If you’re a food nut like me, you’ve already started planning what you’ll do with the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner.
There are many possibilities, such as simmering cubes of that meat in a stew, soup or chili, slicing and rolling it into a burrito, or shredding it and tossing it with saucy pasta.
Leftover roast turkey, of course, also tastes great stuffed in a sandwich. If you want something a little different from the normal sandwich, where the turkey is accompanied with such things as lettuce, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce, check out my recipe for a turkey Reuben sandwich. It’s a nice combination that’s served warm, making it perfect for autumn.
A Reuben is a classic dinner-style sandwich invented in the United Sates in the 1920s. Food historians can’t firmly pinpoint who made the first one. Some suggest it was Omaha grocer Reuben Kulakofsky, while others give the nod to Manhattan deli owner Arnold Reuben.
The ingredients for the sandwich aren’t overly complicated and were widely available at that time. So perhaps they both came up with the decision to sandwich sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian salad dressing between slices of rye bread.
Once that’s done, the sandwich is grilled, melting the cheese and warming up the meat and sauerkraut. The dressing melds with everything, adding even more flavour. Yum!
If you’re wondering, Russian salad dressing is not actually Russian in origin.
According to several sources, it was actually invented in 1924 by New Hampshire grocer James E. Colburn, who sold it to food retailers and hotels. Folks must have liked it, because he earned enough money to retire in comfort.
Recipes for Russian salad dressing can vary, but most contain a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup or sweet chili sauce complemented with other tastes, which can include horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, spices and other flavourings.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that other kinds of meat work well in a Rueben-style sandwich and roast turkey is one of them.
When grilling the sandwich, it’s important not to have the heat too high, or the bread will overly toast before the cheese melts and the meat and sauerkraut heat up. Be mindful of that so you don’t end up with a sandwich that’s only hot on the outside.
Roast Turkey Reuben Sandwiches
In this version of the classic deli sandwich, cold slices of roast turkey replace the corned beef normally used.
The combination of the meat, cheese, sauerkraut and rye bread gives the sandwich an Oktoberfest-style taste, which is why it pairs well with beer.
Serve it with pickles.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: eight to 10 minutes
Makes: two sandwiches
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp green relish or chopped sweet mixed pickles
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1/8 tsp paprika
• splashes of Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices of dark rye bread
4 tsp soft butter
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced roast turkey, or to taste
3/4 cup well drained sauerkraut, or to taste
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
Make Russian-style dressing for the sandwiches by combining the mayonnaise, relish (or pickles), ketchup, horseradish, paprika, Worcestershire, vinegar and pepper in a small bowl.
Refrigerate dressing until needed.
Butter one side of each bread slice and set it buttered-side-down on a work surface. Spread the tops of those bread slices with Russian dressing, to taste. (Refrigerate and save any leftover dressing for another time.)
Top two of the Russian-dressing-spread bread slices with 1/4 cup cheese each. Top the cheese on each sandwich with an equal amount of sauerkraut and turkey. Now top those ingredients with an equal amount of the remaining cheese.
Set on the remaining two bread slices, buttered side up, and press them down lightly.
Set a non-stick skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan and slowly grill four to five minutes per side, or until the cheese is melted and the turkey and sauerkraut are hot. Cut each sandwich in half and enjoy.
• Eric’s options: If you don’t care for dark rye bread, you could also make these sandwiches with a lighter style of rye or with sourdough bread. Instead of Swiss, use another type of tangy cheese, such as Gouda or Jarlsberg, or use a mix of tangy cheeses.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.