French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions - #29daysseducedbybruce - Day 9 of 29

I made this a few weeks ago, so it was NOT a *new* recipe for Bruce to try, but still.  When I made it a few weeks ago, Jed wasn't a fan.  He was just sort of  'meh' about it.  He said last night's batch was much mo better though.  Honestly, I did nothing differently in the prep,  I served this with a side of wedge potato fries. I think maybe it just grew on him?  In any case, it's a keeper.  If you try it, let me know what you think.  

In other news, as you know, I've outsourced my shopping to Instacart to save me some time and sanity.  I use an iPad app called MealBoard for all my meal/menu planning.  The thing I really dig about the app is that once you have all your recipes set up, when you drag them to where you want them in your meal plan, you simply sync your meal plan with your shopping list and it automatically drags all your ingredients into your shopping list.  Then you can quickly go through and swipe off the items you already have on-hand (like spices, for example), and then be off to do your shopping with everything you need for the specified time period.  In my case, I just take that list and dump it into Instacart and my "shopping" is done.  

I started noticing yesterday that I was out of essential ingredients for some of my meals this week.  At first I thought that maybe Instacart just forgot to bring them, but after comparing my shopping list to what I was missing, it was most definitely user error on my part.  I've had to make two extra trips to the grocery store this week, and I noticed this morning that when I was getting tonight's meal put in Bruce that I was missing about half of the things I needed...so I need to go back to the store tonight.  I ended up switching out tonight's "bacon cheeseburger soup" for Friday night's dinner, because I had all the ingredients I needed for tonight.  I don't know how I managed to leave all these things off my shopping list, but this having someone else do my shopping thing for me is brand spanking new, and hopefully the learning curve is not very curvy.  

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients

3 lb lean beef round roast, trimmed
1 tbsp minced garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary 
1 tbsp fresh thyme 
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 to 3 (14.5 oz) cans Swanson's low-sodium beef broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
10 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into strips

Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone or Mozzarella Slices 

whole wheat baguette or rolls, cut into 2 oz pieces



Notes / Directions



In a small bowl mix garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture onto all sides of the roast, then place in the slow cooker.

Pour the broth into the side of the roast until it just cover the meat. If the broth doesn't cover the roast you can add water and top with onions. Add the Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns and bay leaf to the broth. Cover and cook on low until the meat flakes apart easily with a fork, about 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast.


An hour before the meat is done, prepare the onions and peppers. In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until golden, stirring often, reducing heat as needed if the onions are burning or browning too quickly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add 1 tbsp to the pan if it becomes too dry. The onions should turn golden and the flavor should be sweet. Transfer to a serving bowl, then add the peppers to the skillet and cook stirring often until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred with a fork or slice with a knife. Strain the broth through a fine sieve then place in a gravy separator to remove any fat. Pour 1/4 cup broth into each small ramekin.

Preheat the oven to broil. Split the bread open and top with 2 ounces of beef. Top with onions, peppers and cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Place on a plate with broth for dipping.

Nutrition based on: 2 oz whole wheat baguette, 2 oz cooked beef round, 1/4 cup beef broth, 1 slice cheese, onions & peppers.