Slow-Cooked French Dip Sandwiches

Yes, it was a paper plate kind of night

Sometimes, you just want to eat a sandwich. And not just any sandwich, but something that really makes it worth the sodium, fat, and carbs you're getting. Ah, carbs, I love you. ANYWAY, this easy easy easy slow-cooked French dip sandwich was so flavorful that it was hard to stop myself from going back for fourths. Not only is slow-cooking such a simple way of making things because you literally set it and forget it for the day (and you can leave this roast in longer than 7 hours if you're going to work for the day), but it seems to make everything taste so delicious! As my husband watched me prepare the meat in the slow-cooker with the budget-friendly short ingredient list, he literally looked at me and said "That's it?" and I proudly chimed "Cooking a good meal isn't that hard, sweetie!" (hoping that he might take up the hobby).


What you need
3.5-4 lb bottom round roast
Garlic salt & pepper, to taste
1 can condensed french onion soup (check pantry for size)
1 beef broth (check pantry for size)
8-10 crusty rolls (depending on size)
American or provolone cheese (optional)

What you do
Trim fat. Season roast on all sides with garlic salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker. Pour french onion soup and beef broth on top. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove roast and cut into thin strips. Return meat to liquid to absorb more flavor. Assemble sandwiches and ladle liquid into a small bowl for dipping sandwich. Enjoy!

Wine pairing: Reds like Pinot Noir, Rioja

Sawyer usually leaves us alone when we cook but he was really hoping we'd drop a piece of that amazing smelling roast!

Southwest Tuna Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

I've made tuna cakes before, and many times have thought about making them into a sandwich. This recipe differs from tuna cakes, as it makes the patties a bit sturdier (my tuna cakes are always on the brink of falling apart). Next time I might try adding some shredded cheese to the tuna mix and seeing how that enhances the flavor (and the calories...). These patties need a lot of seasoning to prevent them from tasting just like any old tuna fish sandwich, and I was very liberal with applying the chipotle mayo to do the same. Otherwise, you'll find yourself with a very quick and easy dinner that requires no thawing or handling of raw meat - and moreover, tuna is so low in fat that any other ground meat can't even compare (2 g in a cup of canned tuna vs. 19 g in a cup of extra lean ground beef). You'll also get more protein, less calories.

I enjoyed my Southwest Tuna Burger with a glass of semi-dry riesling and found the sweet & tart flavors of this popular wine balance out the spicy flavors of the chipotle. The specific bottle I opened was from Belhurst Winery in the Finger Lakes region of NY state, where riesling is a specialty.

Meatball Subs

Previously, I posted a recipe to spaghetti & meatballs which gave my recipe for home-made meatballs. Again, we're using this same recipe, but to make meatball subs, another great classic. I used whole wheat bolilo rolls from my local grocery store's bakery section, which fit about three 2-inch meatballs. This recipe makes about 18 recipes, so count on about 6 subs, and adjust accordingly for your needs. Enjoy this simple and delicious recipe and enjoy getting your hands messy!

Again, I will make the same wine recommendations I did for the spaghetti & meatballs: This meatball recipe could be matched with either a white, due to its herb-y nature, or red. Avoid Chardonnays, as they do not like to be paired with tomatoes, and match up with acidic red such as Malbec or Sangiovese.

Slow-cooked Sweet & Spicy Sloppy Joes

The sloppy joe has been a staple of the budget-conscious family for years, but if you're from a family that grew up with this in regular rotation at the dinner table - have you even thought of making sloppy joes since? It's time for Sloppy Joe to grow up, get a job, enhance his resume. It's time for an adult sloppy joe - a sloppy joe with sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that a sophisticated palate can appreciate. Do not be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients for the sauce, it will be well worth the flavors you'll get from this grown-up 'joe - and keep in mind it will give you a lot of HEAT hidden beneath it's sweet bbq sauce taste.

I love to hide veggies in recipes where they easily go undetected. I've snuck more than 3 cups of veggies into this recipe by using my mini food processor to make them the same size and texture as the ground beef. Covered in this recipe's sweet & spicy sauce, hungry eaters will be none the wiser.

I typically make a lot of sloppy joe and then freeze portions for nights I don't feel like cooking or nights I'm not home so Mr. B. has something to eat. This recipe makes a lot of sloppy joes. Please feel free to cut down this recipe to a half or a third, if you don't have room in the freezer and are only cooking for a few.

Can we just take a moment to remember this amazing sketch from SNL featuring Chris Farley and Adam Sandler? Sloppy, sloppy joes...