Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

In which my pressure cooker gets the better of me and I time my dishes so poorly that I give up on finishing touches.

Sad, cold fries next to an unbuttered, untoasted roll.

You may remember a brief reminder during my Easy AF Spaghetti and Meatballs post that I’m not perfect. Shocking, I know. I really exude competency and prowess in all things I do. Maybe we can blame the wine this time? Bota Box still hasn’t reached out regarding that sponsorship and Black Box customer service claims they have a C&D in the mail, certified with return receipt.

There are times things just don’t happen in the kitchen. We work, we’re tired, the kids are wild, the dog is eating something off the floor, and there is a new Marvel show that really needs watching. I had a bad kitchen night yesterday. Things just didn’t work out between us, and I’m leaving the stove for the griddle tomorrow.

Even with cold fries and unmelted cheese on my pitifully untoasted hoagie roll, this French dip beef and gravy was good. The soy and Worcestershire marry and work their flavor all the way through the chuck. I pulled that sandwich apart and soaked it in gravy after taking that very sad school cafeteria looking picture. Better luck next time!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 2-3 inch chunks.
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp each of S&P
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 8 oz mushroom, sliced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup beef broth
• Pinch of dried herbs, such as rosemary or thyme.
• Butter
• Sandwich rolls or a hunk of baguette

Put your instant pot on sauté and heat the avocado oil. Use the S&P on your chuck chunks and brown all sides. Add your onion and mushrooms without caring about crowding the pan, because you’re really just done with this whole kitchen experience even though we just started. We should have ordered pizza.

Add the Worcestershire/soy sauces, the garlic, the broth, and your chosen herbs. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. By the time your pot comes to pressure, you’ll have already cooked your fries.

Shred the cooked beef with two forks and pile it on your sandwich, but be better than I am about those finishing touches. Butter and toast that bun and melt the cheese under the broiler. Serve your sandwich with a cute little cup of gravy to dip with. Or, lose your mind like me and ladle it over the sandwich and attack with a fork. Your choice.

– Lin

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Quick Pressure Cooker Stew

For when you’re too tired to consider that whole chicken and rice.

Ingredients:
Chuck roast, one that you let them substitute at Walmart pickup for the most expensive organic roast available. Clean it up and cube it.
Baby carrots, several handfuls chop them into little rounds
Small onion, diced
3 potatoes, peeled and diced up
A splash of Black Box Cab, it was on sale
S & P
Italian seasoning, just shake some in there, you’re going to taste it later.
Paprika, just a shake
Cayenne, you’ll try for one little shake and end up too spicy. You’ll survive and it will be divine.
2 cups water
2 cubes chicken bouillon

Salt and pepper your beef and brown it up in a bit of oil on sauté and remove when browned. Toss in your onions and let them soften up. Pour in a splash of your Black Box Cab to deglaze and pull the fond off the bottom of the pot. Add everything else and stir it up. TASTE the broth and see if it needs more s&p or Italian seasoning. 30 minutes on high.

Still not sponsored by Black Box Wines or Bota Box

I really need to take pictures before the Biggin and the Puppy eat.