Easy French Dip Sandwiches with Deli Roast Beef

These Easy French Dip Sandwiches are the perfect family dinner, melty, drippy and deliciously messy! They are quick to make using roast beef deli meat, along with caramelized onions, gooey provolone, and au jus sauce for dipping!  A comforting sandwich night everyone will love!

We love sandwich night in our house and these French Dip Sandwiches made easy with roast beef deli meat are no exception!  That crusty bread, softened when dunked with the gooey cheese has me hooked! 

The kids pick out the onions of course, but love dunking them in the sauce!

If you love a good sandwich night like we do, be sure to try Italian Beef Sandwiches with Giardiniera and Ciabatta Steak Sandwiches with Balsamic Onions!

Ingredients

• Onions - This recipe starts with caramelized onions. Caramelizing onions just means sautéing onions slowly at a low heat to bring out their natural sugars and turn them golden brown in color. This equals flavor! Caramelized onions are simply amazing, it makes a short little ingredient list burst with that french dip taste!

• Beef Stock - Beef stock flavors the onions and roast beef, and turns into the au jus sauce for dipping. Use stock instead of broth for deeper flavor, and it will thicken and intensify as it cooks down. A bit of Worcestershire sauce gives your au jus a little more flavor!

• Roast Beef Deli Meat - French dip sandwiches can be made in a lot of ways with different methods of cooking the beef. Deli roast beef is certainly the easy version! By grabbing a pound of roast beef from the deli counter, this recipe turns into a quick weeknight dinner!

• Hoagie Buns - You need a substantial bun to hold up to the drippy liquid sandwich contents and all that dunking! I like nice big hoagie buns, toasty on the outside and soft in the middle to absorb lots of au jus sauce.

• Provolone Cheese - The melty provolone works great here, but you could also use Swiss or white cheddar cheese. Be generous with the cheese, these sandwiches are meant to be melty, gooey and on the messy side!

Instructions

Step 1 - Caramelize the Onions. Preheat a large skillet over medium low heat, add the olive oil and sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. 

Caramelizing onions means sautéing the onions slowly over medium low heat to let the natural sugars develop to a golden brown color. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes and packs major flavor!

Just get the onions started and keep them stirring while you get all your other ingredients ready.

The longer you let them caramelize, the better the flavor, keep going! Adjust your heat between medium to medium low, you want to hear them sizzle but never burn.

Perfect, soft and golden brown!

Step 2 - Deglaze with the Liquid. When the onions achieve a nice deep color, add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up all that flavor from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer to reduce a bit. 

Step 3 - Add the Roast Beef. Preheat your oven to high broil and slice open your hoagie buns on a large sheet pan.

Add your roast beef to the stock, separating each slice. You just want the roast beef to absorb the liquid, not actually cook, so just put them in for a minute.

Step 4 - Assemble the Sandwiches. Use tongs to assemble your sandwiches on hoagie buns with the drippy beef and plenty of onions, and top with cheese.

I use 2 slices per sandwich cut in half. Broil until toasted and melty, about 3 minutes. 

Step 5 - Finish the Au Jus Sauce. While the sandwiches broil, turn the heat up to medium and continue to reduce the au jus sauce.

Serve each person a little cup for dipping.  Be sure to cut your sandwiches in half diagonally for easy dunking!

Steak Variation

I originally wrote this recipe using sliced roast beef from the deli.  It's fast, it's easy, it works great!  But, when I tried the same recipe with an affordable cut of grilled steak, WOW!  Now that was amazing too!  So that is an option if you want to shake things up!

• Use sirloin or any affordable steak that looks good. Caramelize the onions using the same method, and while they are cooking, grill the steak, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper on an outdoor grill. 

• Cook it just to medium rare, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, and let it rest on a cutting board.  Slice it thin and add to the au jus just before assembling the sandwiches so you don't overcook it.  It's an extra step, but super delicious, so give both versions as try!

• You can also cook your steak indoors in a cast iron skillet.  If you use this method, I would basically do the whole process in reverse.  Start by searing the steak in a hot skillet, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  When you flip it, add the sliced onions to the pan around it. 

• When the steak is done, remove it to a cutting board, lower the heat and continue cooking the onions until caramelized.  Then add the stock and simmer to reduce.  You can then slice the steak, add it back to the sauce and assemble the sandwiches.

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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