Classic Reuben Sandwich

After several months of participation in The Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge Mr. B has learned to anticipate Saturdays scheduled around rising dough. He also has embraced eating the resulting loaves with gusto. This week when he asked what type of bread was next, I replied "A marble rye bread." "Really?" he replied, as his eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. "That means we can make Reubens!" I smiled and agreed that Reubens were in order.

On Saturday I made the marbled rye bread, basically mixing two different doughs (the dark one contains chocolate powder) and then layering them in the final rise to create marbling. The loaves turned out beautifully and as a lover of rye bread I will definitely make this recipe again!

Making Marble Rye Bread

Not one to let such a monumental opportunity quietly slide by, Mr. B took it upon himself to call around town to find the best source for homemade corned beef and thousand island dressing. All I can say, is the man loves his Reubens! Thus I was not surprised when I learned that for our anniversary dinner we were going to trek about 40 miles outside of town to an old school steak house, where not only do they butcher their own beef, but they also make all the supplies for a classic Reuben. After a great steak dinner we drove back home with a package of corned beef and container of dressing tucked safely between my feet.

With all of the ingredients for a Reuben now assembled, we started making sandwiches. This is a simple recipe- basically a doctored up grilled cheese- but oh what fabulous results!

The toasted outer layer of buttered rye bread envelops an inner filling of gooey Swiss cheese, crunchy tart sauerkraut, thinly sliced corned beef, and creamy zesty dressing. It was sandwich bliss. We dipped our warm sandwiches in bowls of a creamy crab bisque and washed it all down with a cold beer. After the sandwich had disappeared, Mr. B turned and looked at me and said, "Round 2?"

P.S. I think over the weekend we managed to eat these Reubens for six meals in one weekend....I am in desperate need of a salad!

Classic Reuben Sandwich (Printable Recipe)
Serves 2

As is the case with many simple recipes, using the best ingredients you can find makes a big difference in the final result. I have a feeling that with a bottled thousand island dressing and store-bought bread this sandwich would have lacked much of the flavor we enjoyed.

Ingredients:

4 slices of Marbled rye bread, (or regular Rye if you're not making your own!)
1/4 cup thousand island dressing (please make this if you can't find a good source!)
1/3 cup sauerkraut
1/2 pound Corned beef
1/4 pound Swiss cheese
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

Place a heavy skillet over medium heat. Evenly spread the butter on one side of the bread slices. Place that side facing down on a cutting board. On the un-buttered sides of the bread, thickly spread a layer of thousand island dressing. Layer sauerkraut, corned beef, and Swiss cheese on two of the slices. Place the remaining slices on top of the filling so that the buttered side of the bread is now on top (facing you). Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook on one side until it browns. Flip the sandwich to the other side and cook until it has browned and the cheese is melting. Remove sandwich from heat, cut in half and serve!