Grilled Roast Beef Sandwiches with Provolone Cheese and Caramelized Onions

Obviously, my first full week back at work has put a damper on my daily posting schedule. And as you can see from my list at the left, I am woefully behind in sharing recipes with you. The whole family has been feeling a bit under the weather lately, passing a bunch of nastiness back and forth and back again, so that hasn't helped either. Hopefully once I get back in the swing of things and start feeling better I'll be able to post more regularly again.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is definitely not fancy. In fact, it's just a sandwich. But it's one of our favorite sandwiches, one that we eat all the time. Sometimes I neglect to post certain things because I think they're too simple, but I'm doing my best to change that. If it's delicious, no matter how simple it is, it deserves to be represented on this website. If it's something I make again and again, it should definitely be written about here -- and that's the case with this sandwich.

This sandwich is a little bit like a French dip, minus the fancy bread and au jus, and with the addition of caramelized onions. The onions make it a little bit more special than your average lunchmeat-and-cheese fare, but I have to admit that it's almost equally as good if you leave the onions off, make a batch of French onion soup, and use the sandwich for dipping. I've made these both ways countless times, and Joe never fails to rave about them. I have to admit that I really love them too, and they're a delicious, quick and easy dinner option during the week.

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Provolone Cheese and Caramelized Onions

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, plus more for bread
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package thin-sliced roast beef
8 slices provolone cheese
8 slices bread

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, prepare sandwiches. Butter four slices of bread and place butter-side down on a pre-heated griddle. Top each with 1 slice provolone cheese, a quarter of the meat, a quarter of the onions, and another slice of provolone cheese. Butter one side of remaining four slices of bread and use to top sandwiches. Cook until bread is golden brown and crispy and cheese is melted.