Reuben Recipe

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, prepared horseradish (if using), Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a little more relish for sweetness, horseradish for bite, or salt/pepper as needed. Set aside. Makes roughly 3/4 cup.

Place sauerkraut in a fine mesh strainer and press or squeeze to remove excess liquid. Transfer to a small bowl and, if desired, chop coarsely to make it easier to assemble and eat.

If your corned beef slices are very thick, halve them across each slice to create thinner stacks that warm quickly and fold nicely in the sandwich. Keep the corned beef at room temperature for a few minutes while you assemble if it came cold from the deli.

Lay out 4 slices of rye bread. Evenly spread about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing on each of those 4 slices.

Top the dressed bread slices with about 4 ounces (roughly 1/4 lb) of corned beef per sandwich, arranging slices to cover the bread.

Divide the drained sauerkraut evenly among the four sandwiches, placing it on top of the corned beef (about 1/4 cup per sandwich).

Place two slices of Swiss cheese over the sauerkraut on each sandwich, covering the filling so the cheese will melt and help hold the sandwich together.

Spread a light layer of dressing on the remaining 4 slices of bread, then place them dressing-side-down on top of each assembled sandwich to form 4 closed sandwiches.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. While it warms, spread about 1 tablespoon of softened butter on the outside of each top and bottom slice of bread (about 2 tbs butter per sandwich total).

Place two sandwiches in the skillet (do not overcrowd). Cook 3 to 4 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Lower heat slightly if bread browns too quickly.

Carefully flip each sandwich and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. If the cheese is slow to melt, cover the pan for 1 minute to trap heat and help melting.

Transfer cooked sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute, then cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve immediately with dill pickle spears and chips or fries if desired.