Try this delicious alternative to the traditional corned beef reuben.
A few years ago, my husband and I took a weekend getaway to Richmond, VA. It was a great trip that offered a lot to interest both of us: the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for me, and lots of historical sites and landmarks for my husband, including the American Civil War Museum, Hollywood Cemetery (where 2 U.S. Presidents are buried), St. John’s Church (where Patrick Henry gave his “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech), and an Edgar Allan Poe Museum. (Due to my husband’s fascination with Poe, I’ve been to the Poe museum in Richmond, a Poe statue in Boston, and Poe’s grave site in Baltimore, and he has plans for us to go to the Poe Historic Site in Philly).
The place where we stopped for lunch on the way down, Hanover Tavern, was no different. My husband loved eating at a site visited by Patrick Henry and George Washington, and I enjoyed a delicious turkey reuben sandwich that inspired this recipe.
I had eaten reuben sandwiches before, but I’m not a big fan of corned beef so I never really enjoyed them. So when I saw that the Hanover Tavern made their reubens with turkey instead, I decided to try it, and it paid off. My version isn’t exactly like the one I had there, but it’s still delicious (if I say so myself), and it allows you to use the leftovers from two of my other recipes: my bacon-wrapped turkey breast and my homemade sauerkraut.
Ingredients
- Roasted turkey breast
- Sauerkraut
- Rye bread
- Swiss cheese
- Russian dressing (3 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp chopped dill pickle) or spicy mustard (for the pictures, I used some very spicy Russian mustard I purchased during a recent trip to a local Russian store)
I purposefully didn’t put quantities of ingredients because everyone’s idea of a good sandwich is different. Personally, I like a lot of melted cheese and don’t mind if the sauerkraut is falling out as you eat it because the sandwich is so stuffed with it.
Method
Generously spread the mustard or Russian dressing on two slices of bread. Layer with sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. Wrap the sandwich in foil, and broil until cheese is melted.
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.