Pan-Grilled Reubens with Spicy Thousand Island Dressing

Time to use up the corned beef left over from the Braised Corn Beef Brisket with Carrots and Kale—or purchase good-quality corned beef from your favorite deli. Reuben sandwiches make a tasty and hearty casual dinner, especially when they’re served hot out of the grill pan, panini-style. (I used Texas toast instead of rye bread in this recipe simply because the thicker slices hold up better in the grill pan.)

Homemade Thousand Island is a cinch to prepare. I gave the dressing a spicy kick with sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) in place of the chili sauce commonly included in recipes. The little bit of heat gives a scrumptious finish to the creamy dressing.

This recipe makes more than you’ll need for two sandwiches. Double the reuben ingredients for four servings or save the leftover Thousand Island to toss with hearty greens for a delicious, simple salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Spicy Thousand Island

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 tbsp ground fresh chile paste (sambal oelek)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Mayo, Ketchup, Chile Paste, and Relish Ready to Mix

Egg, Shallot, Pepper, and Mustard Ready to Add

For the Reubens

• 4 slices Texas toast
• 4-5 oz thinly sliced corned beef
• 1 cup sauerkraut, gently warmed
• 4 very thin slices Swiss cheese
• olive oil, for brushing

Sliced Corned Beef

Preparation

For the Spicy Thousand Island

1. Combine the mayo and next 7 ingredients (through egg) in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (may be made a day ahead).

Spicy Thousand Island Dressing 

For the Reubens

1. Lay the bread on a work surface and spread all 4 slices with a generous amount of dressing.
2. Divide the corned beef onto 2 slices and top with sauerkraut. Lay 2 slices of cheese each over the sauerkraut and top the sandwiches.

Bread Slices with Dressing

Beef Added to Sandwiches

Sauerkraut Added

Cheese Added

1. Heat a grill pan (or large, heavy skillet) over medium heat and brush with oil. Grill the sandwiches, pressing down with a grill press or large, heavy spatula as they cook, until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill 2-3 minutes longer, until golden and hot throughout.

Press the Sandwiches During Grilling

Grilled Reubens

To serve, remove the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut each diagonally in half. Serve right away.