I’m not a big meat eater. That’s not to say I consider myself a vegetarian or a vegan. I’ve tried both lifestyles in the past and I admire the dedication it takes to stay diligent with it. Unfortunately, it’s not something I can keep up with on a daily or permanent basis.  When it comes to being a carnivore, my usual preferences are seafood and the occasional serving of poultry. I don’t particularly like the taste of beef or pork, so these reubens (which I suppose could also be considered a fancier alternative to a simple grilled cheese sandwich, depending on how you look at it), made with freshly sliced turkey, are a nice substitute to corned beef. They’re quick and easy to make- and they taste delicious.

YOU WILL NEED:

* A griddle or frying pan.

* A spatula

* Challah bread (or rye, depending on personal preference.)

* Butter

* Thousand island dressing

* Sliced turkey (the amount may vary depending on how many people you’re serving/reubens you’re making. I had bought a half pound and still had plenty left over to last me for the next couple of days.)

* Sliced cheddar cheese.

* Coleslaw (or sauerkraut. Again, it depends on personal preference.)

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. As your griddle/frying pan is warming up, butter one side of your sliced bread of choice, placing it buttered-side down to gradually grill. On the dry side of your bread, spread a little (or a lot of. Nobody’s judging you for it,) thousand island dressing around.

2. After you’ve got your thousand island dressing spread, layer a slice of cheddar cheese (you can do more than one, but I didn’t want it to taste too much like cheddar since there’s so many other flavors going on at once) and pile on your sliced turkey.

*NOTE* Per request, a couple of the sandwiches were made with sliced ham, instead- which explains the differences in color and texture in the meat pictured. I wasn’t using uncooked/expired/radioactive turkey or anything.

3. Once the desired cheese and meat amounts have been achieved, spoon a helping of coleslaw on top. You can use sauerkraut if you want, since that’s what typically goes on reubens, but personally I’m not a fan of the stuff, and I feel coleslaw gives the sandwich the tangy kick it needs- but with no weird aftertaste.

4. Grabbing another slice of bread, spread a little more butter on one side for even grilling. On the other side, spread more thousand island dressing. From there, press the bread- thousand island dressing-side down- on top of your coleslaw, meat, and cheese to sandwich everything together.

5. Using your spatula, continually press down and flip the sandwich on the griddle/frying pan until both sides are grilled to a crisp golden-brown. You want your slice of cheddar cheese to melt without getting too watery.

6. Remove the sandwich from the griddle/frying pan, let cool, and enjoy!

Typically I serve these reubens with a cup of soup or a small side salad. Fresh out of ingredients for either one at the time, however- I served them to some company with lightly salted, crisped potato wedges, instead.

Nobody seemed to mind. These sandwiches were a hit.