Happy New Year! Roast Beef Au Jus With Swiss Cheese

Well, I've been away for awhile. A lot of changes in my life, good stuff, but they have kept me busy. I still love cooking and photography, I still love storytelling, so it's time to get back to all of it. What will you get here? Sometimes just recipes and the how to of it all, sometimes quips, sometimes memories, sometimes stories, sometimes the unexpected. It's how I roll.

So to kick off the new year we are going with an easy family favorite: Roast Beef Au Jus

• 1 lb. of Boar's Head London Broil, sliced as thin as you can get it
• 2-4 Crusty Rolls, Sub style
• 1 lb. Lacey Swiss Cheese (I used two slice per sandwich, you can definitely use more. I bought a pound, but then I'm making additional sandwiches for lunches this week.)
• Sea Salt
• Black Cracked Pepper
• Mayonnaise
• Extra Hot Horseradish, or just regular
• Sambal Olek: ground fresh chili paste
• 1-2 Packets Johnny's French Dip Au Jus, prepared according to directions (With just two of us, I usually make one packet, which provides for two sandwiches nicely. If you are preparing four sandwiches I would definitely make two packets.)

 Prepare the packet according to directions. Might I add here that there is a concentrate liquid version of this stuff that I am interested in trying, it sounds tasty, so that's on my least and I can't speak to it just yet.

Slice your rolls open, I leave a very small hinge to hold it together but otherwise cut them all the way through. Lightly toast these rolls under the broiler. Keep an eye on it, they will burn easily and quickly if you leave them in too long. Pull them out.

On one side of the toasted bread spread your desired amount of mayonnaise. On the other side spread your horseradish or the Sambal Olek. On the mayonnaise half generously layer your roast beef, add salt and pepper to taste if needed. On the other half lay your cheese across both sides so the cheese melts on the toast and on the roast beef when you put it under the broiler.

Place sandwiches back under the broiler until cheese is melted. In the interim ladle the hot au just into dipping dishes (you can use dessert bowls, regular bowls, square bowls, whatever it is that you have that is wide enough to accommodate the sandwiches.)

Serve your sandwiches while still hot. 

Serve with pickles, peppers, chips, avocado slices, or whatever else your family might like with this kind of a sandwich. Have plenty of napkins and dip away. Happy eating!