This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Slathered with herbed cream cheese, piled high with medium-rare (homemade) roast beef and finished off with horseradish, our French Dip Sliders are a salty, juicy perfectly compact sandwich.
French Dip Sliders
There is truly nothing in the food world I love more than a French Dip Sandwich. During each of my three pregnancies I think I single handedly consumed no less than one a week and while some people lose that craving once the baby enters the world, I did not. If it’s on a menu, I will order.
However. I’m fussy about it. Simple deli roast beef sandwich meat won’t do so when I was developing the recipe for these French Dip Sliders, I knew we needed to make our own roast beef. And turns out, it’s pretty darn easy AND can be made days in advance.
Using homemade roast beef, an easy herbed cream cheese (please also slather this on turkey sandwiches, bagels and anything and everything) and an easy horseradish sour cream make our French Dip Sliders better than the rest. Let’s get started!
Ingredients you need for homemade roast beef
Making homemade roast beef is so simple, I promise. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 lbs eye of round roast. This should be pretty easy to find but ask your butcher if in doubt. It’s a really lean cut of beef so we need to make sure to cook it with care.
- Olive oil.
- Spices. Use can use whatever you want but I used a combination of rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
Let’s make homemade roast beef
Let the beef rest. Pull the beef out of the fridge while you preheat the oven. It’s best when it’s at room temperature before it cooks.
Make the spice blend. Add all the spices and salt together in a small bowl.
Rub. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Brush with olive oil. Use your hands to press the spice blend on to all sides of the beef.
Cook. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and cook another 10-15 minutes until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees (for medium rare). Pull the beef out from the oven and let it rest for at least 25 minutes.
Slice. When the beef has cooled, pour any juice that’s accumulated into a little bowl. Slice the beef into desired thickness. For French Dip Sliders, I like to slice the meat paper thin.
Everything you’ll need for French Dip Sliders
Cream cheese. French dip sandwiches don’t always have cheese on them however, I LOVE putting a garlickly cream cheese on ours. Feel free to use low-fat cream cheese.
Herbs. Use whatever herbs you have on hand. We use green onion, basil, parsley, and thyme.
Garlic. Can’t have a garlic herbed cream cheese without garlic. Two cloves.
Rolls. Any slider will work here! I’ve use hawaiian roll sliders and heartier French rolls. Either work! It also depends on how messy you want to be. The softer the roll, the easier to bite down but the messier. The harder the roll, the more they stay together. I like messy.
Sour cream. Use light sour cream, you won’t be able to tell the difference.
Horseradish. I am a HUGE fan of horseradish. Use your favorite!
Make the sandwiches!
Make the herbed cream cheese. Add the softened cream cheese, scallion, thyme, basil, parsley, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to a small bowl, mix to combine.
Assemble. Once your beef is sliced, start making your sandwiches:
- Grease a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the rolls on the baking sheet.
- Spread cream cheese on the bottom of each rolls
- Top with beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cream cheese is melty and the beef is warm.
Make the horseradish and au jus. While the sandwiches cook, add the sour cream, horseradish, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
For the jus, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a very small saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 clove of garlic. When the garlic has softened, add the reserved juice from the beef and the beef broth. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Finish assembling. When the sandwiches come out of the oven, top with horseradish sauce. Serve with jus.
Can I make French Dip Sliders in Advance?
Yes! You can make the beef up to three days in advance. I’d wait to slice the beef until assembly. Also, make the cream cheese, the jus and the sour cream sauce up to three days in advance as well. You can assemble the sandwiches through the beef and cream cheese the day before.
Can I freeze French Dip Sliders?
Cream cheese doesn’t freeze well, but you can freeze the beef.
S
Tips and Substitutions
- Do NOT overcook the beef! It is important for roast beef to be rare to medium rare. Keep in mine the beef will warm up again in the oven.
- If you don’t want to roast your own beef, you can of course buy good quality store-bought roast beef.
- Skip making your own herbed cream cheese and use boursin instead
- Use a VERY sharp knife to slice your beef.
Other slider recipes we love
French Dip Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 lb eye of round roast1 tbsp evoo 2 tsp salt1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp onion powder1 tsp rosemary 3/4 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp black pepper 3/4 tsp sugar 8oz cream cheese2 garlic cloves1/4 tsp saltThyme3 green onions2 tbsp chopped basil 2 tbsp chopped parsley 16 oz light sour cream 1 tbsp horseradish 1/2 tsp salt Black pepper
- 2 lb eye of round roast
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp each dried rosemary, onion powder, and sugar
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 8 oz softened light cream cheese
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 18 small slider rolls
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 3 green onions, sliced thin
- 16 oz light sour cream
- 1 tbsp horseradish (or more if you like it stronger)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium garlic clov
- 1/2 cup beef stock
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 meat thermometer
Instructions
- 30 minutes prior to cooking, remove the beef from the fridge to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven too 500 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Brush with one tablespoon olive oil. In a small bowl mix 2 teaspoons salt, the dried rosemary, onion powder, sugar, thyme and black pepper together. Sprinkle all over the beef on all sides using your hands to press it on to the surface.
- Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until it's beginning to get crusty and brown. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook another 10-15 minutes until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees (for medium rare). Pull the beef out from the oven and let it rest for at least 25 minutes.
- While the beef rests, make the cream cheese and horseradish sauce. Add the softened cream cheese, scallion, basil, parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to a small bowl, mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the sour cream, horseradish, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to a small bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- When the beef has cooled, pour any juice that’s accumulated on the pan into a little bowl. Use a VERY sharp chef's or carving knife to slice the beef into desired thickness. For French Dip Sliders, I like to slice the meat as paper thin as possible.
- To assemble. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each roll on the baking sheet. Spread a little bit of cream cheese on the bottom of each roll. Top with a few slices of beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with a top roll.
- Place in sliders the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cream cheese is melty, the beef is warm and the top roll is slightly toasted.
- When the sandwiches come out of the oven, top with horseradish sauce.
- While the sandwiches warm in the oven, make the au jus. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a very small saucepan over a medium heat. Add 1 clove of garlic. When the garlic has softened, add the reserved juice from the beef and the beef broth. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When the sandwiches come out of the oven, top with horseradish sauce. Serve with jus.
Leave a Comment