- Softened butter for bread (optional for oven method)
- 2 slices rye bread (Simple Kneads makes an excellent GF option)
- 1½ – 2 tablespoons Quick Russian Dressing (may substitute store-bought Russian or Thousand Island)
- ¼ cup coleslaw, drained of excess liquid (printable recipe directly below this recipe; may substitute sauerkraut or kimchi)
- 2 to 4 ounces turkey, thinly sliced
- 2 slices Swiss cheese
The Rachel Sandwich (Grilled or Baked)
Yield: 1 sandwich (baked method makes scaling up easy)
You may use store-bought dressing and slaw in these sandwiches, although the easy recipes allow you to work with what you have on hand–and you may find yourself returning to them again and again!
For the sandwich:
For the Quick Russian Dressing:
- ¼ cup (56g) mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoon (25g) ketchup
- 1 teaspoon (5g) prepared horseradish (use 1½ teaspoons for extra zing)
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
For the Quick Russian Dressing: (Yield: ⅓ cup) Stir together and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will keep for a week or more in the fridge, and the recipe doubles easily.
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 400℉ and place the bread on a baking sheet. Lightly spread one side of the bread with butter, if using, and then place butter side down. Bake for about 4 to 5 minutes to toast. When the bread is lightly toasted, remove from the oven and spread the dressing over the unbuttered side of one of the slices. Top the dressing-covered slice with the turkey and the other slice with the cheese. (Tip: To prevent melting onto the baking sheet, break the cheese if needed and arrange so it’s all on the bread.) Bake the still-open sandwich for about 5 minutes or until the turkey is hot, the cheese is melted, and the bread is lightly golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven, top the turkey side with the drained coleslaw, place the cheese slice on top, cut in half and enjoy!
For stovetop method: Prepare the sandwich as above, placing the halves together. You may add the coleslaw, although for a hot-cold contrast, I usually wait. Heat a skillet over medium-low. Add the sandwich and cook until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the sandwich over and cook until the other side has browned and the cheese has melted. If you waited to add the coleslaw, separate the bread slices, and add it now. Put the sandwich back together, cut in half, and enjoy.
For panini method: Fully assemble the sandwiches, including the coleslaw, and grill on the heated press for 4 minutes or until the bread is nicely golden. (In this case, I fully assemble with the coleslaw because the pressed sandwich is difficult to pry open—although you may try. Even though I typically add the coleslaw after cooking, it still tastes delicious this way.)
Notes:
Prefer an open-faced sandwich? The oven method makes this easy. Simply prepare the turkey side of the sandwich as directed and bake for a few minutes until warmed through. Then top with the coleslaw and cheese, and broil briefly, watching very closely, to melt the cheese.