Rueben Sandwich

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's day, and if you, like me, made a corned beef dinner, then you may have some leftovers. Sometimes the leftovers, used to make other dishes, are even better than the original meal. 

I like to use leftover mashed potatoes to make a Shepherd's Pie or a more sophisticated Lobster Shepherd's Pie, and the corned beef to make Rueben Sandwiches and Corned Beef Hash.

Here I use both corned beef and sauerkraut from our St. Patrick's day feast to make these tasty Rueben sandwiches. 

Rueben Sandwich
(Serves 4.)

• 8 slices rye bread

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

• 1/4 cup Russian dressing, bottled or homemade (recipe follows)

• 8 slices Swiss cheese

• 3/4 pound of sliced corned beef

• 1 cup sauerkraut

Rueben Sandwich

Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side of each slice, spread a little of the Russian dressing. 

Top half the bread slices, Russian dressing side up, with the cheese, corned beef, and sauerkraut.

Cover with remaining bread slices, dressing side down.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Place two sandwiches in the skillet and cook until lightly browned, about a minute or two. Flip the sandwiches and continue to cook until lightly browned and the cheese has melted. Repeat with last two sandwiches. Serve warm.

Russian Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons ketchup

• 2 tablespoons horseradish

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, sugar, and paprika until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.