French Dipped Sandwiches

Do you love French Dipped sandwiches as much as hubby and I do??  To be honest, we've been just buying them @ Arby's and for fast food they are really good in my opinion.
That's about to change, though.  I think the time and effort involved to make them from home is more than worth it!

French Dipped Sandwiches

1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
1 small leek, which and light-green parts ONLY, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 lbs. beef top round roast
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 C beef broth
6 French rolls

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Combine  the chopped vegetables, garlic and thyme in a large roasting pan.  Rub the dried herbs and spices all over the beef; season generously with salt and pepper.  Place the beef fat-side up on the vegetables and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130 degrees, about 45 minutes.  Remove the meat from the pan, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

While the meat is resting, put the roasting pan on the stove and cook the vegetables over high heat until they are browned but not burnt and the liquid is evaporated;  pour off any excess fat.  Add the beef broth to the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that cling to the bottom.  Transfer the liquid and vegetables to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 30 minutes.  Strain the sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

Trim any excess far from the beef and thinly slice.  Have the rolls horizontally and warm in the oven.  Dip the bottom of each roll in the sauce and top with some of the beef; dip the cut side of each roll top in the sauce and place on each sandwich. 

Makes 6 sandwiches

Mortadella Stromboli

Stromboli are like calzones but are oblong and sliced before serving

Mortadella Stromboli

1 1/2 C coarsely grated swiss or gruyere cheese (6 oz.)
1 C thinly sliced string cheese (4 oz.)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 (13.8 oz.) package refrigerated pizza dough
10 fresh basil leaves
3/4 C pitted green or black olives, roughly chopped
1/2 C tomato saucve
1/4 lb. sliced mortadella, cut into 1/2" wide ribbons

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix 1 cup of the swiss cheese with the string cheese. 

Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.  Unroll the dough, cut in half to make two 6 x 9 inch pieces and place on the prepared pan.

Spread half of the mised cheese along one long side of each rectangle, leaving an inch border between the cheese and dough edge.  Top each mound of cheese with half of the basil, a quarter of the olives, 1/4 c tomato sauce and a third of the mortadella.  Fold the dough over the filling lengthwise, pressing the edges to seal.  Make slits in the top of the dough to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake the stromboli until brown, about 15 minutes; remove from the oven.  Brush each with olive oil, then scatter the remaining olives, mortadella and cheese on top.  Return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden.  Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4.