If you are new to Italian beef, get ready for it to quickly become your favorite. The beef is similar to a roast beef sandwich and kind of like a Philly cheesesteak. It is basically the cousin to both.
The seasoning mixture is what takes Italian beef into a class of its own. The seasoning mixture develops over time while it cooks in the slow cooker creating an irresistible flavor.
Mouthwatering Italian Beef Sandwiches
The slow cooker is essential when it comes to making perfectly tender Italian beef. However, the process before it gets placed in the slow cooker is pretty important, too.
Before the beef gets cooked, it is pat-dried and heavily seasoned with loads of Italian spices. Once the beef is seasoned, it is cooked for six hours. I know, it seems like a long time to wait for some meat, but trust me on this one. It will easily be worth the wait.
To make the Italian sandwich complete, the beef gets sandwiched between a toasted hoagie roll. The final addition to the sandwich comes in the form of your favorite white cheese.
Provolone cheese is a go-to, but any will do to complete the sandwich. If spice is your thing, don’t hesitate to add a few pepperoncini to the sandwich, too. It adds the perfect amount of spice and flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds of chuck roast – Rinse and dry the meat before cooking.
- Zesty Italian seasoning – Feel free to use fresh, but the packets will be just as good.
- Water – Feel free to use beef broth for even more flavor.
- Hoagie roll
- White cheese of choice
How to Make Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Assemble: Toast the hoagie rolls, and add the thinly sliced beef and slices of cheese. Serve your Italian beef recipe warm while the cheese is nice and melty!
- Prep the beef: Rinse and dry the cuts of beef. Then, season the chuck roast with the zesty Italian seasoning.
- Cook: Transfer the meat to a slow cooker along with water. Cover, and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 12 hours.
- Shred: Use two forks to shred the beef into pieces. It should come apart easily and look ropey or string.
How to Store
- Reheat the beef in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat or the microwave. Then, assemble your sandwiches as usual.
- Store leftover meat separately from the bread or cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the beef for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge to serve.
FAQs
You can really serve anything you want alongside your Italian beef sandwich. The sandwich is great next to pasta salads, French fries, everyday salads, potato salads, and more. Basically, anything you would eat with a typical sandwich would fit in fine here.
Italian beef is usually made from a chuck roast. It can also be made with top sirloin, top round, or bottom round if needed.
Toasted hoagie bread is traditional when it comes to an Italian beef sandwich. The toasted bread helps keep all of the tasty juices inside the sandwich instead of on the plate.
Yes, you really do. As long as it may seem, it will truly be worth it. The slow cook time allows the flavors from the seasoning to get inside the meat and make a melt-in-your-mouth sandwich. Try and resist the urge to peek in on the meat too. Every time you open the lid, it is recommended to add about 20 minutes to the cooking time because of the hot air that is escaping from the slow cooker.
Feel free to add garlic powder or pepperoncini peppers while the meat cooks to kick up the flavor a bit.
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Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb chuck roast
- 2 packets zesty Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup water
- hoagie Rolls
- cheese of choice
Instructions
- Prep the piece of meat by rinsing and drying it.3-4 lb chuck roast
- Add the seasoning mixture to the meat, making sure to fully cover it on both sides.2 packets zesty Italian seasoning
- Add the meat to the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 12 hours.1/2 cup water
- When the meat is done, use a fork to pull it apart.
- Add the meat to a toasted roll with the cheese of your choice and enjoy!hoagie Rolls, cheese of choice
Nutrition
Share with Us!
I hope you enjoy this delicious Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwich recipe! If you give it a try, please share your experience in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag me on social media @allthingsmamma and use the hashtag #allthingsmamma.
Perfect, thank you! Putting this together for a house full of hungry baseball boys this evening!