Good Eating Tuesday: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

 I've been trying some recipes here and there, but either they weren't noteworthy enough to post or total fails.
But yesterday, I found a winner! Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches!
We found them yummy and the broth is good enough to make something else with, like soup!
What we didn't eat in sandwiches the first night, I'm mixing in with pesto pasta topped with provolone cheese for dinner!
Photos are my own and look nearly exactly like the ones with the Pinterest recipe.
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup wine, but I substituted 1/4 cup wine vinegar plus 1/4 cup cranberry-apple juice we have on hand. You may also just use apple juice as a replacement. To taste the broth, you wouldn't know I even used fruit juice.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup white wine or juice substitutes
3 to 5 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used a pack of 3)
4 cups of low salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt 
pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 sprig fresh Thyme herb 

For Sandwiches:
Soft Deli rolls
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt
fresh chopped parsley
sliced Provolone cheese

Directions:
In skillet, saute onions in olive oil over medium high heat. Once onions begin to soften add wine and let reduce by half, then transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. 
Arrange chicken breasts on top of onions, then top with broth, seasonings and with sprig of Thyme.
(You could substitute about 1/8 teaspoon of ground Thyme for fresh.)
Cook on Low 4 to 5 hours.
 (With just 3 chicken breasts, mine was done in 3 1/2)

Once cooked, remove breasts from cooker and set aside to shred with two forks.

(I also removed the onions and mixed them in the chicken as well)

Poor broth through a strainer to remove solids and serve as au jus in bowls with sandwiches for dipping.

(photo is my chicken in the slow cooker prior to cooking)

Sandwich Prep:
Combine melted butter, salt & garlic butter. Brush on rolls and toast under broiler till lightly browned. (Since I was only doing two, I toasted mine in my iron skillet.)
Heap chicken onto rolls.
Cut Provolone cheese slices in half and arrange on chicken, then either return to broiler briefly to melt cheese.
(I just used the microwave for 15 seconds for each sandwich)
Sprinkle sandwiches with fresh Parsley and serve with the au jus.
(The Parsley just adds a little pretty color to the sandwiches and gives them a touch of fancy.)