This week’s cooking column is written by my daughter April Sherrill.
A French Dip is a beef sandwich on a long white French roll that’s dipped in pan juices. American menus often describe the pan juice as “au jus.” Au jus is a French expression that means “with broth,” or “with juice.”
In 1918, a French man named Philippe Mathieu owned a deli and sandwich shop in Los Angeles called “Philippe the Original.” According to a story posted in the restaurant, Philippe was making a sandwich for a police officer and accidentally dropped the sliced French roll into the drippings in the pan in which the meat was roasted. Fortunately, the police officer loved the sandwich so much, he came back the next day with more people and asked Philippe to prepare the sandwich the same way. Although the French Dip is not a French sandwich, Philippe was. His deli and sandwich shop still live on, with the sandwich being the house special.
I’ve been with my husband for almost 12 years, and I learned early on about his love for a French Dip sandwich. It took me a while to figure out how to create this specialty for him at home, but once I did, it was a home run. On the nights I prepare these sandwiches for dinner, there’s no doubting there’s going to be some very happy bellies as well as a very happy husband.
The recipe I use is very simple to prepare, and the best part about it is that the meat can cook all day in the crock-pot while you’re at work. This makes an extremely easy and quick dinner to prepare after a long day. All of my children eat these as well, so it’s child friendly. I hope your family enjoys the sandwiches as much as we do.
Enjoy the goodness!
Sherrill’s Pot Roast
French Dips
2-3 pound pot roast
2 packages of au jus seasoning
(I save one packet to make for dipping sauce)
1 packet of onion dip soup
1 can of Dr. Pepper (optional)
Deli cut provolone cheese (or whatever you prefer)
2 cups of water
Package of French sliced rolls
Mix the ingredients together in the crock-pot and cook on low all day (approximately seven to eight hours).
I usually layer the cheese slices, fill the sandwich with meat, and then place the sandwiches under the broiler to melt the cheese well. Fill a condiment bowl full of dipping sauce, and go to town. Do not forget the napkins!
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Oven Roasted Potatoes
5-6 Russet potatoes
Olive oil
Pepper/salt to taste
Garlic powder
Rosemary
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Place in an airtight container. Mix the olive oil and the preferred seasonings in a bowl. Toss the potatoes in the oil seasoning mixture and pour then onto a cookie pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes or well browned. Be sure to turn the potatoes at least once during baking.