Last week I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends if they’d like to see a crock pot recipe on the blog this week. There were so many exclamation marks in the comments, which I took to mean, ‘heck yes!’ that I immediately started brainstorming.
Everyone knows crock pot recipes are a busy person’s best friend but many of them can be heavy and unappealing at times. While brainstorming a new and interesting crock pot combo I decided the recipe would have to meet the following criteria:
- Beef-based as I have exactly one beef crock pot recipe on the blog – Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce.
- Easy. Nobody likes crock pot recipes with several cooking steps before you even plug the dang thing in.
- Very delicious, unique, and not gloopy whatsoever.
With the aforementioned criteria in mind, I settled on Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches. A mouthwatering, 5-ingredient flavor combo that has just the right amount of zip and zing!
Watch How to Make It!
Chuck roast is slow cooked for 10 hours in a mixture of pepperoncini peppers, Giardiniera, Italian dressing mix, and beef broth then shredded and served on a chewy hoagie bun with melted provolone cheese. Crazy (CRAZY) good, and did I mention that it’s made with just 5 ingredients?!
Ben was skeptical about eating the crock pot version of one of his favorite sandwiches, which is typically made with thinly sliced beef. “Oh…I’ve never heard of a shredded Italian beef sandwich before…” he said in a tone that I knew meant, I am definitely going to hate this.
But guess what? He didn’t! While I stood eating the shredded beef straight out of the crock pot like the refined woman that I am, he inhaled an entire sandwich in under 2 minutes. That is to say, this dish was a total hit!
How to Make Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches:
Start by trimming any large pieces of fat off a chuck roast then cut the roast into seven or eight big hunks and place them in the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot.
Next sprinkle in a packet of gluten free Italian Dressing Mix like Hy-Vee’s Good Graces brand, or Simply Organic. If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix.
Add sliced pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of pepperoncini juice, and Chicago-Style Giardiniera which you can find in the olive/pickle aisle at the grocery store. I love Mezzetta brands for both, which is gluten free.
I’d never had Chicago-style Giardiniera, a type of relish made with pickled olives and vegetables that’s packed in herbs and oils, but Ben insisted it go into this dish. I’m so glad he did because OH MY GOSH it is so good! It’s supposed to go over Italian beef sandwiches, but I could have eaten forkful after forkful all by itself.
Because it’s packed in oil though, which would add unnecessary fat to the dish, I scooped out the mix with a fork and let it drain away. You can get Giardiniera that’s packed in vinegar, but I found this style to be a real treat.
Finally, add beef broth then place a lid on top of the crock pot and let it cook on low for 9 hours, or until the beef can be easily shredded with a fork.
Once the roast can be easily shredded with a fork, shred with two forks then slip the meat back into the slow cooker to cook in the juices for 1 more hour on low. Scoop the meat onto hoagie buns then slap a slice of provolone on top to melt from the heat of the beef. Serve with extra pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, and you’re set!
More Crock Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Crock Pot Mojo Pork with Cuban-Style Black Beans
- Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
Description
Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are the 5-ingredient crock pot version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. This easy dinner recipe is a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 3lb chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat and cut into large hunks
- 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix (see notes)
- 8oz pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice, plus extra for serving
- 8oz Giardiniera (Chicago-Style Italian Sandwich Mix,) drained, plus extra for serving
- 14.5oz can beef broth
- provolone cheese slices
- hoagie buns
Directions
- Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 5.5 - 6 quart crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up chuck roast pieces to get broth underneath. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred then place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.
- Split buns in half then scoop the shredded meat mixture on top and add provolone cheese slices. Top with additional pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, if desired, then serve.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- I like Simply Organic or Good Grace's gluten free Italian Dressing Mix. Good Season's Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix is a good option if you do not need to eat gluten free.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes to date. Could not have been easier to make and the flavors from the pickled vegetables, pepper rings, and Italian dressing mix really made the beef sing. SO GOOD. Hope you’ll give it a try sometime!
Brittni M 02.02.2014
I could not for the life of me find the Chicago-style sandwich mix in the grocery store so I am using the regular giardiniera… I hope it turns out just as good! Will report back!
Kevin 02.02.2014
I, like many others, had problems finding the Mezzetta Chicago-style Italian sandwich mix. First, let me say I live in St Louis. So, I knew from the giddy up it would be difficult finding anything label “Chicago style” on it. LOL
After five grocery stores, I hit pay dirt! In the pickle/olive/relish section I found a spicy pizza topping named Alpino. It has all the name ingredients and even made in Chi-town! I also found from the same company, same exact ingredients but, a smaller jar labeled muffuletta.
Rose 01.31.2014
Can I cook this recipe on high? If so, how long? This recipe looks delicious but I don’t feel like waking at up 6AM to make this dish in time for the superbowl to start:-)
Kristin 02.02.2014
Hey Rose! This cut of beef really does best cooked low and slow. It wouldn’t come out as tender if it were cooked on high, unfortunately!
Italian Beef Sandwiches | Love Food, Will Share 01.28.2014
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kim 01.26.2014
Fixed these tonight and we LOVED them! I fix a lot of recipes from Iowa Girl Eats, and this one may be our favorite. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Carol Hallam 01.25.2014
This is amazing! So easy, so good. It’s a family favorite now. Great for when you are not exactly sure of the precise time you will be eating. You can’t overcook it, it just gets better the longer it steeps in those juices.
Mariaya 01.24.2014
Hey fellow Southerners – I just wanted to let everyone know you can find these ingredients (even same brands!) at Publix. I went to Whole Foods and Trader Joes first thinking I would have the best luck there and struck out so I decided to try Publix just to see and it was all there!
Kristin 01.19.2014
Made this for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME!! So delicious and couldn’t have been easier! Can’t wait to have (multiple days of) leftovers :)
Ashley 01.19.2014
We rarely have beef in our home because I just always seem to cook it poorly. However, I tried this tonight because it seemed like the perfect thing to eat with playoff football. My fiance and i both loved it! Please do more crock pot recipes soon! They truly are sanity savers
Kristin 01.19.2014
It totally is the best food for playoff football! That’s why we made it too. And I couldn’t agree more about crock pot recipes!
Stacey Allen 01.17.2014
This sounds perfect for Super Bowl. I agree, it’s all about the food.
Also, just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. I have tried many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. And being a mother of 2, I love reading about Lincoln. He is so adorable. And I enjoy watching him grow.
15 Super Bowl Recipes: Dips, Bites, Crock Pot Recipes and More | Iowa Girl Eats 01.17.2014
[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches are a mouthwatering, slow-cooked version of the popular hot sandwich recipe. Just 5 ingredients in this hearty meal that’s perfect for half time. Check your grocery store’s olive bar for the Giardiniera mixture if you can’t find it in the pickle aisle. […]
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[…] Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches | Iowa Girl Eats. […]
Lea 12.07.2013
I wanted to tell you that I made this recipe for just my husband and I knowing it would be too much food. Before I even served up the sandwiches, I scooped out enough meat and broth to make THIS recipe.
This Italian beef was so easy and wonderful, and then two days later we had another great meal with it! Thank you!
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Jessi 11.24.2013
We tried this last night and it was AMAZING. This is a keeper for sure!
From Minnesota 11.14.2013
Hello – I want to try this recipe out this weekend but I can’t find the Mezzetta chicago-style Italian sandwich mix! Cub doesn’t carry it and I researched online for Target and Walmart grocery and it said it wasn’t carried there… any suggestions?? Thanks!
Iowa Girl Eats 11.18.2013
I would try looking in the olive bar section at your grocery store. If you still can’t find it, I’d just leave it out!
Carol Hallam 01.25.2014
There are other brands, Bella is one of them. I find it in the pickle section. It’s packed in water, and it’s labeled California style, perhaps because its in water not oil? It’s not as good as the Chicago style when I can find it, but it is better than leaving it out!
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Laurie 11.06.2013
Thank you for an awesome crock pot recipe! It was a big hit tonight in our house.
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