Brisket Grilled Cheese – Grown Up Twist on a Classic

These hearty Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are the perfect way to enjoy the leftover brisket you smoked last weekend.

Dripping with gooey cheese and toasty, buttery bread – Grab the napkins and come hungry! These are going to blow you away! 

These are so simple to make that you may want to intentionally leave leftover brisket just for this recipe! Think “huge, hearty sandwiches that fill you up for hours!” This recipe is super flexible as well, so have fun with it! 

🍽️ Instructions

Step One: Slice the brisket into thin slices. Grate the cheese. We chose Fontina and a little bit of Gruyere this time. You can use what you want. Butter the bread. You will need 2-3 slices of brisket depending on how big it is and how thick you want your sandwich to be. 

PRO TIP: Try to buy blocks of cheese instead of shredded. Shredding your own cheese means that you are going to have cheese that is going to melt evenly and not be packed with unknown preservatives. 

Step Two: Heat the skillet to medium. You don’t want it too high as the bread will get too toasty too fast and then the cheese won’t melt. A big reason we shredded the cheese was to help it melt faster. I usually start with the cheese on the bottom slice of bread to help it melt so that when you flip it, the shredded cheese doesn’t fly all over the place. There is another PRO TIP for you! Just be patient and let the magic happen slowly. 

Step Three: When you are ready to start assembling the sandwich, make sure the bottom bread has butter on it, add on the shredded cheese and the sliced brisket. Top with another slice of buttered bread. Place the sandwich in the skillet and cover it with a lid to help the cheese melt faster. Flip the sandwich once the bottom has become golden grown and toast the second side. 

PRO TIP: Try to add just a dab of extra butter to the pan before you add the sandwich. This makes the sandwich very rich and gooey…think of those restaurants where you get a really great grilled cheese and you don’t know why…More butter is usually why. 

🍴Additions/Substitutions 

I love this section as you can make one recipe so many different ways by just mixing it up a bit! 

• The number one thing I like to add to this sandwich is caramelized onions. That might be a little bit of an overkill for some people, but I love the smooth caramelized flavor it brings. 
• Mix up the cheese. I would keep shredding it to help it melt more evenly. Look at the deli and see the smoked cheese, jalapeno cheese or the hot pepper cheese. Be adventurous and give something new a try.
• Saute thin slices of peppers to add to the sandwich. Add in some provolone and it becomes a Brisket Philly cheese grilled cheese. (Note to self: Make this one soon!) 
• Mix up the breads. We used sourdough this time but a chunky bread from the bakery in your favorite grocery store or even just a couple slices of wheat that you have leftover from the week will work great. 

You get the idea – put on your thinking cap and change this one up a bit. 

‼️ Related Brisket Recipes

Smoked Brisket Using the Wrapped Method – Start off by using your favorite brisket recipe or you can try out our foolproof tender brisket here. If you haven’t tried the “wrapped method”, you have to give it a whirl. The meat was so tender it fell apart on the fork! 

Guinness Brisket Baked Beans – These guys turned out to be my new favorite baked bean recipe of all time. I couldn’t stop eating them. Plus, they’re freezer friendly and defrost perfectly! Add these to a burger night, juicy ribs or even some grilled chicken! Either way, they are going to be gobbled up in no time. 

Brisket Chili in the Slow Cooker – This is another great recipe that spins a classic with something new by using the brisket instead of ground beef. Take this one to tailgates or make it for a meal prep for the week to come. The chili is very filling even without adding it over rice or chips. 

Brisket Nachos – Hello Taco Tuesday! This is a huge favorite in our house as we love nachos! Adding the shredded brisket to it took an old favorite and made it completely new for us. This one is made in the cast iron skillet in the oven in under 15 minutes!