So, I had such a good experience with Reuben sandwiches during my short vacation, that I bought the fixin’s at Harris Teeter and attempted to make this at home.

I looked online to see what the ingredients were and they are basically as follows:

• Pastrami (I use Hillshire Farms Deli Pastrami.)
• Swiss Cheese (Baby)
• Rye Bread (I prefer the seeded Rye.)
• Sauerkraut
• Thousand Island Dressing (I prefer the homemade version.)
• Butter or Margarine

 

I bought a cheap can of sauerkraut at HT, got the pastrami & baby swiss from their deli, sliced thin (for sandwiches), and had the baker slice a fresh loaf of rye bread.  Heat a skillet up on the stove top.

Construct the sandwich…  spread the Thousand Island dressing on both of the insides of the rye bread.  Put the cheese on top of one and the sauerkraut on the other.  Place the pastrami on one and fold the other slice on top to make the sandwich.  Then butter the outside of one, or both of the bread slices.  I tried buttering the top slice, while the other was frying in the skillet, and buttering both before placing one side in the skillet.  *Your preference as to how you do this.  You need a wide spatula in order to turn the sandwich over once one side has heated through.

I think the Thousand Island Dressing “turns” the sauerkraut, as a little sugar/sweetner turns vinegar.  The two go good together.

My first attempt was a wonderful success!  I forgot to add one of the chilled dill pickles that I had also purchased during my first attempt.  *I make a messy sandwich, but delicious.  I thought of making french fries, but decided against that, but later made some coleslaw (cabbage, carrot, onion, mayo, mustard, celery seed, ground pepper, salt, sweetner, dry tarragon) that was a good alternative.  I wouldn’t have thought of the coleslaw, but when I couldn’t get fries at Groucho’s in Florence and they had coleslaw, it was a better option than fries… although, if I were out at a restaurant, I would probably order fries several times, rather than slaw.

NOTE [05/30/22]: Do NOT try to toast the bread in a skillet on the stove top, or even in the oven! I did this the first time I tried making this sandwich at home, but sometime later came up with a much easier and better way, and the sandwich turns out fine. The first time, the buttered bread burned, and the sandwich was very messy. The thing to do is to butter the “outside” of each slice of bread and toast them in the oven until they are satisfactorily brown. Then, turn the slices over and if you want Swiss cheese on each, put it on and toast the cheese until it melts. Now you have buttery toasted bread for the outside of the sandwich, and you have a melted layer of cheese on the inside. You can put sauerkraut on one slice and the pastrami on the other. Then, you can put the Thousand Island dressing on the sauerkraut and the pastrami, if you like. The Thousand Island dressing “turns” the sauerkraut, much like sugar turns vinegar. *Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

I don’t make homemade Rachels very often, but now I have a “system” and the process works very well to produce a delicious pastrami & cheese sandwich. Don’t forget the chilled dill pickle! I especially like the Spicy Dills that I can get at Walmart.

[Addendum 02/02/24]: Walmart no longer offers these Spicy Dill Pickles. They still offer the plain dills, spears and slices. And just a few days ago I came across Ranch Dill Pickles which just adds a packet of Ranch Dressing powder to the dill pickle juice in the jar. Let set for 24 hours and enjoy. I like them, but not sure how different from the regular dills they are, and would still like Walmart to bring back the Spicy Pickles.

[Addendum 01/19/25}: It’s fun re-reading about my first attempt to make a Pastrami Reuben (Rachel) at home. It was so messy, and I doubt I would have made very many more if I hadn’t come up with a better plan. I haven’t made one of these in quite a while, but I do know how, and became quite good at it. I don’t make them often because they are highly fattening & probably don’t push my blood sugar in the right direction. They are a taste treat.

Not messy, a well organized process that produces a good looking & tasting sandwich each time. And, instead of suggesting french fries, potato chips, or even slaw, I now make a side of “sauerkraut & my homemade thousand island dressing.” After all, you already have the sauerkraut and dressing on the sandwich, and they work well together there. And, I do like the Ranch Dill Pickle Spears, and usually have one available.

As I’ve written elsewhere, the simple process that works:

• Butter & toast the outside of the rye bread.
• Flip the toasted bread slices and put a slice of Swiss (or even White American from Wegman’s) and melt.
• On a plate, put the toasted sides of bread down. The melted cheese is going to protect the bread from getting soggy.
• You could put a little Pastrami on each slice.
• Put the sauerkraut on one side, and then add a little thousand island dressing and mix the two.
• Put the slices together to make the sandwich, and if necessary, cut the sandwich in two and admire how good it looks.
• For a side, take a good dollop of sauerkraut and mix it with a generous portion of the dressing. This makes a delicious side for the sandwich.
• Add a Dill pickle spear. Viola.
• Have a napkin ready to wipe your hands after you pick up the sandwich and squeeze it while taking a bite.

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