Leftover Roast Beef Pittas With Horseradish

Thinly sliced pink roast beef served in soft pittas with horseradish sauce, Swiss cheese and honey & mustard dressing salad. A great way to use up leftovers!

One of my favourite ways to serve leftover roast beef is in sandwiches with creamy horseradish sauce and slices of sweet, nutty Swiss cheese. Instead of a classic burger bun or sliced crusty bread, I’ve gone with soft pittas which work exceptionally well with the thin slices of cold roast beef. Plus some homemade horseradish sauce with just the right amount of kick and a generous amount of crunchy salad leaves, dressed in a simple honey mustard dressing.

This is one of those recipes that’s incredibly simple but just works. The combination of flavours and textures make a sandwich that’s hard to beat. It’s a great way to use up leftover roast beef from a Sunday roast and as the meat’s already cooked, the pitta sandwiches take very little time to prepare. I used a batch of homemade pitta for mine but shop bought will work too!

If you’re looking for more lunch inspiration, take a look at our ever growing collection of lunch recipes. There’s something for everyone here, from vibrant salads, to next level sandwiches & homemade scotch eggs.

Pitta Sandwich Components

Normally I’d reheat slices leftover roast beef in gravy then serve in buns. With this sandwich though, I’ve kept the beef cold, sliced it as thin as possible then served inside a soft homemade pitta with horseradish, Swiss cheese and salad. There’s something special about a cold roast beef sandwich and using pittas instead of buns works surprisingly well.

Pittas

Both homemade and shop bought pittas will work for these sandwiches, so it’s up to you which type you use! If you’d like to make your own pittas, I’ve got recipes for sourdough pittas and regular ones too.

If you’re using shop bought pittas, it’s best to lightly toast them before using, just to warm them through. However if you’ve made your own, you won’t need to toast them, just use them whilst they’re still warm!

Roast Beef

Any cut of roast beef will work for sandwiches, so use whatever you’ve cooked for your Sunday lunch! Although I’d go with a leaner cut of beef where possible, unless you’re fine with eating cold fat! Or trim the fat off as you slice it. As we’re serving the roast beef cold, it’s best that it’s cooked pink and sliced as thin as possible.

Horseradish Sauce

Roast beef and horseradish sauce is a classic combination, so it makes sense to use it for this batch of sandwiches. I make mine by mixing jarred horseradish sauce with creme fraiche, Dijon mustard and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Plus some salt and pepper, of course. This sauce is best made a few hours before you plan to use it, so the flavours have time to develop in the fridge.

Swiss Cheese

Any good quality sliced Swiss cheese will work for these sandwiches. I used Emmental slices for convenience but you could slice your own from a block of cheese instead.

Honey & Mustard Salad

As the roast beef is served cold, we can add freshly dressed salad into our sandwiches without worrying about the heat wilting it! For this recipe, we’re whipping up a really simple honey and mustard salad dressing then using it to dress some mixed salad leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Sandwiches To Try

• Leftover Roast Beef Sandwiches
• Crispy Prosciutto Club Sandwiches
• 3 Meat, Pesto & Burrata Focaccia Sandwich
• Gravy Dipped Roast Beef Sliders
• Smoked Lamb Shawarma & Za’atar Halloumi Sandwich
• Fried Chicken Katsu Sandwich (Katsu Sando)

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