Recipe: Vegetarian Portobello Reuben Sandwich

I know this isn’t the DIY Ring Bowls I promised. I made one, took the photos of the process and the final project, then decided I didn’t like how the bowl was looking and started over. The same thing happened when I was writing my thesis. I was writing about the subconscious effects of poor branding on a persons perception of a nonprofit or, in fancy thesis titles, “Neuromarketing & Brand Characteristics: How Good & Bad Logo Design Impacts the Public’s Perception of Your Arts Organization.” The argument was that non profits should stop using their board members neighbors kid who owns photoshop to make their logo. BUT about two days before it was due, I came up with an idea that would have been PERFECT to write about. Thankfully Andrew talked some sense into me and convinced me that no, you can’t write an entire thesis in 48 hours (I’d been working on my current one for five months). However, Andrew wasn’t here when I realized I had a much better idea for the ring bowls that includes SO much more glitter than before. Check back here on Tuesday for the post!

Wow, so that was a lot of rambling to try and explain why you are looking at a picture of a delicious sandwich. A long time ago, Andrew and I made a cookbook for our families as Christmas gifts, and this was a recipe in that book. It also means I have 33 back up recipe posts if something doesn’t go as planned!

I’m not a big meat eater, but LOVE a good reuben sandwich (minus all that corned beef). Naturally, I went straight to portobello mushrooms since they are a really good substitute for meat in something like this. The dark, earthy flavor of the rye bread compliments the portobello mushrooms, while a good sprinkle of smoked paprika adds a complex, sweet and smokey flavor that one may miss due to the lack of corned beef. Homemade Russian dressing gets a little kick from grated horseradish that also helps cut through the richness of the melted swiss cheese and brightening up the flavors. Lastly, the sourness from the sauerkraut rounds everything out. You won’t even miss the meat! Okay, I know that isn’t true for some of you, but if your reaction was “ugh, mushrooms AREN’T CORNED BEEF” then perhaps we can call it something different so you think of it as an entirely different type of sammich. How about, Forest Sammich or It Still has Melted Cheese Sammich or At Least it’s Not Walleye? Yeah, those are all horrible names. Let’s forget I ever said those. You will just have to trust me. If you like reuben’s and you like mushrooms, you will LOVE this Portobello Reuben (like + like = love, right? That’s how math works?)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PORTOBELLO REUBEN SANDWICH

• 3 portobello mushroom caps, thickly sliced
• 4 slices rye bread
• ⅔ cup sauerkraut
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

RUSSIAN DRESSING

• ½ cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire
• ¼ cup chili sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Arrange mushroom slices in a single layer in pan, cook until golden brown, then flip. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
2. While mushrooms are cooking, combine mayo, horseradish, Worcestershire, and chili sauce. Set aside.
3. Heat oven to 425. Place four slices of bread on baking sheet. Layer half the mushrooms, two slices of cheese, and ⅓ cup sauerkraut over two slices of bread. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted.
4. Spread sauce over a plain slice of bread cut in half.
5. Grab a pile of napkins or full on embrace the messiness Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives style.

Don’t forget to share your Portobello Rueben photos on Instagram! #peonyandinkrecipes