Rachel Sandwich

Meet the Rachel Sandwich, the lighter take on the classic Reuben that calls for turkey instead of corned beef. Yes, crunchy sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and rye bread are all still invited to lunch.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 516kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

8 slices rye bread (see note 1)
3/4 cup Thousand Island salad dressing (see note 2)
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 pound (1 1/3 cups) sauerkraut drained, and squeezed of extra moisture (see note 3)
1 1/2 pounds deli turkey thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

Working with one sandwich at a time, or assembling all four simultaneously, spread 1 tablespoon thousand island dressing on the rye bread. Build each sandwich by layering the following from the bottom up: 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1/3 cup sauerkraut, 1 tablespoon dressing, 6 ounces deli turkey, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, and 1 tablespoon of dressing.
Top each sandwich with another slice of bread and press each sandwich down gently. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with melted butter.
In a large skillet over medium heat, and working in batches if necessary, lay sandwiches butter-side down. Place a Dutch oven or other heavy object on top of the sandwiches to press them down and and cook until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pot and brush the tops with melted butter. Gently flip over sandwiches. Place the pot back on top of sandwiches and cook until the bottom side is crisp, about 5 minutes. Repeat the process with any remaining sandwiches.

Notes

Rye bread: Take your pick; seeded rye, pumpernickel, or marble rye all work well.
Thousand island dressing: Some Reuben-style recipes call for Russian Dressing, which is similar in flavor to thousand island, but isn't made with pickle relish and may be spicy. Both types of dressing make excellent Rachel Sandwiches.
Sauerkraut: You can certainly make your own sauerkraut, but store-bought canned fermented cabbage works just as well, too.
Yield: One recipe makes 4 Rachel Sandwiches.
Storage: Store leftover sandwiches wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet or an air fryer.

Nutrition