Reuben – My St. Patty’s Day Treat
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Today I’m bringing you a quick and easy way to get your Corned Beef and Cabbage in!
There is this place in Decatur, Alabama that I just love – even though I have only eaten there three times!
~makes a mental note to get out more and ask some girlfriends if they want to go~
Anyway, they serve these great sandwiches, freshly sliced meats and cheeses and then toasted to perfection. The name of the place is “The Brick” and its located inside an old brownstone downtown. There is usually live music in the evenings and while the service tends to be a wee bit on the slow side when I’ve been before, you can’t complain because that just means you get to soak up the atmosphere a little more.
Speaking of which, when was the last time you called the manager over and complimented good service? Everyone seems set on complaining when service is bad but so few of us think to compliment good service. I’ try to counter this by never complaining at bad service and making it a point to seek out management when service is above par in any way.
I have even done this at mediocre service. Hey, I’m easy to please! Its kind of fun, too. See someone who is halfheartedly doing a job, likely just tired and flat wore out, seek out their boss and compliment them. Their boss in turn passes on compliments and this starts an entirely different cycle. Give it a shot and I swear you’ll get a thrill out of putting smile where there wasn’t one before!
You’ll need: Swiss cheese, corned beef, rye bread, and sauerkraut.
Oh my goodness how I love sauerkraut! When we were little, Mama browned it in a skillet with slices of weenies for supper. We usually had that and fried potatoes and pinto beans with cornbread for supper. I would put ketchup on my sauerkraut and weenies and it was the best dinner as a kid!
You can get these at your local Deli counter and just get whatever you need so there is no waste or additional cost 
.
For my sauce (which you can leave out if you like), I just mixed up a little ketchup and mayo.
Tablespoon of each, stirry, stirry!
Spread some butter or margarine on the outside of each piece of bread.
Y’all know I use whatever is cheapest…
Bring on the hydrogenated oils!!
I put a layer of Swiss cheese first..
Top with corned beef.
Have you ever noticed how much prettier a sandwich is if you fold and layer the meat rather than just laying them flat?
Add sauerkraut.
At this point I realized that no one in my house eats sauerkraut but me (dropped on their heads as children – the whole lot of ‘em!) so I decided I might as well add one more thing that no one likes but me…
Bring on the sliced banana peppers!
Even though I am going to do all of this myself, it is fun to shout it out as if waiting for servants to appear!
Just don’t hold your breath. I don’t want anyone passing out or hyperventilating. We’d have an awful hard time explaining our little servant fantasies to paramedics.
Our sandwich is ready to be toasted!
Place it in a skillet and brown on both sides over medium heat.
We just want our bread browned and toasted and our cheese a little melted.
Yum yum yum!
I gotta be lucky today to get to eat one of these!
Reuben Sandwich
- Sauerkraut
- Corned beef
- Swiss Cheese
- Rye bread
Layer all of above on rye bread (I add banana peppers but thats just me!). Spread with sauce made of 1 T mayo and 1 T ketchup stirred together. Butter both sides of bread and toast in skillet until browned and cheese is melted.
Here is a great link for a handmade coupon box/organizer.
I think you’ll all just love it! Thanks, Cynthia!
For more recipes from my Quick and Easy Category, click here.
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Mar 17 2009. Filed under Main Course, Quick&Easy.
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Sounds Great! Thanks for giving me an alternative to Corned Beef & Cabbage!
Oh my goodness…you have me absolutely drooling here! And I’ve had the “crud” for 2 days with no appetite. I think I’m ready to chow down. Mmmmmmmm
Okay – now I’m going to have to go out and have a Rueben for lunch. Thanks a lot!
I love sauerkraut too. I don’t know why more people don’t. I ate “weenies and ‘trout’” when I was a wee little thing. We had it with fried taters and WHITE beans. LOL
Anytime you head over the The Brick in Decatur, let me know and I’m there. I think that’s the perfect place for a northwest Alabama bloggy convention! Love downtown Decatur — and yummy cheesy sandwiches. Thanks so much for this delicious post.
My wheels are turning right now, you’ll hear from me soon!
Ditto. When you go to The Brick, I’ll be there! Love their Rueben’s and the Beer Cheese Soup!
Your recipe looks like a real winner!
Amen! I’ll get us an outing in the works!
I was a cook at a restaurant here years ago. We made Patty Melts and it was the only way to get me to eat kraut. It was also the first time I had ever heard of a Reuben.
I think I need one.
Just what I needed! I had bought the ingredients, but then realized I really didn’t know how to make it! You’ve come to my rescue! Thanks.
My husband & I love these sandwiches – I got tickled when I saw the Boar’s Head brand ‘kraut – most of the time I see you use non brand and I have started to try the non brands…now you go for the gold with Boars Head – so what is the story – I love how you always have one….Have a great day!!
lol!
You know me too well!
I was at Publix and getting my meat in the Deli, the sauerkraut was right there and Katy hadn’t had a nap yet and was getting rather ill…I was doing good to be able to get this much before she had herself a little royal meltdown. At this point she was already laying her head on my hand and crying saying she wanted to go home and go to sleep!
Publix is a great place (super nice people) but they just don’t have the generic options I am used to. I prefer my sauerkraut to be the type in a bag or a jar, preferably the bagged kind that they keep in the cooler – it is SO much better! At Wally world you can get a bag of it very inexpensively right underneath where the weenies are.
Okay Christy, I am going to assume that weenies are little sausages?
Su for us it was hot dogs or weiners chopped into small pieces.
Christy that looks so yummy. I love Sauerkraut!!
Girl, if the two of us lived close to each other we’d both be big as the side of a barn!
lol
That is one of my most favorite sandwiches. I wish I had one right now. Christy the pictures you post of the foods always look so good, that we might try eating the picture. lol
Might have to go see if my little local store has some corn beef. If not I might just fix me some sauerkraut and wieners.
I seriously thought I was the only child who loved kraut & weenies for supper, my mom always made fried potatoes with them as well. Now to this day I’m lucky to get my hubby to eat them, my kids no ..but I make kraut with smoked sausage & mushrooms. Yummo! I’ll have to give this sandwich a try. Happy St Patty’s Day!
My mom always served sour kraut with little wieners too. I only mildly tolerated the sour kraut, but (somewhat) willingly ate it first so I could thoroughly enjoy every bite of those wieners. It took growing up to make me learn to really appreciate the flavor of sour kraut.
The sandwich looks so delicious! I’ll have to try it tomorrow with slices of today’s corned beef dinner. Mmmm…
Love a Ruben. When to lunch with a friend today and Shepherds Pie was on the menu and tried that instead because we are having corn beef and cabbage tonight. The picture of yours makes me hungry for a ruben though.
I also had kraut & weinies, fried taters, white or pinto beans,cornbread and a big ole piece of onion. MMMMM good. There were four of us kids & it seemed like we had this meal often. I remember eating those taters raw while mama was cuttin’ them up. I just love that meal. This sandwich looks so so good. I wish I had one right now. Christy, why dont you just open up a restaurant next to your brother. Yall could be Alabama’s Paula & Bubba Dean!! Yall would be soo busy & I would not have to go to Savannah! Think about it! Nancy
OMG! Did you grow up in our house!?! My Mom made that exact same thing at least a couple of times a month when I was a kid. I have yet to find anyone around here (Tulsa) who ate that growing up. And munching on raw potato sticks while she cut them up . . . love, love, love . . . my childhood (and yours) was the best!!
I agree with telling a manager when service it great. I started making that a habit a few months ago. It is nice to see how happy they get at a table when they find out all is great. Heck they have even brought out free dessert before.
Having been a server in the past it is nice to hear the good. I know a manager would always reward us and praise us when we got a good compliment.
I love that link for the coupon box… I may have to try it soon. But I am very new to this couponing. Let’s see if I can get in it.
Oh now that it a thing of beauty!
You are right Christy, very few people compliment good service but will not hesitate to complain. Shamefully I have never spoken to a manager to remark on the good service I have received, but you’ve inspired me!
But I can imagine that when I do ask for the manager the staff member is probably thinking in their head “oh no, here we go”
We had Reubens and potato soup and Irish Ale for sup last night. It was the best! I look forward to St. Patty’s Day every year. I usually buy an extra or two corned beef briskets and put ‘em in the freezer to have durin’ the year and Reubens are one of our fav’s.
Hey, weird question. What kind of mayo do you use? My husband and I love these sandwiches.
thanks for refreshing my memory about Rueben sandwiches. How great…and toasted nontheless!! Tonight we are having New England boiled dinner, so to speak, with carrots, potatoes, onions, wedges of cabbage (all boiled in the juices of our fresh corned beef slab). Lemon to squeeze on the cabbage, too. Rye bread and some horseradish spread. Tomorrow, the Rueben sandwiches…to which we always add a spread of horseradish for pep! Thanks for your great cookbook and website.
Thank you for refreshing my memory on how to make these great sandwiches. I bought extra corned beef on sale so maybe next week I can pull one out and make Ruebens. Yummy!!!! I love mine on toasted bread!!
Try Thousand Island dressing instead of ketchup and mayo. The vinegar and sweet pickles add a little punch.
OH I love the brick. Dated a fellar from Decatur and we’d hang down there every now and then. Thanks for this recipe! With St. Patty’s just around the corner this year I may have to give this one a try.
As Grandpa Jones would say, “Saaaaaaalute”!
Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait for your cookbook to come out! And Woo-Hoo to you on being featured at the book expo! They recognized a great book by great aurthor when they saw it—Go dazzle ‘em, Christy!
Reubens are one of my all time favorite sandwiches. I really like sauerkraut baked around a pork roast and in fact in my locale that is traditionally served for New Years for luck instead of the hoppin john of the south. When I am assembling my sauce I also add a bit of pickle relish to make a thousand island type dressing.
I am so proud of your success with the new book. Just think I will be able to tell all my friends that I have known you since nearly the beginning of Southern Plate. You have my congratulations, best wishes, and loads of encouragement. Good things happen to good people.
I also grew up eating pork and sauerkraut on New Years! My husband is from the south and he doesnt understand this tradition! It wouldn’t be the same without it though. I love rubens as well, but also use the thousand island with relish, and now after rereading this post I want one. Thanks, Christy!
Oh my goodness Christy, It IS happening for my Alabama Friend! My girls(3 daughters) laugh when I call you that. They just don’t know how close we are. I can’t wait for you to tell us all the details. Love ya, Jan
Christy,
Golly! ( now imagine Gomer Pyle saying it) LOL
The book expo in New York City. That’s so exciting! I’m thrilled for you. I can’t wait till the release of the cook book. I’m hoping you’ll be signing near Atlanta. I would love to meet you. Now you go knock their socks off girl! And have a blast!
Oh yea! the Reuben sandwich looks delicious.
Wishing you all the best!
Sheila
I LOVE corned beef and sauerkraut but no one else in this family does (yes….dropped on their heads as children) and your version of the Reuben looks absolutely delish. The best corned beef sandwich I ever had was from a Jewish deli in a suburb northeast of me. Unfortunately, after 35 years, Sam and Hy’s is no longer in business. But I can still recall how my taste buds groaned when I had their corned beef, with a thick layer of chopped chicken liver pate, sandwich on seeded rye bread. To die for!! When it was recommended by a friend, “ewwwwww” came to mind but after my first bite, I knew how wrong I had been. It’s been years since I last made it for myself and I don’t know why. You have inspired me to get some deli corned beef and make your sandwich for lunch and the corned beef/chopped chicken liver sandwich for dinner. To heck with the calories/cholesterol naysayers (and those family members who were dropped on their heads as children)! Thank you, Christy.
Christy baby,
Congrats on the author tour. You deserver every happiness for your respect of all food things southern. Many continued blessings. Now I intend to do that reuben with own secret, secret thing. A smoked corned beef. Smoke that fool for a 2-3 hours and put him in a low slow 225 degree oven for a several hours(4-5). Then slice them long slender tender peices and make Christy’s sandwich. Something good will happen to you, I promise!
Christy, I am so happy for you to be going to NYC and to a book signing! I can’t wait to read your posts from there. You made me laugh every day you were in LA for the Kraft food thing, and it brightened my day. I’ve never been to NYC and so will be seeing it vicariously through your eyes, which have a wonderful way of seeing the really good things, by the way. Thanks for the great recipe for the sandwich. We are having corned beef and cabbage, and I really hope there are leftovers. Might have to cook a couple of them! Have fun in New York! Show those city folk what real southerners are like!
Barb
PS: It must be such a thrill to be called an AUTHOR! I’m going to stand in line if you ever come to anywhere around Phoenix, Az. to buy your cookbook and get to talk to you while you sign it. I’ll bet it is going to take you a couple of days at least, to get through with everyone who wants your book. Probably more, because we all want to meet you and talk to you. Have fun!
Wow, moving on up in the world are we. Congratulations, Christy, you do deserve to be reconized. New York, New York. I hope that you have a wonderful time.
Well your sandwich has really watered my mouth. I love a Reuben sandwich. There was a place, not there any more, that made then in a press. Oh my gosh. To totally die for. I think if we made your version, put it in a pan, put a metal cake pan on top, and then weighed it down with a heavy can, it could be done. I will have to try it.
Again, good luck on your book tour. And get as many hugs as you give out. lol
*DROOL* I just LOVE Rubens!! I can’t wait to try this out today!!
Thank you! Let me know what time dinner is, I’ll be right over!
Great Reuben you made. I love them too. Problem is they do not have anything to do with St. Patricks day, which is Irish. Ruebens are strickly Jewish/German. Try New England boiled dinner or other wise known as Corn beef and cabbage. Throw in some Irish soda bread for good measure.
This meal is considered to bring you the luck of the Irish.;-)