I love St. Patrick's Day food! So many delicious meal options.. Irish Soda Bread, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Potato and Leek Soup.. ah the list goes on! So why am I doing a simple Corned Beef Reuben with a Red Potato Colcannon? As I may have mentioned before, I have a family I cook for, and sadly they do not care for the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. So I still get two of my favorites making this excellent sandwich and side dish. Corned Beef. And Cabbage. Just separate dishes this time around.
So you can go two ways with your Reubens. I do a classic Reuben for my husband and I and the kids opt for the Corned Beef sandwich. They can't appreciate what the sauerkraut does to the taste of the entire sandwich or the Russian Dressing. Someday I'm sure they will, but for their ages it's all about the visual and making up their minds that they DO NOT like something, even if they haven't tried it. That's ok, it's more for us, for now and we'll take it!
Do you want to cook your own corned beef and slice it up hot? Go for it! For me, I'm making it simple. After all, they didn't want the cooked version of corned beef and cabbage so off to the deli counter I go. The only "real" cooking I'll be doing for this meal is the Colcannon.
Ingredients for Corned Beef Reuben Sandwiches
1 lb thinly sliced corned beef
Rye bread (I like to use marble or light rye) a 1/2" thick
Unsalted butter for the bread (I like unsalted because the corned beef has plenty itself)
Sauerkraut of your choosing, drained
Russian dressing (see recipe below) OR you can use Thousand Island Dressing in a pinch, but the fresh made dressing will knock your socks off!
Swiss cheese (about 2 slices per sandwich depending on how big your bread is)
When making my Reubens I build as I go. Butter side down bread on a medium heated skillet, corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, dressing, butter side up bread. Grill it nice and toasty brown on both sides or to your liking. You can add your dressing after you cook it too if you're not wanting to make too big of a mess of your pan.
Ingredients for Russian Dressing
1 cup real mayonnaise - Don't use Miracle Whip, it will NOT be the same
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp dill juice (from a pickle jar) or you can throw dill relish in there if you have it on hand
1/2 small onion, minced finely
1 tsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp minced garlic (you can use powder if that's what you have)
1/2 tsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate. This makes about 2 cups of dressing and can be stored in a tightly sealed container to use for other dishes.
If you've never had Colcannon, you've been missing out. I make a more healthy version, cutting out the heavy cream that many recipes you'll find of this call for. You can get creative with this recipe as well if it suits you. Colcannon is high in fiber, potassium and calcium and very low in cholesterol as well as calories.
Ingredients for Red Potato Colcannon
1 pound small red potatos, scrubbed and cut in half
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup skim milk
6 cups thinly sliced cabbage (you'll use about 1/2 a head of cabbage)
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced fine (yep, only one, you're not trying to overpower, just marry flavors)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Steam your cleaned and cut potatoes for about 15 minutes. Have you ever tried those veggie steamer bags? Those work wonders and cut the time down about 2/3! As your potatoes are cooking, slice, chop and mince your other ingredients and get your butter melting in a large skillet over medium heat. Careful not to burn the butter! Add onion and saute them about 2 minutes then add garlic, and cabbage and cook until cabbage begins to brown in about 5 minutes. Stir in your milk, salt and pepper and reduce heat to the low setting and cover for 8 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add entire cabbage mixture to potatoes and mash to desired consistency.
Even the pickiest eaters love these potatoes! And you didn't have to slave over an oven all day long to make a meal with traditional St. Patricks Day food! Erin Go Bragh!
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