French Dip Sandwich is a restaurant lunch classic but is easier than easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients. You can use sliced roast beef from your local deli or use leftovers from roast beef you prepared yourself. Only 15 minutes stand between you and your delicious meal!
Serve with our delicious and refreshing Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Thinly sliced roast beef, piled inside a buttery roll and topped with melty cheese, then dipped into a savoury beef broth, this is what French Dip sandwich is all about.
While I usually avoid sandwiches for lunch I break my rule for hot sandwiches. And when it comes to hot sandwiches, French Dip is at the top of my list. It’s got absolutely everything I love.
Juicy roast beef slices, melted cheese and a flavourful dip. The latter is what makes this sandwich in my humble opinion.
How French is French Dip Sandwich?
Not at all! This delicious sandwich is an all American invention. The legend says it got its name because the sandwich was served in a French-style bread aka baguette.
It was invented in LA and you can tell the sandwich is very popular by the fact that two separate restaurants claim to be the creator of it.
Now that we’ve got the origin story out of the way, let’s talk about how to make it, so the taste lives up to its fame.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Even though this sandwich was originally served in a baguette, I love using long brioche buns for mine. Soft and buttery, they provide a perfect vessel for the juicy roast beef slices and melted cheese.
- Speaking of cheese, the choice of it is entirely up to you. I love using French Comte as a little nod to the name of this sandwich. It’s sharp, incredibly flavourful and melts well!
- Finally, the dip or “jus” as the French would say. If you are using leftover beef roast and gravy, simply dilute the gravy with a little bit of water or beef broth. Very simple and incredibly delicious as you are using the beef juices from roasting where all flavour is concentrated.
- However, if you are using store bought sliced roast beef, you will need to prepare the dip from scratch.
- To get the most flavour into your dip, use either store-bought canned consomme or concentrated gravy pots. I prefer the ones made by Knorr.
Serving Suggestions:
Traditionally you’d be offered other soup or salad to go alongside your sandwich in a restaurant. While I think both are great options, I personally prefer a salad as this sandwich is quite filling.
In the summer when vegetables are abundant this Tomato Salad with Herbs is a great choice. While autumn and winter demand a more seasonal salad like this Rainbow Slaw made with cabbage, carrots, apples, beets and more!
Favourite Hot Sandwich Recipes:
- Classic Croque Monsieur
- Best Ham and Cheese Toastie
- Hot Cheesy Salmon Sandwich
- Classic Croque Madame
French Dip Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 long brioche rolls
- 2 tbsp butter
- 16 sliced roast beef
- 120g/1 cup Comte cheese grated or any cheese you love
For the dip
- 1 concentrated beef gravy pot by Knorr or 250ml/1 cup canned beef consomme
- 250ml/1 cup water
- 2 tbsp sherry or dry red wine optional
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the concentrated beef gravy pot with water and bring to a boil, lower then heat and and pour the sherry if using, let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with pepper. Keep warm.
- Set the oven in the broiler/grill mode. Cut the brioche rolls in half and spread the butter on the inside of the rolls. Arrange 4 slices of thinly sliced roast beef on each roll, the slices should overlap. Sprinkle with grated cheese and transfer to a baking sheet. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with the warm dip.
