Made with St. Helga's Swiss

With those Reuben Eggrolls from the State Fair still on our mind, we needed to grab a Reuben sando for lunch this week.  In an homage to one of our favorite quick lunch spots in Minneapolis, Coastal Seafood (check out their cheese case while you are there, too), here is our recipe for a Smoked Salmon Reuben.  Try this and it will quickly debunk the “cheese and seafood don’t go together” myth.

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches)

• ½ lb Smoked Salmon (you can always use the same amount of corned beef or turkey to make a classic Reuben or Rachel if you prefer)
• ½ lb of your favorite Sauerkraut
• ½ cup St. Helga’s Swiss, shredded (or 4 ounces of St. Helga’s thinly sliced with a cheese planer or knife)
• 4 slices of your favorite rye bread
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Dressing

• We like the recipes from Epicurious or Martha Stewart.*  Both are excellent.  The Epicurious recipe will add a bit of heat to the recipe, while the Martha Stewart will add some briny flavors.

Instructions:

1. Follow your favorite recipe for dressing.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.  This can be made ahead of time.  If you are using store-bought dressing, skip this step.
2. Time to make the sandwiches.  Spread one side of each slice of bread with about ½ tablespoon of butter.
3. Arrange 2 slices of buttered bread face down on a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan on low-medium heat.  Slather on 2 tablespoons of dressing on each slice of bread, top with 1/4lb of smoked salmon, ¼ cup of Sauerkraut, and 2 ounces of sliced or shredded St. Helga’s Swiss.  Place the other slices of bread on the sandwiches, buttered side up.
4. Cook the sandwich until the underside is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.  Flip and cook until the other side is golden and crispy as well.
5. Serve warm with your favorite side.

*or buy your favorite Thousand Island dressing if that works best for you!  Either way is perfectly fine.