Arby’s Beef and Cheddar

Arby’s Beef and Cheddar is a tasty sandwich with thinly sliced roast beef, cheddar cheese sauce, and red ranch sauce on a toasted onion roll. This classic Arby’s Beef ‘N Cheddar sandwich is great for lunch or dinner.

homemade Arby's beef and cheddar sandwiches.


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Arby’s Beef ‘N Cheddar Sandwich

There are famous roast beef sandwiches, and then there’s Arby’s Beef and Cheddar. Arby’s has been serving up melt-in-your-mouth tender roast beef sandwiches for decades, and one of the best-selling menu items is the Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sauce.

There is nothing else quite like it with the sandwich’s soft bun, thinly sliced roast beef, gooey cheddar cheese, and zesty Red Ranch sauce. This beef and cheddar sandwich comes with the Red Ranch sauce, and their creamy cheddar cheese sauce.

Give Arby’s classic Beef and Cheddar a try, and you’ll never settle for a plain old roasted beef sandwich from your local deli again.

What Makes this Copycat Arby’s Beef and Cheddar the Best

It’s the sauces, silly. There’s more to making this Beef ‘n Cheddar recipe than slapping a bit of roast beef between two slices of bread and calling it a day.

A Beef and Cheddar Arby’s style takes things to the next level by using not one but two homemade sauces. The sweet and tart flavor of the Red Ranch sauce (not the same as the original Arby’s sauce) and the creaminess of the cheddar cheese sauce complement each other perfectly.

Whatever you do, don’t cut corners by using a pre-made cheese sauce or a bottled BBQ sauce – it’s just not the same!

homemade Arby's beef and cheddar sandwich cut in half.

Let’s Talk About the Meat

You can’t serve a great roast beef sandwich with just your average meat. But that doesn’t mean you should go through the trouble of cooking a pot roast just to make this sandwich. In fact, don’t!

While your pot roast may be the talk of the neighborhood, what is most important for this sandwich are two things:

  1. The meat must be very rare.
  2. It has to be really, really thinly sliced.

Unless you happen to have a deli slicer at home, you are just not going to be able to cut your home-cooked roast beef thin enough to do this sandwich justice. So, go ahead and buy some from the supermarket and ask the butcher for extra-thin slices.

Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need to make copycat Arby’s Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich:

  • Ketchup 
  • Water
  • Onion powder 
  • Garlic powder 
  • Worcestershire sauce 
  • Salt 
  • Apple cider vinegar 
  • Milk 
  • Cheez Whiz 
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese 
  • Thinly sliced roast beef (high quality deli roast beef)
  • Onion hamburger buns with poppy seeds
Arby's beef and cheddar sandwich ingredients on a tray.

How to Make Arby’s Beef and Cheddar

You’ll need to make the sauces first.

Red ranch sauce: Combine ketchup, water, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Stir to combine.

Cheese sauce: Heat the Cheez Whiz, milk, and shredded Cheddar cheese in a small saucepan. Heat on low until the cheese has melted, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer.

Building a Beef and Cheddar Arby’s Sandwich Like a Pro

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot.
  2. Spread the slices of roast beef evenly on the bottom of the pan.
  3. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water on top of the roast beef and cover immediately.
  4. Turn down the burner to medium-low and cook for 3 minutes until the meat is hot.
thin deli roast beef slices in a skillet.
  1. Meanwhile, spread a thin layer of butter on the inside of the top and bottom onion kaiser roll. Pop in the toaster for a few minutes to toast and crisp up the buns. The butter adds a whole lot of flavor and a little extra protection against the wet roast beef turning the bun into a soggy mess.
  2. Next, spoon some red ranch sauce on the bottom bun. Not too much. A tablespoon should be enough.
  3. Use tongs to take the meat out of the pan, shake off any extra water, and mound it on top of the Red Ranch sauce.
  4. Pour the warm cheddar cheese sauce over the roast beef, add the top bun, and serve with plenty of French fries or onion rings.
assembling homemade Arby's Beef and Cheddar sandwiches.

How to Store Copycat Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sandwiches

You can make the sauces ahead of time if you want. Just be sure to wrap each one in plastic wrap or aluminum foil or put it in a covered container. Keep it stored in the fridge.

The cheese sauce should last up to three days. The ranch sauce is good for about a week.

How to Reheat a Beef and Cheddar Sandwich

Wrap the sandwich with aluminum foil, place it on a baking sheet, and heat it for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.

How to Reheat Arby’s Cheese Sauce

Add a little milk to the cheese sauce and heat in a saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently until warm. Don’t heat the sauce too quickly, or you will end up with oily clumps of cheese!

closeup of a homemade Arby's beef and cheddar sandwich.

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homemade Arby's beef and cheddar sandwiches.

Arby’s Beef and Cheddar

You can make a classic Arby's Beef 'N Cheddar sandwich at home, we lnclude instructions on how to make Arby's cheese sauce, and the Arby's Red Ranch sauce.
4.92 from 45 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Arby’s Beef and Cheddar, Arby’s Recipes, Beef and Cheddar Sandwich
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 568kcal

Ingredients

Arby’s Red Ranch Sauce

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Arby’s Cheese Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup Cheez Whiz
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Roast Beef Sandwich

  • 16 ounces sliced roast beef higher quality lunch meat
  • 4 onion sandwich buns
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Arby’s Red Ranch Sauce Preparation

  • Combine the ketchup, water, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Make Arby’s Cheese Sauce Preparation

  • Heat the Cheez Whiz, milk, and shredded cheddar cheese in a small saucepan on low heat until the cheese has melted. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Roast Beef Sandwich Preparation

  • Layer slices of roast beef in a nonstick skillet.
  • Sdd 1 tablespoon of water. Place the lid on the skillet. Turn the heat to medium and allow the beef to steam for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • In the meantime, slice the onion buns if necessary
  • Butter the inside of the buns, and toast in a hot skillet.
  • Build the sandwich by spreading about 1 tablespoon of Arby’s Red Ranch Sauce on the bottom bun. Add 1/4 of the roast beef to each sandwich, and top with Arby’s Cheese Sauce. Cover the sandwich with the top bun.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 3306mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 650mg | Iron: 5mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Betty J Brigham

    I would love to know how to make Arby’s fried macaroni and cheese balls. My great grandchildren love them. Thank you.

    • Holly

      The beef n cheddar has red ranch sauce on it which the recipe states. It does not have any Arby’s sauce on it. They are two couple different sauces. Red ranch sauce is sweet and is only on the beef n cheddar sandwiches. You can however get Arby’s sauce packets to add on the sandwich, either at the drive thru or in the restaurant.

      • Brian White

        3 stars
        ive been making these for years, the best i have i have made after so many tries is so easy. the red ranch i use kens steakhouse country french dressing and the big can of chedder cheese sauce at gordons food center. it taste just like the real deal and you can buy a big bag of curly fries and have all the cheese for them to boot.

  2. Mary Price

    Cheese Whiz is getting harder to find in my neck of the woods. Velveeta sells their cheese sauce in bags at Dollar General. It worked perfectly, and tasted delicious.

  3. Roxanne J

    5 stars
    you can use Catalina salad dressing for Red ranch sauce too, tastes just like it. this is one of my very favorite sandwiches from Arby’s.

    • Holly

      No it’s not. Catalina dressing is not the same as Arby’s red ranch sauce. It does not taste the same at all. The only thing that comes a little close to Arby’s red ranch sauce is Ken’s Steakhouse Country French with Orange Blossom Honey Dressing.

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