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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