Mini-Reuben Appetizers

Sometimes it’s tough to come up with a good meal to cook for a football Saturday (or Sunday). It seems like everyone else makes the obligatory crock pot meatballs and cheesy rotel dip, but sometimes you want something a little more substantial. You know, something that won’t fit on a toothpick. That’s when I make mini-reuben sandwiches.

While this might not be as cheap and easy as throwing some Velveeta into a crock pot with a can of diced tomatoes, it’s certainly a crowd-pleaser.

Mini-Reuben Appetizers

2 bags of potato rolls
1 lb sliced corned beef
3/4 lbs sliced Swiss cheese
2 cans sauerkraut, drained
2 cups Russian or Thousand Island dressing

Preheat your oven to 350°. While it’s warming, dump the sauerkraut into a pan and cook it over medium heat for about ten minutes. You just want to cook off the excess water so the flavor intensifies and the moisture doesn’t make the sandwiches soggy.

Using a long knife, slice the bread in half, being extra careful not to tear the pieces into individual rolls. Lay them cut-side up on a cookie sheet, spray with a little PAM, and pop it into the oven until the bread gets a little toasted.

Once the bread is crunchy, you layer the cheese so it acts as a moisture barrier.

Next, layer the corned beef on the bottom halves of the bread and the sauerkraut on the top half.

Finally, drizzle the dressing over the sauerkraut and pop the sheet pans into the oven. Change the setting to broil (500°) so it crisps the meat and disperses the dressing. This only takes a couple of minutes once the broiler gets hot. I don’t even close the oven door all the way because I want the
steam to escape. Take the sheet pans out of the oven when they look slightly dried and let them cool for a minute or two.

Now comes the tricky part. Slide another cookie sheet under the top half on the sandwiches. In one fluid motion, flip the top half onto the bottom half of the sandwiches. You’ll probably have to straighten it a little with your hands, but it should be a relatively clean maneuver.