Little Reubens Recipes

THE REAL REUBEN

Steps:

• Place bread on baking sheet or broiling pan. Layer corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese on top of bread slices.
• Broil on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve hot with Thousand Island dressing.

LITTLE REUBENS

Steps:

• Unroll dough into 16 triangles; cut each triangle lengthwise into thirds and place one Little Smokey on each piece; If using hot dogs, leave dough in original size and place one hot dogs on each crescent roll.
• Place 1 tbsp.(for hot dogs) or 1/2 tablespoons (for Smokies) sauerkraut around meat, and roll up --ending with point of triangle. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
• Mix dressing and horseradish; Serve as dipping sauce.

LITTLE REUBENS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cut each frank into 6 pieces. Unroll dough into 16 triangles; cut each triangle lengthwise into thirds. Place 1 tsp. sauerkraut and 1 frank on wide end of each triangle; roll up. Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 min. or until golden brown.
• Mix dressing and horseradish; serve with franks.

LITTLE REUBEN PIES

Steps:

• If you haven't cooked your own corned beef, you can find some at the deli - but either way, make sure it's sliced super thin. I find my inexpensive hand slicer is ideal for making short work of slicing chilled meats.
• Put the sauerkraut in a cast iron or other non-stick skillet on medium heat. For every cup of sauerkraut, add about 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds and several grinds of black pepper. Saute the sauerkraut until just begining to brown slightly and the moisture is absorbed. Add the corned beef and mix together well, breaking up the corned beef slices as you do until all is well incorporated. Turn off the heat, add 1 cup grated Swiss cheese for every two cups of corned beef/sauerkraut mix and stir well. Cool to room temperature.
• Roll out your pastry dough - I used a store-bought dough from the refrigerated section, brought it to room temperature and rolled it out just slightly. You don't want it too thin - the filling is heavy and things could break apart. Cut circles from the dough using a glass, small bowl, pastry round -- whatever you have, and what ever size you'd like. You could make a mega-pie and eat with a fork, but hand-held is fun! Smear a bit of strong mustard on half of the dough circle and put on a good mound of the filling. Fold over, align the edges and crimp with a fork. Brush on a thin layer of egg wash (one egg, well beaten) and poke a couple of small air holes.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (this depends on the size of your pie!) until golden brown. Serve with any or all of : Strong mustard, horseradish sauce, Russian dressing. Enjoy!

MINI REUBENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler.
• Arrange cocktail rye slices on a baking sheet. Top each one with about 2 teaspoons of thousand island salad dressing, then fold about 1/2 slice of corned beef to fit the bread, and lay over the dressing. Place a small amount of sauerkraut over the meat, then top with 1/4 slice of the Swiss cheese, or a slice about as big as the bread.
• Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

LOBSTER REUBENS

Steps:

• Make the slaw: Put the cabbage in a small bowl. Sprinkle the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and the celery seeds over the top and toss well. Let stand, tossing frequently, until the cabbage wilts, about 20 minutes.
• Make the sandwiches: In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and paprika. Add half of the dressing to the lobster meat and toss well to combine. Arrange the bread slices on a work surface and spread a little of the remaining dressing on each slice. Put a slice of cheese on each piece of bread; divide the lobster meat among 4 of the slices, then top each with one-quarter of the slaw. Invert the remaining cheese-covered bread slices onto each sandwich. Spread 1/2 tablespoon butter on the top of each sandwich.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and swirl the pan to coat it. Arrange the sandwiches, butter-side up, in the pan and cook until the bottoms are golden, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the other sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes. Remove the sandwiches from the pan and let stand 1 minute before slicing on the diagonal and serving warm.
• To cook your own lobster, boil two 2 1/4-pound lobsters in a large pot of salted water, covered, 5 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat and simmer 8 more minutes. Drain and let cool; remove the meat.