Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

This has got to be one of the most beloved sandwiches ever and there’s a good reason. Instant Pot French dip sandwiches are  delicious; it’s that simple.

The most common way of making French dip is in the slow cooker. The long slow cooking is what gives the meat and the associated juices very flavorful. It takes at least 8 hours to achieve this so patience is definitely a virtue.

But did you know you can get the same flavor–and tastier at that–in a fraction of the time? Well you can and the Instant Pot is the way to do it! Pressure cooking extracts awesome flavor because of the method used. That’s a boon for recipes such as this.

Choose The Beef Roast

Without a doubt, one of the most flavorful cuts is chuck or shoulder. However, it may not be the ideal cut for this sandwich and the method of cooking–whether that be slow cooking or pressure cooking. Chuck is fatty which is why it is so flavorful. If you do want to use it, there’s quite a bit of prep work to remove most of the fat. Bear in mind that not only will the meat be fatty but so will the juice. This is the reason I shy away from it with French dip.

I prefer to use bottom round or sirloin. There’s much less fat and therefore much less prep and trimming. The juice will not be overly fatty; there’ll be just enough for good flavor. Also the piece of meat is pretty solid. Because of this, you can also slice it easily if you prefer slices on the sandwich rather than shredded meat.

FYI for my UK readers, bottom round is silverside for you.

Cheese

I like French dip with melted cheese, but if you don’t just omit it.

Provolone–especially the aged variety–has a nice piquant edge that adds a great flavor profile. That’s my general choice. But any cheese that melts can be substituted so if Provolone isn’t your bag, use a cheese that is.

The Recipe

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Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

The Instant Pot gives the sauce the best flavor

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy french dip sandwiches, french dip in instant pot

Servings: 6

Calories: 566kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3 lb bottom round beef roast
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 2 cups water
• 2 envelopes au jus gravy mix
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sub/hero rolls
• 6 slices aged provolone

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• rim any excess fat from beef roast. Place roast in the Instant Pot. Top with onions.
• Mix water, au jus mix, garlic and bay leaf in a small bowl. Pour over roast.
• Seal Instant Pot and set for high pressure for 90 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
• Remove roast and either slice or shred the meat. Split the rolls and divide meat evenly over each of the rolls. Place a slice of provolone on top of the meat on each and place under a hot broiler for about 2-3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
• Serve with the pan juices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 828mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 15mg

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Fancy Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is extra special! And done up on croissants or mini croissants, it’s perfect for brunches and buffets in any season.

The best thing about this salad is–at least to me–the surprising ingredients. When I make chicken salad, I’ve got the standard onion, celery and mayonnaise trifecta. That’s pretty standard and delicious by itself. However, when I saw this recipe on a local supermarket’s website, I wasn’t even sure I’d like it. I liked all of the ingredients, but I wasn’t sure if I’d like them all together in one salad–let alone with a savory ingredient.

Apples?

It was the apples that I was dubious about in this chicken salad.

They’re not in the actual mixture, but laid on the croissant like you’d use cheese in a ham sandwich. It looked pretty in the picture, but would it taste good. I wasn’t sure, but as my mother would always say, “You never know until you try.”

I’ve seen recipes for chicken cooked with grapes so that wasn’t outlandish to me. I also cook with a lot of white wine and I’m a huge consumer of chicken so I guess you could say I cook chicken with white grapes all the time.

I was delighted to find that the apple slices added a brightness to the flavor of the salad. It gave it a sweet crunchiness. I used a red delicious apple for this because the original recipe called for a red-skinned apple probably for a pop of color. But a granny smith would be a good choice too if you’re going for taste more than interesting color.

Party Perfect

If you are hosting an informal party that includes a buffet, put a big bowl of this chicken salad out with a few dozen mini croissants so your guests can help themselves.

This would also an interesting addition to a Super Bowl party if you do them. It’s pretty different from the usual items put out for such affairs and would be a great choice for your guests who want to eat a bit healthier.

The Recipe

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Fruity Chicken Salad Croissants

A delicious twist on traditional chicken salad; This one is packed with fresh fruit!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken salad recipe, fresh fruit

Servings: 6

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 10 oz cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup green grapes cut in half
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 red-skinned apple cut into 12 thin slices
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup water
• 6 large croissants OR 12 mini croissants
• lettuce leaves amount is to your taste

Instructions

• Mix water and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the apple slices (this prevents them going brown); set aside.
• In another bowl,combine the chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, yogurt, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
• Slice croissants lengthwise, but not all the way through.
• Lay lettuce leaves in each croissant. Remove apple slices and pat dry. Place 2 (if using large croissants) apple slices on each croissant with red side facing outward.
• Divide chicken salad equally to each roll, Secure with a toothpick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 500IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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East coast meets west coast with these mini Reuben sandwiches.  Great for Super Bowl game day!

I love throwing a great party, and nothing better than a food-filled Super Bowl party.

The Reuben is a classic, but I was intrigued a bit by the so-called “West Coast Reuben.”  Of course the variations abound, but one constant was the use of dijon mustard in place of the more classic Russian or Thousand Island dressing.  

Great for game day

Frankly, I like dijon and mayo mixed together as a generic sandwich spread, so I did my best to combine two classics here.  I glorified it with a bit of horseradish and onion, just like the classic, but also added the teensiest bit of balsamic for that wonderful flavor it imparts to everything.

As far as how you build the sandwich…my amounts of meat, cheese and sauerkraut are not carved in stone, so use amounts that suit your individual tastes.

A trip to Aldi introduced me to the rolls I used here.  Maybe not entirely classic, but basically, they are pumpernickel rolls.

If you can’t find mini pumpernickel or rye rolls at your store, you can also use those small, square “cocktail” rye breads that are usually sold around the deli department.  Heck even regular rye is fine.  It’s really the dressing that makes this fabu anyway.

Bi-Coastal Mini Reubens

• 1 pkg (12-count) mini rye or pumpernickel rolls*
• 1 lb sliced corned beef brisket
• 1 cup drained sauerkraut**
• 8 oz sliced swiss cheese
• Dressing:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbs instant dehydrated onion OR 2 tbs fresh grated onion
• 1 tsp grated horseradish
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

*These rolls pictured are from Aldi and called Sweet Multi-Grain Rolls.


**Cole slaw may be substituted if you wish.


Mix all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.


Cut the rolls in half (if not sliced already) and build the base of the sandwiches, leaving them open-faced.  Place on a baking sheet. Pop them under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese or place in a 400 degree F oven for about 5 minutes for the same result.  Place the other portion of the roll on top of prepared sandwiches.


Serve with dressing on the side.

Add a nice dollop of delicious dressing to this Reuben sandwich

Copyright © Judith Hannemann aka The Midnight Baker 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without The Midnight Baker’s express consent.  

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Great to make if you have leftover chicken.  Dressing makes it special.

Recently I made a nice lemon thyme roast chicken and naturally, had leftovers.

I had the breast left over and the remains were taking up a lot of space in the fridge and I need space here!!

Always loved chicken salad, but wanted to try a different type of dressing, but I wanted the dressing to be mayonnaise based since I am a nut for mayonnaise.

Because the chicken had a nice light thyme flavor, I figured my creole seasoning mix would be just the right addition for the best flavor.  I wasn’t wrong!!  This is great!!

You might even want to call this “healthy” too.  Especially if you use low-fat mayo. The addition of the quick oats not only makes this creamy as can be, it also adds fibre to the salad. Use this same trick in tuna salad too.  It gives extra creaminess, but if you use the cheaper light tuna, it cuts WAY down on the fishy taste.  You’ll think you used solid-white albacore.  I’ve been doing this for YEARS now because I like the texture so much–more than the health benefit (I’m not really all into that anyway, but I know a lot of people are!)

Keep this recipe in mind for those Thanksgiving leftovers too. Turkey certainly can be substituted for the chicken.

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Creole Chicken Salad

This chicken salad recipe is great to make with leftover chicken.  The dressing makes it special.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken salad recipe, healthy chicken salad

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken white meat preferred
• 2 ribs celery sliced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 tsp paprika

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise low fat is fine
• 1-2 tsp Creole Seasoning Blend
• 1-2 tbsp water

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the quick cooking oats and 3 tbsp warm water. Stir; set aside.
• For the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, creole seasoning blend and 1 tbsp water. Add the oats mixture and stir to combine. Taste and determine if you want more creole seasoning; add if you do. Dressing should be the consistency of a thick, pourable dressing, i.e. a good-quality ranch dressing like Marie's. If it is too thick, add the additional 1 tbsp of water.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery and onion. Mix well. Add the amount of dressing you desire; mix. Correct any seasoning at this point. If you need salt, add at this time.
• Cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika immediately before serving.
• Serve with crackers or melba toast for an appetizer, otherwise on hard rolls for sandwiches. Should serve 8 as appetizer, 4 for sandwiches.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

Creole Chicken Salad

Copyright © Judith Hannemann aka The Midnight Baker 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without The Midnight Baker’s express consent.

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I had shredded asiago left over from another meal, so I used it in here instead of my usual Romano cheese addition for Italian-style meatballs.

Delicious Asiago meatballs

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Meatball Subs

The secret to these very tasty and creamy meatballs is the asiago cheese and soft breadcrumbs. I had shredded asiago left over from another meal, so I used it in here instead of my usual Romano cheese addition for Italian-style meatballs.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Comfort Foods, Dinner, Everyday Meals, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef meatballs, subs

Servings: 20

Calories: 70kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef I used 93%
• 2 eggs
• 2-3 tbsp grated asiago cheese
• 2 tsp. dehydrated onion or 1 tbs chopped fresh chop it fine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup or so fresh soft breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• pinch of basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil for frying

Instructions

• Place all ingredients, except olive oil, in a medium bowl and mix well. Meat mixture will be pretty soft.
• Form into meatballs about the size of a walnut. You should get approximately 20 meatballs.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.

Notes

Preparing the sandwiches

4 sub rolls, about 6-inches long
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs parmesan or romano cheese
1 tsp dehydrated parsley
1 cup pasta sauce, like a marinara (if you like it really saucy, use more sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
20 meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick spray.

Place rolls in prepared pan with slits facing upward (if you cut the rolls yourself, only cut 3/4 of the way through). Place 5 meatballs in each roll then 1/4 cup pasta sauce over the meatballs in each roll. Brush the exposed parts of the rolls with olive oil and sprinkle with the parsley and cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes. Top each roll with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella (yes, you can add more cheese--MUCH more if you want!!!). Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 4

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 28IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Meatball Subs

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Club Sandwich

 

• Lettuce
• Sliced tomato
• 2 slices cooked bacon
• 3 slices toasted white/wheat bread
• 2 oz sandwich meat or tuna/egg/shrimp salad or a burger
• Mayo (or the sandwich spread below)

• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp pesto*

Club Sandwich

 

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Asian BBQ Beef Strips

Sweet with a hint of tartness.  Another quick one-pot meal where the sauce makes itself.  Recipe is for 2 servings, but can easily be doubled. Healthy meal that’s easy on calories too.

I take advantage of my rice cooker whenever I can.  Not only does it produce wonderful and tasty meals, it’s very economical too because you can literally cook your entire dinner in it.

This dish starts out with nice, lean sirloin steak or sirloin tip steak.  It’s sliced really thin, and that’s easily done by slicing the meat with a very sharp knife when it is partially frozen.

All ingredients are placed in the rice cooker and when it goes to “WARM” setting it should be done.  It is done when the sauce is thickened and glossy, but not *too* thick.  A rice cooker cooks by reduction so it is perfect for these types of recipes.

This can be served on any kind of hard roll or over rice/pasta.  

Asian BBQ Beef Strips

• 4 oz lean sirloin steak, sliced very thin
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tbs dry sherry or dry white wine
• 1 tbs rice vinegar (white may be substituted)
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 2 tbs sesame teryaki basting sauce or glaze (I buy this in Aldi, but it is available in the Asian section of most groceries)
• 1 cup water
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 slice fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp ginger powder

Place all ingredients in a 7 or 10-cup rice cooker.  Switch to “COOK.”  This should be done in about 30 minutes.  The sauce should be the consistency of maple syrup.  If it is not, re-set the cooker and cook until sauce reaches that consistency.


Serve on a hard roll or with rice/pasta and a salad.

Makes 2 servings.

Asian BBQ Beef Strips

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