Roast Beef Cheddar and Pickle Sandwich

Roast Beef, Cheddar and Pickle Sandwich

This easy recipe for a roast beef, cheddar and pickle sandwich is a classic sandwich recipe that you may find as part of a typical English ploughman’s lunch.

This is a great way to use up any cold beef leftovers from a roast beef Sunday lunch, and a perfect sandwich for a lunchbox at work.

Leftover beef sandwich

There are several sandwiches you can make with leftover cold beef. There is of course the simple beef sandwich, with just butter and slices of beef.

Depending on your preferences, you may wish to complement this with some mustard or horseradish or just some salt and pepper.

But this beef, cheddar and pickle sandwich takes it one step further, being simply a combination of the classic cheese and pickle sandwich with some beef slices added. And believe me, it is a great combination.

Alternative sandwich ingredients

Of course, you do not have to use leftover beef for this sandwich. In fact, I used some Irish Angus topside slices, ready to eat, from Aldi for these photos.

But you could even use some corned beef (also known as bully beef or salt beef) from a tin if you wanted to. That also tastes good, and the British Army used to live on it.

I used some Irish Mature White Cheddar in this sandwich, which I sliced myself. But of course, any type of cheddar will do. There are so many varieties you could use.

You could even use some vintage Gouda if you prefer. The stronger the better I would say, but that is my personal opinion of course.

For the bread slices, I used some Golden Range Wholegrain from Pat the Baker, which is a tasty sliced Irish brown bread. But you can use whatever you fancy – white bread, baguette, sourdough. Probably the crustier the bread, the better.

Pickle vs chutney

And of course, no pickle sandwich is the same without some Branston Pickle. A very English ingredient, but one that is difficult to surpass.

But if you are looking for alternatives, you could try using a chutney instead, for a beef, cheese and chutney sandwich.

Pickle refers to the preservation of fruits, vegetables, or even meat in a solution of vinegar, salt, and spices. Pickles are typically tangy and savoury in flavour, often with a slightly acidic and briny taste.

Chutney, on the other hand, is a condiment with origins in the Indian subcontinent. It is typically made by grinding or blending a combination of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes vinegar or lime juice. Chutneys offer a balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours. 

Either way, both add some character and something else to your sandwich.

I hope you enjoy making one of these sandwiches and enjoy eating it as much as I do. Maybe you will try it with some hot roast beef instead!?

If you do try it, please let me know how you get on in the comments section below!

How to make a beef, cheese and pickle sandwich

Here are some other classic sandwich recipes:

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