French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

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I love French Dip Sandwiches, but don’t love the time it takes to make the classic version. Enter my super speedy method! Roast Beef lunch meat and store bought Au Jus are jazzed up with a few extra ingredients to make this whole sandwich taste amazing and come together in about 15 minutes. It’s a killer dinner and so so delicious with Macaroni Salad or Potato Salad.

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (1)

French Dip Sandwiches in 15 Minutes

I know that title seems a little unbelievable, but it’s true! I’ve rigged the classic French Dip Sandwich and shaved down as much time as possible to create a fast but still delicious and flavorful sandwich you are going to love. With the help of your broiler and a few store bought ingredients, you will be enjoying these French Dips in no time. Makes amazing lunches or fast dinners.

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2)
French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (3)

Main Ingredients Needed

Here is the really short list of grocery items needed to make these French Dips at home!

  • Au Jus Gravy Mix– a powdered mix when whisked together with water creates a really tasty base for our Au Jus dip. This is the Au Jus Mix I used, but feel free to use the brand you prefer.
  • Roast Beef– thinly sliced lunch meat. I look for the roast beef that has the least amount of fat in the deli case. That’s just my preference, though. Use a brand you like.
  • Garlic + Bay Leaves– used to flavor the au jus so it tastes more homemade
  • Hoagie Rolls– I like toasting the exterior of these rolls just a touch before opening them up and toasting the insides. The toasting is completely optional, but I do find that it helps them hold up a little better.
  • Butter-used to butter the inside of the toasted rolls
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How to Make French Dip Sandwiches

Again, this is a speedy recipe. No special equipment or tools needed. For increments and more specific directions, check the recipe card at the bottom of this post, right before the comments.

Step 1: Make the Au Jus + Warm the Beef

Whisk powdered Au Jus together with water in the bottom of a pot or deep skillet. Mine called for 3 cups of water, but double check yours to make sure that increment of water to powder is correct. You want to make it according to package directions.

Smash two cloves of garlic and add them to the au jus. Add the bay leaves. Transfer to stove and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and add in the roast beef to warm. Keep meat warm over low heat.

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (5)
French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (6)

Step 2: Toast and Butter Your Rolls

While au jus/meat is warming, toast your hoagie buns. I like to toast the bottoms of the rolls, and toast the insides. Watch your bread closely as you don’t want it to burn. The toasting is definitely optional but it helps keep your bread together when you add the juicy meat. Also optional, but feel free to spread butter on the exterior of the roll too. It miiiight be overkill, but man is it good.

Once the insides of the bread are toasted, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter onto each half and rub with raw garlic clove. SO much flavor is added when you rub the bread with the garlic. Don’t skip this step! It makes such a difference.

Step 3: Assemble the French Dips

Divide the meat between each bottom half of the sandwich and add the provolone cheese, 1 slice per sandwich. (You can always add more if you like it cheesy.) Broil again briefly to melt the cheese; should take 30 seconds to 1 minute since the meat is already hot.

Add the top, cut in half and serve with hot au jus.

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (7)
French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (8)

Favorite Sides for Hot Sandwiches

While the warm French Dip Sandwich is really filling and delicious on its own, here are a few tasty sides that would made this meal more complete:

  • Fruit Salad
  • Classic Coleslaw
  • Homemade Kettle Chips
  • Caesar Salad
  • Ambrosia
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Love French Dip Sandwiches? Try these other Favorites:

  • Egg Salad Sandwiches
  • Low Carb Bagel Sandwiches
  • Easy Chicken Melts
  • Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sliders

Anyways, I hope you love love love this recipe as much as my family has come to love it! It’s a simple dinner that has made our dinner menu three weeks in a row. While I love spending the time on classic recipes from time to time, sometimes its nice to have a quick recipe in your back pocket for those busy nights. Enjoy, friends!

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (10)

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5 from 3 votes

French Dip Sandwiches

Make this homemade French Dip Sandwich recipe at home in no time. Slow-cooked flavor with a few store-bought ingredients and little effort.

servings 4 sandwiches

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 Powdered Au Jus Mix
  • 3 cups water to make the au jus, check package directions
  • 3 cloves garlic divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 14 oz Roast Beef Lunch Meat
  • 4 Hoagie Buns/Rolls
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 slices provolone cheese

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Turn oven onto broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

  • Whisk powdered Au Jus together with water in the bottom of a pot or deep skillet. (Mine called for 3 cups of water, but double check yours to make sure that increment of water to powder is correct. You want to make it according to package directions.) Smash two cloves of garlic and add them to the au jus. Add the bay leaves. Transfer to stove and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and add in the roast beef to warm. Keep meat warm over low heat.

  • While au jus/meat is warming, toast your hoagie buns. I like to toast the bottoms of the rolls, and toast the insides. Watch your bread closely as you don't want it to burn. The toasting is definitely optional but it helps keep your bread together when you add the meat.

  • Once the insides of the bread are toasted, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter onto each half and rub with raw garlic clove.

  • Divide the meat between each bottom half of the sandwich and add the provolone cheese, 1 slice per sandwich. (You can always add more if you like it cheesy.) Broil again to melt the cheese; should take 30 seconds to 1 minute since the meat is already hot.

  • Add the top, cut in half and serve with hot au jus.

Notes

To make this more Macro Friendly, simply reduce the butter by half OR omit it completely.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 2124mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 521IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 557mg | Iron: 5mg

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Lauren's Latest (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between French dip and au jus? ›

'Au Jus' simply refers to meat that is cooked and served 'with juice. ' The French Dip sandwich however, refers to meat that has been slowly cooked in juice, separated from the juice, then dipped back in (preferably using some kind of crunchy bread please and thank you).

What is a French dip sandwich made of? ›

French dip, a sandwich traditionally consisting of sliced roast beef (though pork, ham, turkey, and lamb are sometimes used), served on French bread, and eaten au jus (“with juice,” referring to the flavourful drippings of the meat left over from roasting).

Which LA Eatery lays claim to the invention of the French dip sandwich? ›

He opened Philippe's Restaurant in 1908. And if you believe the legend, it was there that the first French dip was made.

Is beef broth or beef stock better for au jus? ›

Stock has a richer flavor, but you can also use low-sodium beef broth. Red Wine. A hefty glug of red wine gives au jus its classic flavor.

Is brown gravy mix the same as au jus mix? ›

Like gravy, jus (pronounced zhoo) starts with the drippings from cooked meat. Unlike gravy, however, it is not thickened with flour; instead, the liquid is reduced until it reaches the desired consistency, which is usually thinner than gravy.

What is a wet French Dip? ›

The basic concept is the same at both places – Philippe's serves their French Dip “wet” which means that the roll is dipped in the meat juices and then filled with roast beef, Cole's serves theirs with a side of au jus which diners dip their sandwich into.

What is in Arby's French Dip? ›

About the Sandwich

Roast beef. Swiss. Sub roll. French au jus sauce.

What are some interesting facts about the French dip? ›

Still others say that a chef dipped a sandwich into a pan of meat drippings after a customer complained that the bread was stale. Cole's account states that the sandwich was invented by a sympathetic chef, Jack Garlinghouse, for a customer who was complaining of sore gums.

Why do they call it French dip? ›

There is further uncertainty about why the dish is called the French dip. It could be due to Philippe's heritage, the French roll it is served on, or because the police officer's name was French. The second restaurant that claims to have invented the French dip is Cole's, also known as Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet.

Who made the first French dip? ›

Philippe's was established in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, who claimed the distinction of having created the “French Dipped Sandwich.” One day in 1918, while making a sandwich, Mathieu inadvertently dropped the sliced french roll into the roasting pan filled with juice still hot from the oven.

What sandwich is Louisiana known for? ›

A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy derived from the non-rhotic southern accents often heard in the region, or poor boy) is a sandwich originally from Louisiana. It traditionally consists of meat, which is usually roast beef, ham, or fried seafood such as shrimp, crawfish, fish, oysters, or crab.

What is the name of the famous French sandwich? ›

Croque Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich, done the French way! Béchamel sauce, ham, cheese and a smear of Dijon mustard, grilled until it's oozing, this sandwich is the king of grilled cheeses!

Do French dips come with cheese? ›

As Ms. Nicole pointed out , a French Dip is a sandwich made from Roast Beef. With melted cheese and a side of Au Jus - or regular-ass Beef Broth if you're hard up for actual cooking juices. They're The Bomb.

Is au jus basically beef broth? ›

Beef broth is made by simmering beef bones, mirepoix (typically onion, carrots, and celery), hearty herbs, and spices in water, to extract flavor into the liquid. Au jus is basically beefed up beef broth. Amplify the savory flavor of beef broth by simmering it with drippings from roast beef (double beef flavor).

What is a substitute for au jus mix? ›

Alternatively, you can use pre-made beef bouillon granules. Combine Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef bouillon granules (or crushed cubes), onion powder, dried parsley flakes, white pepper, garlic powder, and celery salt. Use a whisk or a fork to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly mixed.

What is another name for a French dip? ›

French dip
Roast beef dip au jus, with french fries
Alternative namesBeef dip
CourseMain
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateLos Angeles, California
5 more rows

What is a substitute for au jus in Mississippi Chicken? ›

Another simple swap is using brown gravy mix in place of the au jus. Stove top option: Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot on the stove along with 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat and cover with a lid.

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