This recipe for French Dip Sandwiches is so easy and amazingly delicious that you'll want to make them over and over and over. As will your friends and family. Yes, the pictures show sliders. However, you could take the same ingredients and use a different bread for a full-size sandwich. So, with all that said, let's jump right in!
What is a French Dip Sandwich
The French Dip is a classic menu item at restaurants all over the country. While some are much better than others, the overall Idea is pretty much the same across the board. The sandwich consists of roast beef on a roll served with a cup of au jus on the side. The Dip is where all of the magic happens. The bread soaks up all the beefy and oniony flavors from the au jus leaving the bread a bit soggy if you dip it right! Now, the drippings of the roast traditionally made the au jus.
However, this recipe for French Dip Sandwiches is as easy as mixing a few ingredients.
Origins of the French Dip Sandwich
Much like almost every other recipe out there, the origins of the french Dip aren't so cut and dry. Two restaurants claim to have created the fantastic sandwich. Both restaurants are based in Las Angeles, California.
The first is Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet. Their sign outside reads Cole's French Dip Sandwiches. On the inside is another painted sign that reads, "Cole's the originators of the French Dip Sandwich." This restaurant is the oldest operating in the entire city of LA. According to Cole's, they initially dipped their beef sandwich in the au jus to please a customer that had recently undergone dental work. It was an attempt to soften the bread.
The second restaurant that claims itself as the originator is Philippe The Original. Much like Cole's, their house specialty is the French Dip, which you can order with many different types of meats. They have been in business for 110 years serving up their amazing sandwiches. Philippe, the original, claims that they created the sandwich when they accidentally dropped it in the gravy, and the police officer that ordered it said he would take it as is. Only to return with friends and coworkers to order more dipped sandwiches.
I don't know which one of these stories is true. I'm just glad that someone created this sandwich. They're one of my favorites when properly made.
How to make French Dip Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
Bread
I am using Hawaiian Rolls for this recipe mainly because these are sliders or mini French Dip Sandwiches. If you want to make a whole sandwich, I recommend freshly baked french bread.
Meat
You can, of course, make your own roast for this recipe, but I wanted to make a straightforward, cost-effective, and quick recipe that could be made as an appetizer or party food.
To achieve this, I used deli-sliced roast beef. You can go to the deli and tell the butcher you want it sliced very thin, or get the packaged kind. Either will work just fine for these sandwiches.
Cheese
I chose to go with sliced smoked provolone, which works perfectly. However, don't be afraid to get creative. Plenty of other cheese would work great as well. Just switch up and try different types if you'd like.
Vegetables
I'm not 100% sure about the authenticity, but I added caramelized onion to my recipe for french dip sandwiches. I think the flavors work perfectly together, which takes the sandwich up a notch. I would almost say that it's like a french onion soup french dip. Now...How does that sound?!
For the Au Jus
Because I used deli meat instead of making a roast, I needed a very flavorful mixture for dipping.
I mixed an au jus seasoning packet, Johnny's French Dip Au Jus, and Onion Soup Mix to achieve this.
These combined together make a super flavor Au Jus to dip the sandwiches.
The only other ingredient I used was butter, and that's for topping the sandwiches off.
DIRECTIONS
Begin by caramelizing the onion in a Cast Iron Skillet and preheat the oven to 350° F.
Next, butter the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and slice the Hawaiian Rolls in half. Now, place the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish.
Cover the bread with six slices of smoked provolone, three slices of roast beef (per sandwich), caramelized onion, and then top with six more slices of cheese. Now you can place the tops on the sandwiches.
In a small glass bowl, melt the butter completely in the microwave. Mix in 1 tablespoon of au jus seasoning mix packet and whisk that until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture over the sliders and brush the tops to even out the butter. Sprinkle a bit of fresh Thyme over each bun.
Place the french dip sandwiches in the oven and bake uncovered on the bottom rack until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
While the sandwiches are baking, mix the remaining Au Jus seasoning with a bottle of Johnny's French Dip Au jus in a small saucepan. Then, fill the empty bottle with water twice and pour it into the saucepan. Lastly, add half a package of onion soup mix to the jus, stir, and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until you're ready to plate and serve.
Once the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are golden brown, remove them from the oven, slice them into individual sandwiches, and serve with hot au jus.
In Conclusion
Look no further if you're looking to satisfy a craving, make easy party food, or just a quick weeknight meal. This recipe for French Dip Sandwiches is the way to go. They're fast, easy, cost-effective, super flavorful, and pretty!
Tell me in the comments how your sandwiches turned out and if you made any changes. I'd love to hear if you tried other meats and cheeses. Also, if you're looking for other easy sandwich or appetizer recipes take a look at these recipes...
Thank you so much for coming to Chicken Fried Kitchen, and as usual...
Happy Cooking!
-Jeremy
Recipe for French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Onion - thinly sliced and caramelized
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Thyme
- 12 Sweet Hawaiian Rolls
- 12 Smoked Provolone slices
- 13 Oz Deli Sliced Roast Beef
- ½ Cup Salted Butter
- 1 Bottle Johnny's French Dip Au Jus
- ½ Packet Onion Soup Mix
- 1 Packet Au Jus Seasoning Mix
Instructions
- Begin by caramelizing the onion and preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Slice the rolls in half and place the bottoms in the baking dish.
- Cover the bread with six slices of smoked provolone, three slices of roast beef (per sandwich), caramelized onions, and top with six more slices of cheese, then bread tops.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, then mix in 1 tablespoon of au jus seasoning from the packet and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture over the sliders and brush the tops to even it all out. Sprinkle fresh Thyme over each bun.
- Bake uncovered on the bottom rack until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Mix the remaining Au Jus seasoning in a saucepan with a bottle of Johnny's French Dip Au jus. Then, fill the empty bottle with water and pour it into a saucepan. Add two bottles of water.
- Add half a package of onion soup mix to the jus, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.
- Remove the sliders from the oven, slice them into individual sandwiches, and serve with hot au jus.
Rita+Newman says
Anxious to try. Thank You, Jeremy?
Jeremy says
Thank you so much! They are SO GOOD!
Cynetta says
I lone French Dip sandwiches.
Mine are without cheese and Provolone would be my near last choice
For bread I use my recipe for Italian bread sized and shaped like a hoagie roll
Johnnie's Au Jus is not sold around here and I use McCormick's 'Au Jus Gravy'
with garlic and onion powders added
Jeremy says
Oh my gosh, I bet those sandwiches are fantastic! A fresh baked Italian loaf would be perfect for a great French Dip! Thanks for commenting and visiting Chicken Fried Kitchen!