There is no more perfect grilled cheese for St. Patrick’s Day than Corned Beef Grilled Cheese. A stack of salty corned beef, topped with sweet caramelized onions, and gooey melted cheese- Yum! This is perhaps the best way to eat corned beef. Can you disagree?

Corned Beef Grilled Cheese halves stacked on top of each other.

Type Of Bread To Use

I didn’t even mention the crispy pumpernickel bread.

What is it about pumpernickel bread that makes such a great hot sandwich? Note: Instead of pumpernickel bread, you can use marble rye or rye bread.

The onions are cooked in beer and flavored with a little Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and a few caraway seeds.

Grilled Cheese halves stacked on tp of each other with a pickle spear.

Type Of Corned Beef To Use

You can use either leftover corned beef that you’ve cooked yourself, or a deli-sliced corned beef. You’ll need about 1/2 a pound to make 4 sandwiches.

It reminds me a little of my all time favorite sandwich – the Reuben.

If you really wanted to go with the Irish theme, you could always add some sautéed cabbage to this Corned Beef Grilled Cheese.

Corned Beef Grilled Cheese cut in half.

Make Ahead

The onion/corned beef mixture can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container until needed and then warm in the microwave before forming the sandwiches.

Corned Beef Grilled Cheese

Never miss a recipe. Follow Spicy Southern Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich halves stacked up.

More Scrumptious Sandwich Recipes

Corned Beef Grilled Cheese

5 from 6 votes

By Christin Mahrlig

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Gooey melted cheese, caramelized onions cooked in beer, and salty corned beef make this the perfect St. Patrick’s Day grilled cheese.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 medium yellow onion,, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon caraway seeds,, optional
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup dark beer,, I used Samuel Adams Black Lager
  • 8 ounces deli-sliced corn beef,, cut into strips
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 2 cups shredded Jarlsberg or Fontina cheese
  • 8 slices marble rye bread or pumpernickel bread
  • butter for grilling sandwiches

Instructions 

  • Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and sprinkle with sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until soft and golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Add beer and continue cooking until liquid turns slightly syrupy, about 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Mix in the corned beef slices.
  • On 4 slices of bread, layer the cheese, and corned beef and onion mixture. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
  • On a griddle or large pan, melt some butter and grill the sandwiches until lightly browned and crispy on both sides and cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag us @spicysouthernkitchen on social media!

Recipe Source: adapted from Food Network

Originally posted March 5, 2015.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Related Recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. Victoria Kurian says:

    So Happy I came Across This Awesome Sandwich. I Will Be Making This On St. Pattys Day At My Bar & Grill In The UP Of Michigan. Will Be Using Amber Bock My favorite Dark. Will Have My Onions Aready Carmelized. Will use Swirl Rye & Real Swiss. Thank You So Much. Vicky

  2. Kim C says:

    What can be used in place of the beer?

    I hate beer… sorry to all you beer lovers out there.

  3. Thalia @ butter and brioche says:

    You’ve got me drooling here Christin.. this grilled cheese is epic!

  4. Karen says:

    Pinned this. I grew up eating corned beef and my husband is a new convert to it. Let’s see if I can get Mr. White Bread to eat pumpernickel (I love it). (my parents were from new york – they made the best Reuben’s ever. Man I miss their cooking.) Also? Thanks for putting the kind of beer you used. I hate it when I read a recipe that says “dark beer, light beer, yadda, yadda, yadda” and I’m left wondering – I’m not a beer person so I would have wandered the grocery store aisle asking strangers what a “dark beer” was. Appreciate it!

  5. Rustedrecipebox says:

    This looks so stinking good!! It makes me want to eat a second dinner right now. Acceptable??!

  6. Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says:

    Oh my goodness! This grilled cheese looks absolutely AMAZING! ๐Ÿ™‚ And beer cooked onions? YUM!

  7. Catherine says:

    What a mouth watering and delicious sandwich…I wish I had this for tomorrow. Pinning. xo, Catherine

    1. Christin Mahrlig says:

      Thank you Catherine! ๐Ÿ™‚ Have a great weekend.

  8. Jessica @ Stuck On Sweet says:

    This sandwich is amazing! Just showed my husband and his eyes popped out his head. Definitely making!

  9. Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats says:

    I love a good reuben so I imagine I’d eat this in a heartbeat!

  10. Kelly says:

    Wow! I can just imagine how full of flavor these are especially with all that melty cheese and onions! It looks incredible!