These Slow Cooker Sandwiches Turn Pot Roast Into A French Onion Masterpiece

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Many love the comforting richness of a simple French onion soup. Yet while there's nothing wrong with enjoying the dish in classic form, the flavor foundation readily translates to other culinary formats. For instance, consider melding in some pot roast to beef up the dish, then serving the meat-onion combination as a French dip-style sandwich. Tender beef and onions, contained in crusty bread and accompanied by a savory sauce? Now that's a showstopper meal.

You could whip up the dish via the traditional roasting method, first searing the beef in a skillet, then melting down the collagen over an extended braise in the oven. For more ease, however, consider employing a slow cooker instead, letting the beef tenderize unattended over six to eight hours. You can still integrate copious amounts of onions, as well as classic flavorings like Worcestershire sauce, garlic, herbs, and more. Alternatively, buy a can of condensed French onion soup — we like the one from Campbell's — for even easier assembly. Once the beef shreds and the onions turn silky soft, melt some cheese atop; a young Gruyère typically goes on French onion soup. Toast and slice the bread, spoon in the onion and pot roast filling, then serve alongside excess liquid as a dip — it's a rich sandwich that's worth the wait.

Turning leftover pot roast into a flavorful sandwich is a savvy culinary idea, and one that's ready for further variations. If you want to increase the decadence of the build even more, consider serving the concept as a grilled cheese. Up the quantity of Gruyère, mix in the slow-cooked onions and beef, then griddle everything between two slices of bread into a mouth-watering, gooey whole.

Alternatively, lose the bread and swap your serving vessel. During the last hour of slow cooking, prepare a baked potato, then ladle on the pot roast magic. Top with cheese, plus optional fixings like sliced chives or crunchy onions. You could also throw the filling into pie crusts, making an onion-heavy version of beef pot pie. Just a tad more technical to prepare, these renditions lean the dish further into comfort food territory.

Meanwhile, if you're a pasta person, consider whipping up a batch of French onion soup-flavored noodles. Popularized by TikTok, you'll want to sizzle down the French onion pot roast in a pan into a thicker sauce, add cheese for further sticky adhesion, and coat a compact pasta shape like penne or rigatoni. Or lean into the cheesiness even further by incorporating the stew into a baked mac and cheese riff, bursting with beef and onion flavor. Pot roast and French onion may seem like a heavy combination, but the dish translates into a wide array of formats.