Italian Beef Sandwiches

These freezer-friendly Italian Beef Sandwiches will be an easy and hearty meal that everyone will love. Pile the juicy beef and veggies onto crusty rolls with melted cheese the day you cook it and no one will ever know you pulled this one out of your freezer for a delicious weeknight meal.

Everyone tends to think of pasta or casseroles when they think of freezer meals. This dish turns that myth on its head and proves that sandwiches can be a freezer meal too!

We love sharing unexpected recipes like this one inside our Freezer Meals 101 Club. In the Club, we share our 20+ years of experience making freezer meals with you so you don’t have to make the same mistakes we’ve made. Plus, we offer once-a-month LIVE cooking shows so you can gather your ingredients and build your freezer meals right along with us.

Italian Beef Sandwiches Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. beef chuck roast cut into 2” cubes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. rosemary
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 slices of provolone cheese

Day of Cooking:

• 6 crusty sub or sandwich rolls

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place 6 slices of Provolone cheese in a medium-sized freezer bag.
2. Remove the excess air and seal.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sub buns, to a large resealable freezer bag and squish around gently to combine.
4. Remove the excess air and seal.
5. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Separate the cheese bag from the large bag and add the contents of the large bag to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. Or cook in the Instant Pot for 35 minutes on high pressure and do a natural release.
4. Reserve the liquid.
5. Shred the meat.
6. Add it to the sub buns or sandwich rolls and top it with cheese.
7. Use the reserved liquid as a dipping sauce.

What to Serve with This Dish

To make a complete meal, you can serve these sandwiches with fresh coleslaw, oven baked fries, or potato wedges. Mac and cheese, corn on the cob, or a macaroni salad are also great options. For something lighter, just pair it with a side salad.

How to Store and Use Leftovers

Store any leftovers of the shredded beef mixture in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

You can use any leftovers to make shredded beef nachos, quesadillas, or Italian beef bowls (layer rice or mashed potatoes and the shredded beef with roasted veggies).

For more recipes like this one, check out our Make Ahead Beef Dip Recipe, Hot Roast Beef or Ham Sandwiches, or our Beef and Barley Stew.

Print

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

 

Course: Lunch

Servings: 6

Calories: 695 kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb. beef chuck roast cut into 2” cubes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2 green bell pepper sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. pepper
• ½ tsp. rosemary
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 cup beef broth
• 6 slices provolone cheese

Day of Cooking:

• 6 crusty sub or sandwich rolls

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place 6 slices of Provolone cheese in a medium sized freezer bag.
2. Remove the excess air and seal.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sub buns, to a large resealable freezer bag and squish around gently to combine.
4. Remove the excess air and seal.
5. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Separate the cheese bag from the large bag and add the contents of the large bag to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
3. Or cook in the instant pot for 35 minutes on high pressure and do a natural release.
4. Reserve the liquid.
5. Shred the meat.
6. Add it to the sub buns or sandwich rolls and top it with cheese.
7. Use the reserved liquid as a dipping sauce.