I made this meal over the holidays as a no-fuss, little-time-required meal and it was fabulous. I found the recipe in Allrecipes’ archives of slow cooker meals and tweaked it just a bit to fit the ingredients I had on hand (with over 500 four or five star reviews, I knew it had to be pretty good!). Served on crusty rolls with provolone cheese, it was a hit with my family. I absolutely love meals like this – quick, delicious and very filling. The meat turned out more tender than any meat I’ve cooked in the crockpot and was literally melting in my mouth as I ate this sandwich, which made it extra-easy for my kids to eat. Even my little toddler who has nary a molar was able to chomp this down. Definitely a meal keeper!
Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast
DIRECTIONS:
Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.
Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired.
Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com
{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Christie – I’m glad that you liked this. It sounds like it was an exciting event and something like that needs great food, right?? Thanks for detailing your changes!
Another Great recipe! I made this today as I had 12 people coming over to watch the football(It was our AFL Grand Final)and everyone loved it! I took out some broth and added a little cornflour to thicken then added the shredded meat and gravy into a frypan to saute together. Absolutley delicious with fresh crusty rolls, cheese & lettuce. Well done! Christie from Australia!
Jessica – if you are making sandwiches with this meat, it easily serves 6-8. As for side dishes, I would serve it with a vegetable platter and potato or pasta salad (I have recipes on my site for those if you look under “salads”). Since it is a casual meal, serving it with brownies and ice cream for dessert would be divine, in my book. Good luck!
also, do you have any side dish and dessert serving suggestions?
how many people does this recipe serve?
Melanie, you have done it again! My husband loved these! Not only did they taste great but it was so easy to make. I love when the slow-cooker does all of the work for me! -Liz K.
This looks awesome! And if you’re in a hurry with a new baby a chuck roast, italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic salt and 1 cup water in the slow cooker works too. Like I said, I think this one may taste better but for my picky eater husband the above works well too. Just thought I’d share since #4 is at the door!
I think I’ve seen this on allrecipes before. You made it look more yummy and worth trying. I think I will.
I hope that you have pre-dated a bunch of recipe posts so that you aren’t typing away during labor…this recipe does look delicious! I will try it this week with a roast that’s been in the freezer a while…gotta use them up, right?Best wishes for you and your family. May the birth be quick and easy, and the baby arrive before the end of the year!
Tycksen Family – wow! 7 kids in extracurricular activities? That just makes me tired thinking about it! I’m glad you like this recipe – it is great on those nights when you need a fast meal! Thanks for letting me know.
Wow! It seems like this is a very popular recipe – in all it’s forms. I love all the adaptations everyone has mentioned. Thanks for commenting, everyone!
Yum! I will definitely be trying this one, and that’s a great picture too!
Liz – yay! I’m glad this caused rave reviews for your husband. I love, love slow cooker meals too for the exact same reason.
Jenn – no baby yet, but thanks for asking. I’m hoping today is the big day. I’m glad your husband approved of the dinner! And glad to know that a smaller roast works great, too.Camille – glad this made it to the tried-and-true list. I like it perfectly for how easy it is to throw together!
I made this for dinner one night last week & it was delicious! I was so happy to find a recipe for the chuck roast in my freezer! I threw it in the crockpot in the morning & when I got home from work the smell in my apartment was unbelievable! It tasted even better. The beef was so juicy & flavorful. Thanks!
i’m becoming good friends with my slow cooker (note to self–she needs a name!), but i haven’t tried this type of thing yet. will do.
Tammy – thanks for your sweet comment. Don’t you just love super easy meals like this??? I’m a sucker for quick slow-cooker meals. So glad this was a hit.
My sister found your blog and we have been trying a lot of your recipes…and every single one is fabulous. This one is a favorite! With 7 kids and 4 in baseball/softball…this hits the spot after a long day at games. Thank you for sharing all your recipes!!
Danielle – your comment reminds me I need to make this again! I’m glad you liked it!
We tried this the other night and it’s definitely on our “tried and true” list!
Made this last night for dinner. It was great, and I got an “Mmmm, this is good” from my husband. Only thing I did differently was I only found a 3.5lb. roast and used the original amount of seasoning. Very, very tasty. I’m hoping that baby is here. Right?
I make something very similar to this, but I add a jar of pepperoncinis a few hours before it’s done. It melts in your mouth!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I have been on a mission to make a delicious (read “edible”) chuck roast and this recipe made that happen. I LOVED it! MMMMMMM. I don’t think I’ll ever even try another recipe. Congrats on the new arrival!!
Hey!!! What are you doing posting when you’re about to have a baby? You are wonderwoman, I swear! I just made this 2 weeks ago. I got it from http://saucynsweet.blogspot.com/2008/12/crockpot-italian-beef-sandwiches.html and that recipe said to add mushrooms and red/green peppers. We really liked it! I thought the sandwich was a bit dry, but we added some mayo. I LOVED eating the left-over roast just plain the next day! It had a wonderful taste!
Did anyone else think it ended up too salty? We still liked it, but next time I am going to leave out the salt.
Mel-
I’ve made this twice already and we still want more!!! Soooo good!! I love the concept of throwing everything together into the crock pot and walk away!! Soooo simple yet soooo delicious!!
Hi Gina – so glad you like this. Simple meals are the best!
I made this last week and it was A W E S O M E! ! ! ! ! Even my super picky 5 year old loved it! I will definitely be making this one again. Thank you!!
Paige – thanks! I’m really glad that this was a hit, especially with your five year old. Thanks for letting me know!
It was a big hit at our house too! Thanks so much for your awesome blog! I keep coming back to it when I need some cooking inspiration.
Leslie
Leslie – your comment was so nice, thank you! I’m glad you liked this recipe.
Hi Melanie, the meat on sale this week is “bottom round roast”, can I use that to make these sandwiches?
Anonymous – I’ve never used bottom round roast in this recipe but I assume it will work fine since a bottom round roast works best when cooked low and slow with liquid – which is what is called for in this recipe. I’d say go for it!
I made these sandwiches last night and they were so delicious! We absolutely loved them and will definitely be making them again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Emily – glad you liked these – thanks for letting me know!
Hey Melanie!
I made these tonight and we absolutely loved them. Normally when I make stuff in a crockpot I am so sick of the smell by the end of the day that I don’t even want to eat the food (I blame some bad pregnancy experiences for that
), but I smelled this all day long and absolutely devoured them come dinnertime. Thanks so much for another great recipe!
Kristi – I hear you on the crockpot-smell-makes-you-want-to-vomit thing. I’m glad this meal didn’t have that effect on you!
Does the roast have to be thawed or does it matter? I want to make it this week, but I’ll have to defrost my roast if that’s necessary. Thanks!
Alicia – I’ve never tried this with a frozen roast so to be sure, I would thaw your meat first. If you don’t have time, try adding on another hour or so to the cooking time, just to make sure the roast gets good and tender.
First of all, I love your website and I use it often-thank you for all of the great recipes! It is just my husband and myself so I often have to cut recipes in half or figure out how to make a meal into 2. Do you think I could freeze leftover meet and use it later for sandwiches, let me know what you think or what the best way to do this would be?
Amy – yes, I think you could definitely freeze the leftovers of this meal. In fact, I do it all the time. One thing to remember is that you only want to freeze the leftovers if the meat was properly thawed in the first place or cooked fresh (before being frozen). Thaw the meat in the refrigerator and you’ll be ok to refreeze the leftovers.
Yum! We made this tonight and it was a huge hit! My 4 year old actually said “this is the best dinner ever!” Thanks for the great recipes.
Jennier – wow, high praises from your 4-year old! Thanks for letting me know.
I made this for my new mother and father in law. So the stress was on trying to impress them. I needed something that would be fast to put together for after church. It was such a sucess. I loved the smell of it in my home and the meat was so tender, my husband kept raving on about it the rest of the night. Which made me very, very, very happy. This is a great dish that is so simple! It is a keeper in my book and a must try for everyone else
Tami G. – I’m thrilled this dinner worked out well, especially considering you were cooking for your in-laws! Thanks for letting me know.
Melanie- My family thinks I am an amazing cook, but what I really am…is an AMAZING RECIPE follower. Your blog has turned me into quite a superstar. I served this meat for sandwiches after my son’s baby blessing to fabulous reviews! Every time I need to try something new, I check here first! Thanks!
Tracy – thanks for your nice comment! I’m glad this slow cooker meat recipe worked out so well for serving company!
Mel- Being the mom of 3 kids, it’s hard to find a meal everyone will eat (let alone actually LIKE). Well, everyone in my family LOVES the slow cooker Italian beef recipe! I am not a beef lover at all, but even I look forward to this awesome meal. Not only is it great coming home from work to an already cooked meal, it is absolutely delicious! Thanks for this great recipe.
Andrea – what a great thing to find a meal that pleases everyone. Thanks for letting me know!
This was a great meal! I LOVED that all the herbs/spices were each in equal amounts so I could just take my teaspoon measure and whack out the spice mix quickly. The biggest roast I could find was only 3.75lbs but I didn’t adjust the liquid at all. Since I was serving on crusty rolls I just used the extra juices as an au jus for dipping. YUM! Next time I make this, and there will definately be a next time, I will rub the salt directly into the meat to help it absorb into it better. I think you would need to salt the beef if you were eating it alone and without dipping it in the au jus…otherwise the salt is perfect.
I felt like a rockstar walking into the kitchen after work to a house smelling great and dinner already 75% done. I do have leftover beef which I plan on freezing with the extra provolone cheese and extra crusty rolls (all in seperate baggies) and make an “Italian Beef Sammy” kit so I can throw this meal together easily sometime in the next couple of months.
Amy M – brilliant idea on freezing the leftovers as a “kit.” So glad you liked this one!
Mel,
to you I declare my undying love and gratitude! I am on your site ALL the time and have yet to make one thing that my family hasn’t loved! You are a lifesaver!…who cooks with real ingredients that you can actually get AND pronounce!
I tossed my ingredients into the slow cooker before running out to do pick-up/gymnastics/swim team/baseball drop off….then do the same for pick up. I am taking these sandwiches out to the ball field tonight so that my girls will not be eating snack shack food for dinner!
Love your mad cooking skills! thank you, thank you!
Karen – I love you, too! Glad this came through in a pinch. That after-school running around is brutal!
this looks delicious…I will try it this week…
I have been making pretty much the same recipe for a long time and it is just great! A couple things that I have found that I like is; adding a couple cloves of garlic; slicing the roast into thin slices with my meat slicer before putting it in the slow cooker( not cross slicing but rather with the grain), using venison instead of a beef roast (after all we are from Wisconsin and venison is BIG here) ; I add both green peppers and a couple seeded jalipinos, ( I was using pepperacini but their flavor took too much away from the meat and sauce; and of coarse dipping the bread rolls in the sauce before adding the meat. I have NEVER had anyone not like this recipe!
Another GREAT meal. I am not a huge slow cooker person since everything comes out mushy and blah, but this was really good. Perfect for a holiday buffet, or family get together. I made it with Potato Soup…I think it was your recipe for that too. It had really great flavor and it was so tender it did melt in your mouth.
Juliann – glad you loved this one!
Ed – great tips, thank you!
Whoa! This was good! Amazing! I’ve never had such tender meat before. I searched everywhere for a 5# chuck roast, but they are over $4 a lb. Yikes! I was too impatient to wait for them to go on sale, so I bought a cross-rib roast, which the butcher assured me would be tender. I also put foil between the crockpot and the lid (I swear, my crockpot doesn’t have a tight seal—stole the idea from Cook’s Country) and my roast was unbelievably amazing! Thanks so much! My husband also thanks you…we’ve been married 10 years and this is the first time I’ve managed to cook a roast and have it fall apart. Delicious!!!
Joyce – love that Cook’s Country tip! I’m glad you loved this recipe!
Made this one a few days ago and we LOVED it. I will be honest…wasn’t so sure as I was putting it together. Something about the combination of spices. But I was 100% wrong in my doubts! Another amazing recipe, Mel…thanks!
Such a nice, easy, recipe! I made it yesterday and it was delicious! The only thing I’d do different next time is make sure I’m out of the house all day. The house smelled so good that I felt hungry all day.
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious. It may possibly replace my favorite french dip sandwich recipe. The whole family enjoyed it. Thanks!
Made these tonight for dinner and they are AMAZING on toasted steak rolls with melted garlic butter & sliced provolone!!! THANK YOU for a great and easy recipe!
Made this tonight and even used your french bread recipe for the first time. They both turned out amazing! Your site continues to be my go-to for recipes. Thank you so much!
Hi,
Any ideas how to make my own dry Italian-style salad dressing mix? I live overseas and can’t find that in the stores here.
Thanks! I cook from your site at least 2-3 times a week and everything is always super yummy!
Kristyn
Hi Kristyn – try googling homemade Italian-dry mix. I know there are a lot of recipes online that might help! I have one I’ve tweaked over the years but I hesitate recommending it for this recipe since I haven’t tried it in this recipe. Glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Mel, I made your Chili Verde last week in the oven and it was awesome. Now I want to try this Italian Beef. It seems like there is a lot of salt in this recipe (beef broth, salt, onion salt and the salt in the dressing mix). Is it overly salty? Do you think it would be ok if I cut out the teaspoon of salt and just used onion powder instead of onion salt? Besides overcooking stuff, my other biggest fear is oversalting. I am still new to this cooking thing
Courtney – I’m kind of nervous to say this but every time I’ve made this, I actually think it could use more salt. I know that sounds crazy with the amount of salt in the recipe (and granted, I usually use a very low-sodium beef broth) but it seems to be the case for me. However, if you are worried about salt content, I’d use onion powder instead of onion salt but I’d keep the 1 teaspoon salt.
Okay, I was given a recipe for “Roast to Die for” and I’m pretty sure it was the one off of Allrecipes.com that you modified for this recipe, or at least very similar. Let me just say that it didn’t hold a candle to your version. It didn’t smell as good while cooking, wasn’t as tender, and just wasn’t as good. I love your version and will be craving it now for awhile until it’s time to make it again.
Oh and by the way, it was what I was making for Easter Dinner, so it kind of turned out to be a flop! Bummer!
Hey I just had one quick question- would this meat freeze well? I figure it would but thought I should ask. Because I would love to make this and then freeze leftovers for future meals. It looks divine!
Lauren – yes, this cooked and prepared meat freezes well. I usually reheat it in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
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