Football Friday: Italian Beef Sandwiches

The fine city of Chicago is known for their amazing deep dish pizza; their sports teams; and of course their Italian Beef Sandwiches. Residents of the Windy City will fiercely debate the merits of Portillo's verses Al's; the benefits of hot versus sweet (peppers) and cheese or no cheese. 

This past weekend, the Wisconsin Test Kitchen was craving Italian beef; but didn't want to make the drive to Chicago. So, we decided to try and make Italian beef at home instead. We found an easy crock pot recipe and fired it up while watching Jay Cutler and the Bears. Don't hate... the Packers had played on Thursday night, and fantasy football required us to quasi-root for Da Bears. Ugh. 

Italian Beef Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of: http://iowagirleats.com/2013/10/23/crock-pot-italian-beef-sandwiches/

Ingredients
3lb chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat and cut into large hunks
1 envelope Good Seasons Zesty Italian salad dressing mix
8oz pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice (plus extra for serving)
8oz Giardiniera (Chicago-Style Italian Sandwich Mix,) drained (plus extra for serving)
14.5oz can beef broth
provolone cheese slices
hoagie buns

Directions
Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 5.5 – 6 quart crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. 

Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up chuck roast pieces to get broth underneath.

 Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. 

Shred then place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.
Split buns in half then scoop the shredded meat mixture on top and add provolone cheese slices. Top with additional pepperoncini peppers and Giardiniera, if desired, then serve.

We served these sandwiches with some sweet potato fries, and these delicious green beans: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/the-best-green-beans-ever-recipe.html  We love The Pioneer Woman- her recipes are the best. 

All and all? This satisfied the Italian Beef craving we had. Now, time to satisfy the football prediction craving we're sure you have! 

Ravens vs. Steelers
Dad 1: Baltimore
Dad 2: Pittsburgh

Bears vs. 49ers
Dad 1: San Francisco
Dad 2: San Francisco

Cowboys vs. Titans
Dad 1: Tennessee
Dad 2: Tennessee

Bills vs. Dolphins
Dad 1: Buffalo
Dad 2: Miami

Redskins vs. Jaguars
Dad 1: Washington
Dad 2: Jacksonville

Giants vs. Cardinals
Dad 1: Arizona
Dad 2: Arizona

Vikings vs. Patriots
Dad 1: Minnesota
Dad 2: New England

Saints vs. Browns
Dad 1: New Orleans
Dad 2: New Orleans

Bengals vs. Falcons
Dad 1: Atlanta
Dad 2: Atlanta

Lions vs. Panthers
Dad 1: Carolina
Dad 2: Detroit

Buccaneers vs. Rams
Dad 1: Tampa Bay
Dad 2: Tampa Bay

Seahawks vs. Chargers
Dad 1: Seattle
Dad 2: Seattle

Raiders vs. Texans
Dad 1: Houston
Dad 2: Houston

Packers vs. Jets
Dad 1: Green Bay
Dad 2: Green Bay

Broncos vs. Chiefs
Dad 1: Denver
Dad 2: Denver

Eagles vs. Colts
Dad 1: Philly
Dad 2: Indy

At the end of Week One, so far Dad #1 is in the lead with 11 correct predictions, and Dad #2 is close behind with 7 points. 

May the odds be ever in your favor this weekend, Cool Dads!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew