French Dip-Style Sandwiches
These indulgent, slimming friendly French Dip-Style Sandwiches are a great meal whether you're counting calories or following Weight Watchers!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories503
- Carbs41g
- Protein42g
- Fat17g
- Saturates5.8g
- Sugars15g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
These indulgent, slimming friendly French Dip-Style Sandwiches are a great meal if you’re counting calories or following a plan like Weight Watchers.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of a French Dip Sandwich before, it’s a warm, glorious mess of pulled beef, usually with melted cheese, in a sub roll. It’s served with a pot of the meat juices which you dip the sandwich into.
This has been a popular American dish for decades but, like most American dishes, it’s quite heavy on the fat and calories. We love French Dip-Style Sandwiches so much, however, that we knew we had to create a slimming friendly version!
We’ve used lean brisket with any visible fat trimmed off, but as you cook this recipe in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, most cuts of beef will work well!
What diets are these French Dip-Style Sandwiches suitable for?
This French Dip-Style Sandwiches recipe can be made dairy free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for dairy free versions;
- Reduced fat cheddar
It can also be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free alternatives;
- Beef stock cube
- Worcestershire sauce
(The Schar Ciabatta Rolls are gluten free already, so you won’t need to replace these.)
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make French Dip-Style Sandwiches?
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The most important tool to make these French Dip-Style Sandwiches is either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. The meat needs to be tender and falling apart once cooked, and both of these kitchen tools can achieve that.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker or are looking to upgrade, why not invest on a multi cooker?
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‘Felt so naughty & indulgent! Love the gravy dip for the sandwich and the chips. ☺️’
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The beauty of a multi cooker like the Instant Pot is that you can use it for slow cooking as well as pressure cooking! In our opinion it is far superior to the other electric pressure cookers around and you can read our review and find out more about the Instant Pot here.
You can purchase an Instant Pot on Amazon here.
To make the gravy for these French Dip-Style Sandwiches you will also need a Hand Blender. The one we used for this recipe is available on Amazon. This is a great choice because the hand blender attachment is metal which doesn’t stain and can be used in hot liquids.
How many calories are in these French Dip-Style Sandwiches?
There are 503 calories per portion in this French Dip-Style Sandwiches, which means it falls into our Special Occasion category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment.
These French Dip-Style Sandwiches are perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fit well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Instant Pot/pressure cooker instructions
Step 1
Add the beef, onions, garlic, onion granules, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, diet coke, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder to the Instant Pot.
Step 2
Lock the lid onto the pot, make sure the release valve is turned to the ‘sealed’ position and press ‘Pressure Cook’. The pressure should be set to normal and you will need to set the time to 50 minutes.
Step 3
When the Instant Pot beeps that is is finished, move the release valve to quick release (watch your face and hands, there will be hot steam!). In this time cut your rolls in half and grate the cheese ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Step 4
When the pressure is fully released take the lid off the pot and carefully remove the pieces of beef. Place them into a separate bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Place some foil over it to keep it warm.
Step 5
Take your hand blender and whizz up the onions and liquid left in the Instant Pot. If you like your gravy thicker you can switch your Instant Pot to ‘Saute’ and reduce it down further.
Step 6
Now you are ready to assemble the sandwiches. Divide the the beef and cheese between the four rolls. You can put the rolls under a hot grill for a minute to melt the cheese if you want – just make sure not to burn the bread!
Step 7
Pour the gravy into ramekins and serve with the warm sandwiches.
Slow cooker instructions
Step 1
Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and set on a medium heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides.
Step 2
Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Now add the sliced onions with a little water and soften them over a low heat for a few minutes.
Step 3
Add the onions, beef, garlic, onion granules, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, diet coke, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder to the slow cooker.
Step 4
Set the slow cooker to high and place the lid on. Cook for around 6 hours.
Step 5
When the slow cooking is completed carefully remove the pieces of beef. Place them into a separate bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Place some foil over it to keep it warm.
Step 6
Take your hand blender and whizz up the onions and liquid left in the slow cooker. If you like your gravy thicker you can reduce the liquid further in a saucepan on the hob.
Step 7
Now you are ready to assemble the sandwiches. Divide the the beef and cheese between the four rolls. You can put the rolls under a hot grill for a minute to melt the cheese if you want – just make sure not to burn the bread!
Step 8
Pour the gravy into ramekins and serve with the warm sandwiches.
What could I serve with this French Dip-Style Sandwiches?
These French Dip-Style Sandwiches are a great lunch dish on their own and also work perfectly with any of the following accompaniments:
How do you know when these French Dip-Style Sandwiches are cooked?
You should cook these French Dip-Style Sandwiches for 50 minutes in the pressure cooker or 6 hours on high in the slow cooker. The meat should be soft enough to shred with forks.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
Can you cook these French Dip-Style Sandwiches any other way?
Yes you can!
We’ve used the pressure cooker function on the Instant Pot for this recipe which takes around 50 minutes to cook.
You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker which will take around 6 hours on a high setting.
How long can you keep French Dip-Style Sandwiches in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of French Dip-Style Sandwiches in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze these French Dip-Style Sandwiches?
Yes you can! The beef and gravy for this recipe can be frozen separately ready to use in sandwiches at a later date, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
- Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat these French Dip-Style Sandwiches?
From chilled: Place the beef and gravy in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and then heat the beef and gravy covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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French Dip-Style Sandwiches
These indulgent, slimming friendly French Dip-Style Sandwiches are a great meal whether you're counting calories or following Weight Watchers!
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Prep Time
20 MINS
-
Cook Time
50 MINS
- KCals 503
- Carbs 41G
Instructions
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
- Add the beef, onions, garlic, onion granules, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, diet coke, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder to the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid onto the pot, make sure the release valve is turned to the 'sealed' position and press 'Pressure Cook'. The pressure should be set to normal and you will need to set the time to 50 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot beeps that is is finished, move the release valve to quick release (watch your face and hands, there will be hot steam!).
- When the pressure is fully released take the lid off the pot and carefully remove the pieces of beef. Place them into a separate bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Place some foil over it to keep it warm.
- Take your hand blender and whizz up the onions and liquid left in the Instant Pot. If you like your gravy thicker you can switch your Instant Pot to 'Saute' and reduce it down further.
- Now you are ready to assemble the sandwiches. Divide the the beef and cheese between the four rolls. You can put the rolls under a hot grill for a minute to melt the cheese if you want - just make sure not to burn the bread!
- Pour the gravy into ramekins and serve with the warm sandwiches.
Slow Cooker
- Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and set on a medium heat.Add the beef and brown on all sides.
- Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Now add the sliced onions with a little water and soften them over a low heat for a few minutes.
- Add the onions, beef, garlic, onion granules, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube, diet coke, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder to the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to high and place the lid on. Cook for around 6 hours.
- When the slow cooking is completed carefully remove the pieces of beef. Place them into a separate bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Place some foil over it to keep it warm.
- Take your hand blender and whizz up the onions and liquid left in the slow cooker. If you like your gravy thicker you can reduce the liquid further in a saucepan on the hob.
- Now you are ready to assemble the sandwiches. Divide the the beef and cheese between the four rolls. You can put the rolls under a hot grill for a minute to melt the cheese if you want - just make sure not to burn the bread!
- Pour the gravy into ramekins and serve with the warm sandwiches.
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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17 comments
See what others have to say
CraigSunday 21st March 2021
Made this last night and it was okay. 100ml balsamic vinegar seems too much as it completely dominated the taste. May try again with 10ml as I wonder if it’s a typo?
HollyWednesday 31st March 2021
Hey Craig, the value is correct as you have suggested you could reduce down the amount of balsamic vinegar to suit your taste, hope that helps!
anne parrWednesday 31st July 2019
Hi Where to I get Schar ciabatta rolls from? I don’t know if you can get from supermarkets….thank you.
Emma TWednesday 25th September 2019
Hi Anne,
Most large supermarket stock them – you can find them in the “free from” aisle ????
JeanetteSaturday 15th June 2019
Hi, just wondering if i freeze the extra and defrosted them later in the week would the gravy and beef be ok heated in the microwave?
Just wondered if i could take this for lunch for work i’ve got access to a microwave but no oven ????
Emma TThursday 20th June 2019
Hi Jeanette,
Yes, the meat and gravy is good to freeze, and then reheat in the microwave once defrosted. Perhaps bake and take the roll separately so it doesn’t get soggy!
Amanda KeoghSaturday 23rd March 2019
Hi. Is there any way I could do this in the oven please, as I don’t have a slow cooker or pressure cooker?
CateMonday 8th April 2019
Follow the slow cooker recipe, but when it calls for adding to the slow cooker, place all the ingredients in a lidded pot suitable for the oven. Cook in a preheated oven for 4 hours at 180c 🙂
Vivienne PenningtonMonday 4th March 2019
Hi sounds lovely, can I use just water for the dish. Me and Diet Coke don’t get on well.
SarahTuesday 13th November 2018
Is it really 100ml of balsamic vinegar???
GwenWednesday 7th November 2018
Can I substitute the diet coke for more stock as I have an intolerance to sweeteners?
GemmaMonday 5th November 2018
Hi
This sounds amazing but what would the best cut of meant be for this?
Thanks
JulieSunday 4th November 2018
Please could you advise what cut of beef works best
CateMonday 5th November 2018
Hi Julie,
For this recipe we used lean brisket with any visible fat trimmed. That being said, as this recipe is slow or pressure cooked for a decent amount of time, most cuts of beef will work. You could use any roasting joint, topside, silverside, even braising steak – just make sure it is trimmed lean and the pieces aren’t too small or thin. You want to be able to pull it apart with a fork when it is done!
Hope that helps, thanks for getting in touch! 🙂
FranSunday 4th November 2018
When it says Beef – what type of beer joint would be the leanest please?
CateMonday 5th November 2018
Hi Fran,
For this recipe we used lean brisket with any visible fat trimmed. That being said, as this recipe is slow or pressure cooked for a decent amount of time, most cuts of beef will work. You could use any roasting joint, topside, silverside, even braising steak – just make sure it is trimmed lean and the pieces aren’t too small or thin. You want to be able to pull it apart with a fork when it is done!
Hope that helps! 🙂
JulieSaturday 3rd November 2018
Hi! This sounds amazing but how long do you put it in the slow cooker for?
Thanks!
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