Description
A crispy, golden grilled cheese loaded with tender roast beef and melted provolone, served with a rich homemade au jus for dipping. Hearty, crowd-pleasing, and ready in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Roast Beef
- 1½–2 lbs thinly sliced roast beef (deli-style or leftover homemade roast)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1–2 tsp garlic powder or onion powder (optional)
Bread & Cheese
- 4–6 sandwich rolls (French rolls, hoagie rolls, or baguette slices)
- 6–8 slices provolone cheese (or Swiss cheese)
Au Jus (Dipping Sauce)
- 4 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1–2 tsp soy sauce (optional — adds deeper color and umami)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Butter for Grilling
- 2–3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- Pinch of garlic powder or dried herbs like parsley or thyme (optional)
Instructions
Add beef broth, sliced onion, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (if using), and bay leaf to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then drop to low. Simmer for 10–15 minutes to let the flavors build. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Strain out the onions if you want a clearer jus.
Split the rolls lengthwise — don’t cut all the way through. Spread softened butter on the outside of each roll (top and bottom). Mix in garlic powder or dried herbs for extra flavor if you like. Season the roast beef with a little salt and pepper if needed. Pile the beef generously onto the bottom halves. Top with 1–2 slices of cheese, then close the rolls.
Heat your skillet or griddle over medium heat — no extra oil needed. Place sandwiches butter-side down. Grill 3–4 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden and sizzling. Flip and grill another 2–3 minutes until the other side is golden and the cheese is fully melted.
Plate the sandwiches and slice in half if you’d like. Ladle warm au jus into small bowls — one per person. Serve right away while everything is hot and melty. Dip, bite, enjoy.
Notes
- Stick to medium heat. High heat burns the bread before the cheese melts. Medium is the sweet spot.
- Press gently, don’t smash. A light press keeps things even. Too much force squeezes the filling out.
- Warm your dipping bowls. Pour hot water into the bowls for a minute before adding the au jus. Keeps it hot longer.
- Start with the au jus. It needs 10–15 minutes to develop flavor — get it going first.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Grill 2–3 sandwiches at a time. Too many drops the heat and makes the bread soggy
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1,180 mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 95mg