There’s just something about the combination of corned beef, rye bread and sauerkraut, and you’re either a lover (like me) or a hater (like my husband, Brad). He cannot stand sauerkraut, but that’s OK, there’s more for me! As I mentioned in my previous post on corned beef and cabbage, one of the reasons I like to cook a corned beef brisket is so I have leftovers to make other meals. As promised, here’s my recipe for Reuben paninis, which takes the classic deli sandwich and puts a slightly different twist on it by pressing it (I use my George Foreman grill that I’ve had forever – it works just as well as a panini press.)

Ingredients (for one panini)

• 2 slices of rye bread (with seeds or without – your choice)
• Thousand Island dressing or spicy mustard, to taste (choose one)
• 2-3 oz. cooked corned beef, thinly sliced (use more if you’d like)
• ½ cup (more or less) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (I prefer the type you find in your grocer’s deli section, such as Boar’s Head)
• 1-2 slices Swiss cheese (I use reduced fat)
• Butter or margarine, enough to thinly spread on each slice of bread

Preparation

Turn on your panini press (or in my case, the George Foreman grill) to high heat.

Spread the Thousand Island dressing or spicy mustard on each slice of the rye. Place the corned beef on one slice of the bread.

Spoon the sauerkraut on top of the corned beef and top with a slice or two of Swiss cheese.

Add the other piece of bread and butter each side. Grill for 5 minutes or so – the bread should be nice and brown and the cheese should be melted.

I like to serve this with pickle and chips.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry.