I was looking through my Slow Cooker magazine for some inspiration. I liked the sound of one recipe but didn't have all the ingredients for it and didn't want to make a trip to the store. So I fused two recipes together for the pot roast. This is the first time I've had roast on a slice of french bread covered in swiss cheese. I was blown away by the flavor. It takes pot roast to a whole new level. I've also included the garlic mashed potato recipe below. This is comfort food at its finest.
Open-faced Pot Roast Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. canola oil
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 3–4 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 medium red onion, quartered
1 medium red onion, quartered
1 small bag of baby carrots
3 celery stalks cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 sprigs of fresh sage
2-3 sprigs of fresh sage
2 bay leaves
loaf of french bread cut on the bias
sliced swiss cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Brown roast on all sides; approximately 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to a slow cooker.
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Brown roast on all sides; approximately 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to a slow cooker.
Stir flour into pan; cook one minute. Add tomato paste and cook one minute more. This will form a base for the gravy.
Deglaze saute pan with wine, cooking until liquid evaporates. Stir in broth and Worchestershire; bring mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
Transfer broth mixture to the slow cooker. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, sage and bay leaves. Cover and cook until meat is fork-tender on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on low-heat setting for 8-9 hours. Discard thyme sprigs, sage and bay leaves.
Transfer beef to a large plate. Using two forks, pull meat apart into bite-sized pieces. Add two tbsp. of gravy to moisten. Strain remaining gravy through a sieve and keep warm. Save carrots and onions for the sides.
Preheat broiler with oven rack 6-8 inches from heating element. Lightly butter both sides of the french bread. Place under broiler until lightly toasted. Turn bread over for same result. Remove from oven and place the shredded pot roast on the toasted bread. Top each piece with with a slice of Swiss. Broil until cheese melts, approx. two minutes. I like to finish my sandwich with a drizzle of gravy on top. Serve with gravy, carrots and onions.
Source: Adapted from Cuisine at Home Slow Cooker Menus
If you're interested in the potatoes pictured...
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
2 lb. small red potatoes
milk (whatever your prefer)
2 tbsp. salted butter
fat free half n' half
salt and pepper
3 cloves of garlic
olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Rinse potatoes, removing dirt and debris. Quarter the potatoes, cut each one twice, and place in an empty saucepan. Fill saucepan with hot water until potatoes are fully submerged. Cook on medium-high heat. When the water boils, add a pinch of salt. To test for doneness, poke a potato with fork. When you can easily perforate the potato, it's cooked. Strain off water reserving approx. 1/4 cup. Let potatoes cool for 10 minutes. (In same saucepan is fine).
While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 400. Place three garlic cloves (with skin left on) onto a small piece of aluminum foil. Pull sides of foil up around it to create a bowl. Place foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on the garlic. Cook in oven until garlic starts to brown approx. 10-15 minutes. Turn over once during cooking. Remove from oven and close up aluminum foil around the garlic. Let sit for five minutes. Remove garlic skins and place cloves on a plate. Mash with a fork and set aside.
After potatoes are cooled, add reserved water back to pan along with 2 tbsp. salted butter. Mash with potato masher. After a few minutes of mashing, switch to an electric hand mixer for a more creamy mashed potato. Alternate adding milk and half 'n half in small amounts until you've reached a desirable consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add roasted garlic to mixture. Continue mixing until you are satisfied with the texture.
