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French Dip Recipe

Name: Newton's Paradise Cafes French Dip Recipe
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 pieces hoagie buns (6–8 inch); 10 oz thinly sliced roast beef; 2 slices Swiss cheese slices; 2 tbs unsalted butter; 0.25 cups thinly sliced onion (optional); 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 0.5 cups mayonnaise; 2 tsp prepared horseradish; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 0.5 tsp lemon juice; 0.5 tsp garlic (minced); 0.25 tsp salt; 0.125 tsp black pepper; 2 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred); 0.25 cups dry red wine or additional beef broth; 1 tsp beef base or concentrated stock (optional); 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp shallot or small onion (finely chopped); 1 clove garlic (crushed); 1 tsp unsalted butter; 0.5 tsp fresh thyme or dried thyme; 0.125 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp cornstarch (optional, for slight thickening); 1 tsp cold water (for slurry, optional)

Inspired by Newton's Paradise Cafe

Time25m

Serves2

Roast beef, Swiss cheese, and horseradish aioli served on a hoagie bun with au jus for dipping.

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Ingredients

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Sandwich

2 pieces hoagie buns (6–8 inch)

10 oz thinly sliced roast beef

2 slices Swiss cheese slices

2 tbs Unsalted butter

1/4 cups thinly sliced onion (optional)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Horseradish Aioli

1/2 cups Mayonnaise

2 tsp prepared horseradish

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp ReaLemon lemon juice

1/2 tsp Garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Au Jus (dipping sauce)

2 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)

1/4 cups dry red wine or additional beef broth

1 tsp beef base or concentrated stock (optional)

1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp shallot or small onion (finely chopped)

1 clove garlic (crushed)

1 tsp Unsalted butter

1/2 tsp fresh thyme or dried thyme

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional, for slight thickening)

1 tsp cold water (for slurry, optional)

Method

Horseradish Aioli

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp prepared horseradish, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir until smooth and taste; adjust horseradish or salt as desired. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest so flavors meld.

Au Jus (dipping sauce)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter. Add 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot (or small onion) and 1 crushed garlic clove; sauté until softened and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes — do not brown.

Add 2 cups beef broth and 1/4 cup dry red wine (or additional broth) to the pan. Stir in 1 tsp beef base (if using), 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp thyme, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and let reduce for 6–8 minutes to concentrate flavor.

If you prefer a slightly thicker jus, whisk 1/2 tsp cornstarch with 1 tsp cold water to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the simmering jus and cook 1 more minute until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning; keep warm on the lowest heat setting or transfer to a small serving bowl.

Sandwich Assembly and Cooking

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) if you want to warm the buns and melt the cheese in the oven. Alternatively, use a skillet or broiler for quicker finish.

Lightly split the hoagie buns but keep them hinged. Spread about 1 tbsp of the prepared horseradish aioli evenly across the inside of each bun (about 1/2 tbsp per bun half). Reserve remaining aioli for serving.

Layer 5 oz (half the roast beef) on the bottom half of each bun (split the meat evenly between two buns). Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper (about 1/8–1/4 tsp across both sandwiches) over the beef. If using, distribute the thinly sliced onion evenly over the beef.

Top the beef with one slice of Swiss cheese per sandwich. Dot the top of each bun with small pieces of the remaining 2 tbs butter (or brush the outsides with melted butter) to promote browning.

Place the assembled sandwiches on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven 6–8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and buns are toasted. For a skillet, heat over medium, place sandwiches cheese-side up on a lid or under a pan cover to encourage melting, about 3–4 minutes; flip and toast outsides if desired. For broiler, broil 1–2 minutes watching closely.

Remove sandwiches from the oven/skillet and let rest 1 minute. Cut each sandwich in half if serving two.

Serve the hot sandwiches immediately with the warm au jus in small bowls for dipping and the remaining horseradish aioli on the side. To eat traditional French dip style, dip sandwich pieces into the au jus as you go.