Corned Beef Sandwich

Build the Best Bite
Quick Steps, Big Deli Energy
Keep It Crisp for Later
St. Patrick’s Day Leftover Heroes

This Corned Beef Sandwich brings deli-style flavor home in just 15 minutes. Loaded with warm corned beef, melty Swiss, crunchy slaw, and a swipe of dressing for classic deli flavor in every bite without the fuss.

Flavor: Every bite has warm corned beef, creamy Swiss, crisp slaw, and just the right kick from the dressing and mustard.
Swaps: Swap the rye bread for sourdough or pumpernickel, and replace the Swiss cheese with provolone or white cheddar in a pinch.
Serving Suggestions: I like to serve it warm with extra pickles on the side and a handful of chips or fries for an easy deli-style meal at home.

Labeled ingredients to make a corned beef sandwich on a cutting board.

Build the Best Bite

Bread: I love rye for this sandwich, but sourdough or pumpernickel is another great option.
Corned Beef: This sandwich starts with cooked corned beef. Leftover, deli-style, or store-bought corned beef all work well. While it’s optional, I like to warm the corned beef (especially if the slices are thick).
Cheese: If you are heating the corned beef first, top it with the Swiss cheese so it gets slightly melty. Try sliced provolone, mozzarella, American slices, or white cheddar.
Dressing: Thousand Island dressing with a bit of Dijon mustard adds a creamy tang to this sandwich. Check the recipe notes for a super-fast and less-sweet Thousand Island sauce.
Toppings: Buy or make homemade coleslaw. Dill or sweet pickle chips are the perfect topper for corned beef sandwiches and provide another layer of crunch.
Variations: Make it a melt by heating it in a skillet until the cheese softens, and butter the outside of the bread for a golden, grilled finish. Top with thin sliced onions, caraway seeds, or add a little horseradish to the dressing.

a corned beef sandwich in the process of being made, with pickles, cheese, dressing on rye bread, coleslaw, and corned beef

closeup of an unfinished corned beef sandwich being made on a cutting board

Quick Steps, Big Deli Energy

Heat the corned beef (optional).
Toast the bread, spread both sides with Dijon.
Layer cheese, then corned beef, then slaw (full recipe below) and serve.

For tender meat: Warm corned beef in short bursts or low heat so it doesn’t dry out.
For crisp bread: Pat or drain coleslaw before adding it, especially with creamy slaw. Put Swiss directly on the mustard side, so it helps protect the bread from going soft.
For melty finish: Assemble and heat the sandwich in a nonstick skillet on medium-low, covered, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Keep it together: Keep dressing on the top bread slice, not both sides, for better structure and less sliding.
Scaling tip: Set up an assembly line and toast all bread at once for easy doubling or tripling.

Keep It Crisp for Later

Enjoy right away: These sandwiches are best enjoyed right after they’re assembled, while the bread is still crisp.
Store separately: For the best texture, store the corned beef, slaw, cheese, and bread separately in the fridge and assemble just before serving.
How long will it keep? Cooked corned beef will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Prepared coleslaw should be tightly covered and used within 5 days. Extra cooked corned beef can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Warm the corned beef gently in a skillet with a splash of water or microwave briefly while covered, and toast fresh bread before serving.

St. Patrick’s Day Leftover Heroes

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Heat the corned beef in the microwave or a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until warm. This is optional.
Lightly toast bread. Spread half of the slices with dijon mustard.
Layer with Swiss cheese, corned beef, coleslaw, and dill pickle slices.
Spread thousand island dressing on the remaining slices.
Top sandwiches and serve with a pickle.

Corned Beef: This can be made with leftover corned beef or sliced corned beef from the deli. Corned beef can be sliced or pulled. Homemade Thousand Island spread: Combine ¼ cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon each of ketchup and sweet pickle relish, 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon onion powder. Leftovers: sandwiches are best consumed right away. Leftover beef will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The coleslaw will keep for 3 days, and the beef will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Beef, Lunch, Sandwich, Snack

Cuisine American

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