The Rachel Sandwich: A Turkey-Lover’s Reuben

 

It’s officially hot sandwich season, and nothing hits the spot quite like a perfectly grilled, melty masterpiece. Enter the Rachel Sandwich. It’s basically a Reuben’s cooler cousin that swaps corned beef for turkey. As a turkey fan, I knew I had to try it. I made one small but mighty tweak: provolone instead of Swiss. Swiss cheese, I find, is largely insipid and rarely, in my opinion, does much to enhance a sandwich. But you do you.

 The result? Absolutely delicious. The beauty of a homemade sandwich is how easily you can make it your own—swap the creamy coleslaw for kimchi if you’re feeling bold, or adjust the toppings to suit your mood. Fair warning: depending on the size of your rye bread, this is a serious sandwich. I can usually only manage half, so grab a friend to share it with. 

Rachel Sandwich

Makes 1 generous sandwich

 Thousand Island Dressing

(You’ll have some left over—perfect for other sandwiches or a quick salad dressing)

¼ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

1 T. grated onion

1 T. Heinz ketchup

1 T. sweet pickle relish

Pinch McCormick’s Smoky Garlic & Paprika Seasoning

 Sandwich

2 slices rye bread

2 slices provolone cheese

¼–⅓ c. creamy coleslaw

¼ lb. sliced deli turkey

1–2 T. butter, softened

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, grated onion, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, paprika, and garlic seasoning until well blended.

 Assemble and grill:

Layer one slice of provolone on a piece of rye bread. Spread the coleslaw over the cheese. Slather the turkey with a generous tablespoon (or more) of the Thousand Island dressing, then place it on top of the coleslaw. Add the second slice of provolone and top with the remaining rye bread.

Butter the outside of both slices of bread. Place the sandwich buttered-side down in a skillet over medium-low heat. While the first side cooks, butter the top. Loosely cover the skillet with foil and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Carefully flip, cover again, and cook until the second side is golden and the cheese is fully melted.

Serve hot and dig in.

 Simple assembly order: buttered rye → cheese → coleslaw → deli turkey → cheese → buttered rye → grill to perfection.

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Emmentaler on Rye with Sweet & Sour Onions

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been one of my favorite lunches as far back as I can remember.  In my youth, bliss was known as a slab of Velveeta sandwiched between two slices of Wonder Bread. Truth be told, while it’s not often, there are days when I revisit that old favorite just to wax nostalgic about the carefree days when I sat at the kitchen table in my mother’s warm kitchen, munching on a gooey sandwich, swinging my legs back and forth all the while.  These days I look for variety.  I’ve found it in one of my favorite books on the subject, Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill, and Sandwich Maker and then I saw this recipe in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  Oh, my!  This sandwich is singular in its deliciousness.  The nutty, melted cheese, paired with the not-too-sweet, not-too-sour onions is a marriage made in heaven.  The onions can be made ahead making this easy to throw together when you want to dazzle someone at lunch.

Emmentaler on Rye with Sweet & Sour Onions

Onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons brown sugar, light or dark
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches (Serves 2)
Four ½ inch-thick slices rye bread
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, softened
¾ cup (about 3 ounces) Emmentaler or another Swiss cheese (I used Gruyere), grated

Cook onions: Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and salt, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar, and scrape and stuck onion bits from the bottom of pan with a spoon. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion mixture thickens, and season to taste with black pepper. Cool to lukewarm, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerated until needed, up to 5 days.

Make sandwiches: Generously butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Arrange one slice, buttered side down, on a plate. Spread thickly with jammy onions (about 2 tablespoons per sandwich; you’ll have extra). Sprinkle with half the grated cheese. Arrange a second slice of bread on top of the cheese, buttered side facing up. Repeat with the remaining slices.  Heat a heavy 12-inch skillet to medium-low, or an electric griddle set to 325. Once it’s hot, place the sandwiches on the griddle, and cook them until crisp and deep golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday