Monday, June 13, 2011

Recipe: French dip and provolone subs

It's been a couple of weeks since I shared a recipe on here mostly because with my trip and having to feed children and a step dad who are all much pickier than me, I haven't tried anything new. However, I'm back and I already have one new recipe on the books and another waiting in the wings (which will probably be made tomorrow night and consumed on Wednesday)!

A co-worker came into the lab on Friday and was gushing about this new recipe for French dip subs that he and his wife had made earlier in the week. I don't eat a lot of red meat (it's so expensive) but try and get some in a few times each month. I love French dip subs and I figured by making them at home I could make a few tweaks so they were still delicious and bit on the lighter side. I'll give the recipe as it's written and then let you know my changes!

You will need:

3/4 lb. shaved roast beef lunch meat
1 can (10.5 oz.) Campbell's French onion soup
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
4 slices provolone cheese
4 hoagie rolls
banana pepper rings (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Over medium-high heat combine roast beef, soup and Worcestershire sauce, cooking for 5 minutes. Evenly divide the beef over the 4 rolls. Top with pepper rings and 1 slice of provolone. Bake in oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Like I said above, I made a few changes to my recipe but the idea is the same. I used lower sodium roast beef which was slightly more expensive than the regular. I used reduced fat provolone. Lastly, instead of hoagie rolls which ran about 210 calories each, I used the Sara Lee Delightful Wheat buns. They are about 80 calories and have 6 grams of fiber. They aren't exactly the right texture for a classic French dip but I liked saving 130 calories (150 cals saved when you add in the cheese).

Healthy changes and all I really liked these sandwiches! I served them with spicy ranch potatoes (cut up fingerling potatoes tossed with a bit of oil and spicy ranch dip mix and then baked for 35 minutes at 400) and a nice salad. It was satisfying and it kind of felt like I was having a cheat meal but I came in on budget! The best part is it's all quick and easy for those nights when you're tired and don't want to cook and it's a lot better for you than take out. I'm guessing you could make mock French dip with turkey or chicken if you didn't want to have the beef and it would still be delicious!

2 comments:

gavsmom said...

I can honestly say this recipe intrigues me. I love the french dip at Hickory Park so I'm willing to give this one a whirl. You guessed it though...I won't be putting any cheese on my sandwich. I'm also a fan of using a healthier bun or bread. I'm almost tempted to put some sauteed mushrooms and/or onions on with the beef.

project.100.gone said...

I think some sauteed mushrooms and onions would be an excellent addition to this sandwich! I also sort of figured you might want to omit the cheese, strange girl ;)