Corned Beef & Cabbage Slaw Sandwich Recipe

Prepare vegetables

In a large bowl combine shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot, sliced green onion, and chopped parsley. Toss briefly to combine.

Season vegetables

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over the vegetables and toss again. Let sit while you make the dressing for 5–10 minutes so flavors begin to meld.

Make dressing

In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional), 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust seasoning: add a pinch more sugar if you want it sweeter, or a few drops more vinegar if you want brighter acidity.

Dress the slaw

Add about 3/4 of the dressing (roughly 1/3 cup) to the shredded cabbage mixture and toss until evenly coated. Reserve the remaining dressing for spreading on the bread when assembling the sandwich. Taste slaw and adjust salt/pepper if needed.

Assemble open-faced layers

Lay out 4 slices of rye bread. Spread a thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of reserved Thousand Island dressing on each slice. Divide the sliced corned beef evenly across the 4 slices (about 3 oz per slice). Top the corned beef with an even layer of white cheddar slices (about 1 oz cheese per sandwich).

Add slaw and top slice

Divide the dressed coleslaw evenly among the 4 sandwiches, placing it on top of the cheese (or on the opposite half of the sandwich if you prefer the slaw to be between meat and bread). Close sandwiches with remaining rye slices.

Butter and grill

Lightly butter the outside faces of each sandwich with softened butter (about 1/2 tablespoon per sandwich, total 2 tablespoons). Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat until shimmering. Place sandwiches buttered-side down and grill 3–4 minutes until golden brown, then press gently with a spatula or weighted press. Flip and grill the other side 2–3 minutes until bread is golden and cheese is melted. If the cheese needs more melting, reduce heat to low, cover the pan for 1–2 minutes, then uncover.

Finish and serve

Remove sandwiches from pan and let rest 1 minute. Slice each sandwich in half on the diagonal. Serve each sandwich with pickle slices on the side and a light sprinkle of coarse ground black pepper if desired.