Homemade Reuben Sandwiches

The other day I wrote about grilled Corned beef and how easy and tasty it is.  So, what do you do with the leftovers?  That’s really easy—make a homemade Reuben sandwich that is as tasty as anything you’ll get at a New York deli.

And it’s both inexpensive and simple to do.  In case you didn’t get a chance to check it out before, here’s the link to Cheap Bastid’s Grilled Corned Beef recipe:    http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/grilled-corned-beef/

grilled corned beef reuben sandwich

Even though it’s 6 months until St. Patrick’s Day, there’s no need to wait.  You can cook corned beef anytime you want and it takes only about 45 minutes on the grill rather than most of the day cooking it in the oven or in a slow cooker.  And here’s a simple recipe for turning the leftovers into a terrific sandwich.

Recipe: Homemade Reuben Sandwiches

Summary: Here’s a great way to use leftover grilled Corned Beef. It’s easy, tasty and cheap!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (or more) left over corned beef
  • 8 slices of rye bread
  • 1 can sauerkraut
  • 8 slices swiss cheese
  • Butter or margarine
  • Thousand island dressing

Instructions

  • Get out a sauté pan that will easily hold 2 slices of bread. Get out cutting board and chef’s knife.
  • Slice the left over corned beef to about 1/8 inch thick with a sharp knife.
  • Spread margarine/butter on each slice of bread. Turn burner onto medium.
  • Separate cheese slices, open sauerkraut. Put ‘kraut in microwave dish and “zap” it for about 2 minutes.
  • Put 2 slices of buttered rye bread in bottom of sauté pan (buttered side down) then add about 4 oz. corned beef to each and 2 slices of cheese. Cover with a second slice of rye, buttered side up.
  • When toasted, remove from pan to plate or cutting board.
  • Pull top of the “meat side” and add sauerkraut and thousand island. Put the top back on to serve.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

My rating 5 stars:  ★★★★★ 1 review(s)

Don’t have any Thousand Island?  Here’s a link to my post on “Homemade Thousand Island Dressing”: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/homemade-thousand-island-dressing/

How easy was that?  And this is tasty with the texture of the meat, the crunch of the vinegary ‘kraut and the thousand island combining with the toasted rye bread.  Your mouth will be happy at the flavor and texture, your tummy will love it and your wallet won’t be drained.

Here’s a quick tip too.  A lot of people like their sandwiches “pressed” or will buy an expensive “Panini maker”.  Have you ever watched Chef Michael Symon on “The Chew” or “Iron Chef”?  When he makes a sandwich like this, or even if he’s making a butterflied chicken, he uses a foil covered BRICK!  That’s a lot cheaper and gets results that are just as good.  Cheap Bastid uses his smaller cast iron skillet set on top of the sandwiches in the pan.

cheap bastids reuben sandwich with grilled corned beef

The Cheap Bastid Test:  Based on what I paid for my corned beef briskets, the meat will cost about $1.50, the cheese $1.00, the kraut $.80 and the bread $.50.  That gives you a cost of about $.95 per sandwich—especially if you make your own thousand island.  This sandwich will run about $7 or $8 at a deli.

And that’s the Cheap Bastid Way:  Eat Good. Eat Cheap. Be Grateful!

About Walter Blevins

My wife started to call me Cheap Bastid a while back because I enjoyed coming up with dinners that cost next to nothing--and making them taste good. Yeah, I love to cook. And I love to cook good food cheap. I'm not a chef and I'm definitely not anything close to a gourmet. I'm just a home cook who grew up in a home where cooking was from scratch and was a little bit Midwest and a little bit country. That's because my Mom was from Michigan and my Dad was from Kentucky. I started sharing recipes when my daughter called me in 2006 and asked for my recipe for Swiss Steak. That year for Christmas I put together a cookbook for my 2 kids called "Dad's Everyday Cookbook and Kitchen Survival Guide". And I heard back that they both use it regularly. It was full of basic recipes that I had cooked for them when they were growing up. I work hard at creating recipes that are original and creative and inexpensive. You won't find a foo-foo foodie approach to my recipes and style. I believe that it's OK for food to go up the side of a plate. Food is for eating--it doesn't have to be pretty. And I write about my cooking and my recipes so that I can share them. I hope you enjoy these posts. Leave me a comment--that you liked something or that you didn't, it doesn't matter. I'd love to hear from you.
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3 Responses to Homemade Reuben Sandwiches

  1. Chuck in Chicago says:

    A recipe after my own heart! I especially like this sandwich on pumpernickel or dark rye bread!

    • Walter Blevins says:

      Thanks Chuck. Go for it with whatever is your favorite bread. And you may wish to check out my grilled corned beef recipe which is decidely easier and faster than the traditional way of cooking corned beef.

  2. Chuck in Chicago says:

    Thanks for the referral, CB! Your way of grilling corned beef sure sounds easier and tastier than the traditional method of cooking it!

Comments are closed.