Recipe: Easy Reuben sandwich

Getting the balance of ingredients right is the key to a good Reuben sandwich.

Serves 1

The best Reuben sandwiches strike a balance with a good helping of corned beef or pastrami, a bit of cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island Dressing.

3 tbsp Thousand Island Dressing
2 slices rye bread (traditional) or wholegrain
45g Gruyere cheese
½ cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed of excess moisture
4 generous slices corned beef (about 125g)
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1: Spread 1 tbsp of the dressing on one piece of bread and top with half of the cheese, half of the sauerkraut, and all of the meat. Spread another tbsp of the dressing over the meat and top with the remaining sauerkraut and cheese, in that order.

2: Spread the remaining tbsp of dressing on the remaining piece of bread and place it on top of the cheese, dressing side down. Press firmly to close the sandwich, then evenly spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich.

3: Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, place the sandwich in the pan, and press down on the sandwich with a spatula. (Alternatively, you can cook the sandwich in a sandwich press.) Cook until the bread is crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the sandwich is warmed through, about 4 minutes more.