Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Every now and then you just need a dippy, drippy, and oh-so-good French Dip Sandwich in your life. Make the meat ahead and assemble the sandwiches as needed.

Items used to make this recipe:

• 6-quart Instant Pot https://amzn.to/3woo82z

• meat claws https://amzn.to/3yen95X

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Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

makes 6-8 large sandwiches

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into large chunks

• 3 medium onions, sliced

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup low sodium beef stock

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or more soy sauce)

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 French baguettes

• sliced cheese (Swiss, provolone, or other)

Directions

1. Place the chuck, onions, garlic, beef stock, soy, fish sauce, worcestershire, olive oil, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a 6-quart instant pot; cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then allow pressure to release naturally for 25 minutes.

2. Remove meat from pot and shred; reserve liquid (au jus) for dipping.

3. To serve, slice open each baguette and cut into three equal lengths; pile high with shredded beef topped with cheese; place under broiler to melt cheese (don’t walk away from the oven while doing this).

4. Serve with plenty of the au jus (cooking liquid) for dipping. Additionally, caramelized onions may be added just before serving.

Notes

• Swiss cheese is traditional on French Dip Sandwiches, but we’re not crazy about it so we use provolone instead. Feel free to use your favorite melting cheese.

• Although this recipe contains a lot of onions, feel free to serve these sandwiches with a healthy addition of caramelized onions.

• When I have a recipe that calls for beef stock, I often substitute with my unsalted homemade chicken stock that’s been reduced to 1/4 it’s original volume (1 cup of stock is reduced to 1/4 cup). It’s an excellent substitution and a great way to use up the huge supply of chicken stock I always seem to have in my freezer.

adapted from Amy and Jacky

Summer Fruit Tart

My children grew up watching me cook/bake and they apparently learned a thing or two in the process. When I recently celebrated a birthday, my girls presented me with this stunning fruit tart that they made without my help. Well, I answered a few baking-related questions… and provided the tart pan, but everything else they did on their own. Proud Momma moment.

The written recipe can be found at the bottom of this page, but you can click HERE to see complete step-by-step photos.

ITEMS USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

(affiliate links)

• 10-inch tart pan https://amzn.to/2O27QYs

• heavy-bottom saucepan https://amzn.to/2Fc38Vu

• BeaterBlade attachment https://amzn.to/2FdzyyP

• fine mesh sieve https://amzn.to/3oGA5iT

• offset spatula https://amzn.to/3LsLZ9X

• professional pastry brush https://amzn.to/2F6uif9

• vanilla beans https://amzn.to/3rJUHc4

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MIXED BERRY FRUIT TART

makes a 10-inch tart

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

VANILLA PASTRY CREAM:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 4 egg yolks

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

SHORTBREAD TART SHELL:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

FRUIT FILLING:

• 3 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced

• 1 mango, peeled and sliced

• 1 pint blueberries

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 2 tablespoons apple or apricot jelly (for glaze)

DIRECTIONS

TO MAKE THE VANILLA PASTRY CREAM:

1. In a small heavy-bottom sauce pan over medium heat, combine milk, split vanilla bean, and vanilla bean seeds.

2. Remove from heat as soon as small bubbles start to appear around the perimeter of the pan.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and egg yolks until smooth.

4. Sift cornstarch into the egg mixture; whisk until smooth again.

5. Add a ladle or two of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture; whisk immediately.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the milk mixture and return to heat, whisking constantly for a minute or two until it thickens.

7. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

8. Pour hot mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl.

9. Cover pastry cream with plastic wrap touching the surface.

10. Chill until thoroughly cooled.

TO MAKE THE SHORTBREAD TART SHELL:

1. Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment; mix on low speed until evenly combined and mixture looks crumbly.

2. Press crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan.

3. Freeze tart shell for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats.

4. Preheat oven to 350F (lower temp by 25F if you use a dark tart pan like I did).

5. Place tart pan on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the shell turn golden brown.

6. Cool completely before assembling (about an hour).

TO ASSEMBLE TART:

1. Spread vanilla pastry cream evenly into cooled tart shell using an offset spatula.

2. Arrange prepared fruit as you wish.

3. Heat jelly with a little water until the jelly melts and makes a glaze; brush on fruit.

4. Chill tart until service.