For National Italian Beef Day, enjoy the smashingly tantalizing sandwich in a large, lunch, or appetizer-sized portion.
Italian Beef
Savor this Super Simple slow cooker sandwich in lunch or appetizer-sized servings.
3-4 lbs beef chuck roast
Kosher salt
14.5-oz can beef broth, divided
3 T (1-oz pkg) dry Italian salad dressing mix
½ tsp ground dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
16-oz jar sliced pepperoncini peppers, divided (plus ¼ c of the juice)
Provolone cheese slices (for serving)
6 hoagie rolls or 8-10 burger buns, split
Season beef on all sides with kosher salt and place in hot skillet, letting sit till bottom is crusted, about 1 minute. Turn to crust all sides the same way. Place beef in slow cooker on high heat setting. Add 1 c of beef broth to the skillet, stirring to deglaze the pan; then spoon contents over the roast. Sprinkle with dressing mix and seasonings. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low; use two forks to shred. Add half the peppers and the ¼ c of pepperoncini juice; cover and cook 1 hour. Before serving, toast the split buns 5-6 minutes at 350°F, if desired. Top half of each with beef, a sprinkle of pepperoncini slices, and cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 6-10 servings.
KISS Note: Before serving, you can also drizzle the meat with creamy Italian dressing, but these are flavorful and moist enough without it. If preferred, for smaller portions, you can also serve these open-faced… or on toasted savory Hawaiian dinner rolls as appetizers. Also tasty is adding a sprinkle of mild or spicy giardiniera (jarred pickled chopped Italian veggie mix) along with the extra pepperoncini slices for serving. For some extra pizzazz, you can also top with a few spring lettuce or baby spinach leaves and either sliced onion or crispy canned onions.
