Italian Beef Sandwich With Tender Savory Beef

This Italian Beef Sandwich recipe is officially my new favorite way to cook a roast! So not only does it make what will sure to be one of your favorite sandwiches, you can serve this beef as a main course and use the savory drippings to make gravy. Then cut the leftover beef into thin slices for some delicious sandwiches. This has a bit of a kick to it, with simple seasonings and smothered in pepper jack cheese. It’s a full meal on a bun, that’s for sure! Serve with some potato chips, fruit or a simple salad and let this sandwich be the star of the show.

Ingredients in this Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

Grab your crock pot, some of your favorite seasonings and a good roast and you’ll be feasting on hearty sandwiches by suppertime! Here’s what you need:

Beef roast – the entire roast should be 3-4 pounds. Read more below on what type of roast is best for this recipe. Beef consommé – you can find cans of consommé in the soups section of your grocery store. Or you can use beef broth with extra bouillon added in. Pepperoncini peppers – 16 ounces sliced peppers WITH the juice Italian seasoning mix – I like to use an envelope of Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix. It’s made with oregano, salt, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, black pepper, basil, thyme, and celery salt all in one easy packet. Fresh minced garlic – mince one or two cloves of garlic or use a teaspoon pre-minced garlic. Kosher salt – to taste Hoagie Rolls – I also like to use small French rolls, but you can use any type of buns you like. Pepper jack cheese – I love the spicy kick of this cheese, but you can use deli sliced provolone cheese too. For an extra kick, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

How to Cook the Perfect Italian Beef

There are many schools of thought when it comes to making the most tender, flavorful roast. Whether you’re a fan of the slow cooker, with this Slow Cooker Roast Beef, the instant pot for our Instant Pot Sunday Pot Roast or the oven, follow some simple steps to ensure tender, fall apart meat every time.

Bring the meat to room temperature. Take it out of the fridge and let it relax a little before roasting. Start with the right pan or pot. A heavy duty roasting pan or a Dutch oven works best. It needs to be able to transfer from stove top to oven. Sear that meat! Using hot vegetable oil or olive oil, sear all sides of your roast on medium-high heat until there’s a nice brown crust. This step will ensure all those delicious juices stay locked in and give it a gorgeous color. For tantalizing fall-apart meat remember these two words: LOW and SLOW. Simmering at a lower heat for a longer period of time will give even tougher types of meat that tender texture your family will die over! Slow cook for at least six hours, until the meat is fork tender. Make sure your meat never roasts dry. Keep it covered in its natural juices and beef broth for maximum juicy tenderness.

Best Cuts of Meat for Italian Beef

Choosing a cut of meat can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. With the low and slow method, most any cut can be roasted to tender perfection. But here are a few options to look for at the grocery store:

Boneless Chuck Roast Rump Roast Chuck Shoulder Pot Roast Rib Roast Ribeye Roast Tenderloin Roast Tri-Tip Roast (try this Rosemary Tri-Tip Roast!) Round Tip Roast Bottom Round Roast

Variations for this Sandwich

Not a huge fan of pepperocini peppers? Leave them off. Love red onions? Throw some on! The beauty of this recipe is you can add or take off any toppings you like.

I usually swap out the pepper jack cheese for a more mild flavor for my kids, something like Monterrey jack or melted provolone cheese. Add any vegetables you like! Throw in some sweet peppers, hot peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, olives, just about anything you like.