A few years back while I was in Denver for a week-long work trip, it was brought to my attention that not everyone knows what a Rachel is.  Thinking maybe it was a Minnesota thing, I asked my co-workers for back up.  They had no idea what I was talking about.  After returning home, I had to prove to myself that I wasn’t crazy, and to my newly made friends that the Rachel exists (and that I wasn’t crazy).  My best girlfriend had my back, so I knew I was right!

There seem to be a few variations of the Rachel; some are made with pastrami, and some with turkey (the right way in my opinion!).  In case you are one of the uninformed people who have no idea what I am talking about, a Rachel is basically a Reuben sandwich made with turkey (or as previously mentioned, pastrami).

I decided to make one of each for St. Patrick’s day.  The best part about this sandwich was the Russian dressing.  Instead of using the classic ketchup and mayo combination, I spiced it up with chili sauce and Miracle Whip along with a few other ingredients.  I found my inspiration for the sauce here.

Reuben/Rachel

Ingredients:

4 slices marble rye bread
1/2 lb corned beef or turkey
1/4 cup Russian dressing (recipe follows)
1/2 cup sauerkraut
4 slices swiss cheese

Directions:
1. Heat panini grill or press to medium heat.  You could also use a frying pan.
2. Spread each slice of bread with Russian Dressing.  Pile 1/2 of the meat on two slices of the bread.  Top each with sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and the bread.
3.  Grill the sandwiches 3-5 minutes over medium heat on each side.  Serve with extra Russian dressing if desired.

Russian Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup dill pickle, finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grated horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine Miracle Whip, chili sauce, yogurt, cilantro, onion, dill pickle, lemon juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.