Last week, there was something in the air that just felt like fall. I don’t know what exactly, because I live in the tropics and fall does not exists. But you know what I did? I took myself to Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte, lit a candle and turned on my crockpot to make the easiest crockpot french dip sandwiches. To me, fall is synonymous with crockpot season and you won’t convince me otherwise. Although, truth be told, all seasons to me are crockpot seasons. You know it’s my fave. I’ve got it going with some kind of beans at least once a week. And these slow cooker chimichurri pork sandwiches make an appearance on our dinner menu at least monthly. But, this recipe for my mom’s French Dip sandwiches made in the crockpot has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. My Pop Pop could never remember the name for them, so he just called them “good beef.” He was right. It is good beef and 20 years later, we are still calling them good beef sandwiches.

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These sandwiches are savory, salty and beefy, thanks to some simple seasonings and hours of slow cooking. Best part? Less than 10 ingredients and I’m betting you already have most of them in your panty. Other best part? The smell! Oh my gosh, there is just something the smells of fall recipes that make me feel so cozy and peaceful. If you plan to make sandwiches, don’t forget to throw some hoagie rolls into your buggy (shopping cart if you ain’t from around here) and a couple of bags of chips or a bagged salad for a complete meal. And, if you are cooking for just 1 or 2 people, this recipe makes fantastic leftovers and freezes really well. In fact, I usually double it and freeze half for a night when I’m short on time and need something easy. That would be a recipe win in my book.

Ingredients for Crockpot French Dip

To make these crockpot french dip subs, you need:

3 pound beef roast- I like to buy whatever is on sale. It cooks low and slow, so tougher cuts or cuts without much fat are perfect here.
Liquids- just some water and soy sauce are all you need here. The slow cooking converts this into a super flavorful beef broth.
Seasonings- dried rosemary, dried thyme, garlic powder, bay leaf, and fresh cracked pepper. If you’ve never smelled rosemary cooking, honestly you are missing out. This is one of those super nostalgic scents for me and everytime I smell it, I’m convinced I’ll find my mom somewhere nearby. Truth be told, half the reason I love fall so much is because the smells are just…. ugh…. too good!
Hoagies or french rolls- You want something a little bit dense, because the meat is juice and, these are french dip subs, so you will be dipping them in the Au jus. Thats french for delicious meat juice. If you can’t find something dense, deli hoagie rolls that you can find at literally any grocery store will be fine. Just be sure to toast them. Also, please not that when I say any grocery store, I mean yes, even the ones in tiny towns in rural America.

The process

If you’d like to know how to make french dips in the crockpot, this is your answer. Cut your roast into 3 big chunks. Or 6 smaller chunks if you forgot to put this in the crockpot in the morning and you are panicking because you only have like 4-5 hours until dinner. It’s fine. Dinner will still be ready. If you routinely forget about dinner until it’s time to eat, then it might be time to move from slow cooker to pressure cooker. Then, dump everything else on top of the meat. Smoosh it around with some tongs, put the lid on, and set your slow cooker to high if you have 5-6 hours or low if you have 8 hours or more. Oh, and as always, be sure you actually plugged it in. After many hours have passed, remove your meat and bay leaves from the slow cooker. Remove any unwanted fat from your meat and discard. Then, shred your meat and return to the slow cooker. Turn off the heat to your crockpot and grab your hoagies. I like mine toasted, because it really helps hold the sandwiches together. At this point, you also have the option to add some sliced provolone or swiss to your sandwiches. Once your bun is toasty and the cheese is melty, pile on the meat. Serve each sandwich with a little bowl of juice for dipping.

Other options for serving and storing your crockpot french dip

So maybe sandwiches aren’t your thing for one reason or another and you know what, that’s ok. Honestly, half the time I make this recipe for french dip, I end up spooning the meat and juice over rice. Maybe add some roasted broccoli, if I’m really feeling like putting in some extra effort. And of course, it would make some tasty tacos. My personal philosophy is almost all foods are as good or better in a tortilla. And, it holds true for this beef. If you have leftovers of your french dip, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Honestly, you could probably go longer than that in the freezer, but in my opinion all foods start to taste like the freezer after about the 3 month mark. Ok, I think that’s it. If you’ve got a busy week or are hosting everyone for Saturday afternoon football or just enjoy low-maintenance cooking, add this recipe for crockpot french dip to your menu next week.

To make these easy Crockpot French Dip sandwiches, this is what you need to do…