Dump Meals

Beef Freezer bag

Italian Beef

dumpmeals.com/recipes/italian-beef/

Chuck roast pieces in Italian dressing mix and broth, shredded for sandwiches with pickled pepper relish.

Serves
8
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours
Slow cooker
4-quart

Italian beef sandwiches are shredded beef in a peppery, herby broth, piled on a roll. The cooking liquid is just beef broth and a packet of Italian dressing mix, with garlic and oregano. A jar of giardiniera, the pickled vegetable relish, goes on at the end for crunch and tang.

As with other roasts, the chuck is cut into pieces so it cooks through safely. After shredding, the meat sits in its own juices, and each sandwich gets a spoonful of them. Serve on sturdy rolls with sliced provolone. Dip the sandwich in the juices if you like, with a plate underneath.

Pour a little of the cooking liquid into a cup for each person to dip the sandwich in. If you like it hotter, choose hot giardiniera. Leftover beef freezes in its juices for later sandwiches.

Ingredients

Into the slow cooker

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 (0.7-ounce) packet Italian dressing mix
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

To serve

  • 1 (16-ounce) jar giardiniera, drained
  • sandwich rolls, for serving
  • sliced provolone cheese, for serving

Directions

  1. If your meat is frozen, thaw it completely in the refrigerator first. Never put frozen meat in the slow cooker.
  2. Cut the roast into 2-inch chunks. Lay them in a 4-quart slow cooker.
  3. Stir the broth, dressing mix, garlic and oregano together. Pour over the beef.
  4. Cover. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours.
  5. Check the beef. It must read at least 145°F and be fork-tender. Rest 3 minutes.
  6. Shred the beef in the juices with two forks.
  7. Pile on rolls with cheese and giardiniera.

It's done when every piece of beef reads at least 145°F in the center and is fork-tender. Let it rest 3 minutes, then shred. Check with a food thermometer.

Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until hot all the way through (165°F), not in the slow cooker. Slow cooker safety

Make it a freezer dump bag

Put the beef pieces, broth, dressing mix, garlic and oregano in one gallon freezer bag. Squeeze out the air, seal, label and freeze flat. Keep the giardiniera, rolls and cheese for serving.

Bag: gallon freezer bag. Keeps: 3 months for best quality; safe indefinitely at 0°F in the freezer.

Italian Beef

Frozen on:

Thaw in the refrigerator 24 to 36 hours, until no ice is left in the middle. Never cook it from frozen, and cook it within 2 days of thawing. Dump into a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Check with a food thermometer that the beef reads at least 145°F and is fork-tender, then let it rest 3 minutes. Shred the beef in the juices.

Best within 3 months of the date above.

Plan several bags at once with one shopping list and printable labels.

The planner prints this label free. A designed set for all 17 freezer recipes, plus blanks, is in the Freezer Bag Labels pack ($7).

Cooking for two

Use 1.5 lb beef in 2-inch chunks, 1 cup broth, half the dressing mix and 1 or 2 cloves garlic. Use a 2-quart slow cooker, so the food still fills it about halfway. Check the beef at 6 hours on low.

More in Cooking for two in a slow cooker.

Tips

  • Warm the rolls in the oven so they hold up to the juice.
  • Spoon only a little juice on the meat for sandwiches. Serve the rest in small cups.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until they reach 165°F. Do not reheat them in the slow cooker.

Food-safety sources

More beef

  • Pepperoncini Pot Roast Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Chuck roast cut into pieces with pepperoncini, ranch seasoning, gravy mix and butter. The dish often called Mississippi pot roast.
  • Beef Stew Low 8 to 10 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours Freezer bag Beef chuck cubes, carrots, potatoes and celery in a beef and tomato gravy. Peas go in at the end.
  • Beef and Broccoli Low 4 to 6 hours, or high 2 to 3 hours Freezer bag Thin-sliced beef chuck in a soy, garlic and ginger sauce, with broccoli added at the end. Serve over rice.
  • Beef and Bean Chili Low 6 to 8 hours, or high 3 to 4 hours Freezer bag Browned ground beef with kidney and pinto beans, tomatoes, peppers and chili powder. Uses canned beans only.