The dinner my family asks for every week—and the secret ingredient that makes it even better

This small tweak takes it from yum to best ever.

I love my slow cooker. I used it sporadically before I had children, but once my sons outgrew the infant stage, it became a trusted tool in my getting-dinner-on-the-table arsenal. Some days, it meant dinner would be cooking while I helped them with homework. On other days, it meant a hot meal was waiting for us when we got home from sports practices or games.

I especially love using the slow cooker for beef dishes—beef stew, beef barley soup, and beef roasts always turn out well when cooked low and slow. But there's one beef recipe that my sons ask me to make all the time, and it is easily in our family's top five favorite dinners of all time: Easy Slow Cooker French Dip. 

About 15 years ago, the second time I made it, I made one small tweak that took the sandwich from "yum!" to the best French dip sandwich I'd ever tasted.

The Secret Ingredient I Always Add to the Easy Slow Cooker French Dip Recipe

This recipe isn't making false promises by using the word "easy" in the title. It's a dump-and-go slow-cooker masterpiece with just four ingredients (five with my addition), plus the rolls and butter for serving.

Add a 4-pound rump roast (trimmed of excess fat) to the slow cooker, then pour a can of condensed French onion soup (I use Campbell's), a can of beef broth, and a bottle of beer over the roast. Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for about 7 hours. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is slicing the roast once it's done. A good, sharp knife makes the task easier.

The first time I made the French dip recipe, it was good, but I wanted the jus to have a deeper flavor. The next time I made it, I added 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce along with the soup, beef broth, and beer. That did the trick, and I've been adding soy sauce ever since. It ups the savory umami factor in the jus, which goes straight from the slow cooker to a bowl for dipping. Yum!

More Tips for the Best French Dip Sandwich Ever

Here are a few other things I've learned over the years while making this recipe: 

• Choose a dark beer. The recipe calls for a 12-ounce bottle of beer. I always use stout because it adds additional richness to the jus. I usually use Guinness.
• Use crusty rolls. The recipe calls for French rolls. I like to use Portuguese rolls when I can find them. Kaiser rolls work in a pinch, but soft burger buns won't hold up to the jus. 
• Add your favorite cheese. The recipe calls for buttered bread, but we like to add cheese. I prefer Swiss, while my son is partial to American—though, in my opinion, American gives the sandwich a cheesesteak vibe I don't always want.
• Freeze the leftovers. Store the beef in its jus in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it on the stovetop.

One final thing: My boys aren't the only family members who love it when I make this French dip recipe. Buddy, my border collie, enjoys a small drizzle of jus on his dry food. Each time I prepare this recipe, I let him have just a little (only once!) after I run it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any onion pieces. It's hard to beat this delicious meal when it makes the whole family happy—even Buddy.

Read the original article on Allrecipes