock pot through a sieve into at least a 4 cup glass measuring cup (preferrably one that pours the broth from the bottom & leaves the oils on top behind in the measuring cup). 

Discard contents of sieve.  Pour 1 1/2 cups broth back into crock pot.  Discard excess liquid & oils.

Shred meat with forks & return to slow cooker with broth.  Stir in parmesan cheese until all cheese & liquid is combined with the meat.

Place bottom halves of rolls on a foil-covered baking sheet.  Distribute meat/cheese mixture evenly between all 12 rolls.  Top each with 1 slice provolone cheese.  Place under broiler until cheese is melted & lightly browned (just 1-2 minutes).  Top with top halves of rolls.  Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL:  

If you like roasted peppers:

1 16oz jar roasted red peppers, undrained (optional)

Only use 1 can beef broth in bottom of slow cooker.  Top seasoned roast with roasted peppers & sliced onions.  Mix remaining Italian salad dressing seasonings with roasted peppers liquid from the jar.  Pour liquid/seasonings mixture over roast/peppers/onions.

Reserve peppers & onions from sieve.  Top meat/cheese mixture with peppers & onions before topping with provolone cheese -  OR - stir peppers & onions into shredded meat along with parmesan cheese.  Continue with recipe as noted above.

This recipe was inspired by this one at kraftrecipes.com.

Hope you love it too!

Kathryn