Gluten-Free Reuben Sandwich

Well, almost. There obviously isn’t any rye bread in this version and I am too lazy to make my own GF Rye-Style bread with added Caraway Seed!  I also added a little bit of pastrami in my variation just because I like it.

Click this link for a little history on the Reuben Sandwich.

I can remember my dad eating these when I was growing up and they just seemed rather unappealing to me, Thousand Island Dressing and Sauerkraut… UFTA! Well, never say never, right? When we became a gluten-free household, Mike and I wanted to make it fun, since we would no longer be eating out all the time; so we like to have themes on occasion and the weekends are usually “Deli Days.” Mike and I each worked at deli’s when we were kids. I worked at one that only served cold sandwiches and Mike worked at one that served hot sandwiches. Hot sandwiches are definitely the way to go! Mike has been teaching me the art of making hot sandwiches and today we made Reuben’s. I am 36 and have never had one before… they are actually pretty good!

I found this article How to Make a Reuben Sandwich, Restaurant Style and used it as a guideline for building my own GF Reuben. I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread, Boar’s Head Sauerkraut, to which I added some Caraway Seed for that “rye-like” flavor. I also used Boar’s Head Pastrami and Kroger’s (Private Selection brand) Corned Beef. I found a Finlandia Cheese multi-pack of deli cheese slices last week at Sam’s Club (yes, Finlandia Cheeses are gluten-free, see question #13).

Start by spreading butter (we used Smart Balance) on one side of each slice of bread.

Lay the buttered side of each bread slice facing down on the griddle.

Lay a thin slice of Swiss cheese on each slice of bread (I said this was gluten-free, not "healthy!") 😀

Meanwhile, I sauteed some Sauerkraut in a separate pan. I added about 1/4 tsp. of Caraway Seed for a flavor reminiscent of rye bread.

Saute Corned Beef (and Pastrami if you add it), until warm.

Holy Cow! 710mg of Sodium!!! This is one of the reasons that "Deli Days" are reserved for the weekend! 🙂

Another reason that "Deli Days" are reserved for the weekend! Boar's Head IS worth it though. 🙂

I used just under a Tbs. of Thousand Island Dressing.

This is what happens when you send your husband to the grocery store. This proved to be a good teaching moment for us though...

Check out this label. "Naturally Helps Better Absorb Vitamins A & E." It would be very easy to think this was a smart choice, right? (Cutting my hubby some slack here).

Note: High Fructose Corn Syrup. Also Note: "Gluten-Free" on the label. I think this is the first Unilever product I have seen with the "Gluten-Free" label on the product.

Add Sauteed Corned Beef (and Pastrami) to one of the slices of bread, top with Thousand Island Dressing.

Anyone have a good homemade Thousand Island Dressing Recipe???

Top the meat/dressing side with the Sauerkraut.

Exquisitely Scrumptious... as an occasional treat.

And for dessert, the cake I decorated in my Fondant Class yesterday:

Don’t be fooled by my photograph, take a closer look:

See all the lumps and bumps at the back of the cake? I am NO Martha Stewart that’s for sure! 🙂 But ya know what? Who cares? I had a lot of fun trying on a new hat but I also know that I want a Cricut Cake more than ever!! 🙂 I also found a new fondant that tastes great (for fondant) and is MUCH easier to work with than other mainstream ready-made Rolled Fondants, it’s called Satin Ice and it is GLUTEN-FREE (Dairy-Free and Nut-Free too)!!