I have a confession. I like the Thanksgiving leftovers better than the holiday feast.
The Thanksgiving meal is a family favorite, and I love all of the foods. But what makes me even happier is opening the fridge the next morning and foraging for a slice of apple pie or some leftover roasted Brussels sprouts, and especially pulling out this, that and the other to make a masterpiece of a turkey sandwich.
A classic Reuben sandwich is made with corned beef, Russian or Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on rye bread. But this version made with turkey hits all of the notes and is one of the best uses of post-Thanksgiving leftover turkey that I can think of. It’s far above a plain old (possibly dry) turkey sandwich with a bit of mustard and mayo between two slices of cold bread.
A quick version of sauerkraut is what makes this sandwich spectacular (and a Reuben!). I like to sliver my cabbage very thin for slaws and krauts, and I go for Napa or Savoy cabbage, which is a bit lighter in texture than green head cabbage. My recipe calls for apple cider, apple vinegar and a bit of beer (and hey, that open beer shouldn’t go to waste – a perfect pairing for this sandwich.)
Then, a dump-and-stir Russian dressing, Swiss cheese or Gruyere, and rye bread are the clinchers. With the turkey, griddle the whole thing up, and remember that you can make this sandwich any time of the year with leftover turkey or even sliced turkey from the deli.
Do you have some good leftover sides, like Brussels sprouts or roasted vegetables, from the Thanksgiving meal? Pile them into bowls, and a sandwich meal becomes a feast.
Double or triple this recipe as needed. Extra sauerkraut and Russian dressing can be kept in tightly sealed containers in the fridge for up to one week. (Make some hot dogs or sausages later in the week to use up the leftover sauerkraut.)
Makes 4 sandwiches
Make the Sauerkraut: Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage, onions and salt, and sauté for 5 minutes, until slightly wilted. Stir in the mustard seeds, then add the cider vinegar, cider and beer, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat to keep at a simmer and cook until the cabbage is fairly tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Make the Russian Dressing: While the cabbage is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, onion, relish, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Build the Sandwiches: Spread one side of each slice of bread with the softened butter. Place 4 bread slices on a cutting board, buttered side down. Spread the slices with the Russian Dressing, about 1 tablespoon on each. Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of well-drained sauerkraut onto each piece. Top with two slices of turkey, then 1/4 of the gruyere cheese. Place the remaining bread on top to finish the sandwiches, making sure the buttered side faces up.
Griddle the Sandwiches: Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches (you will probably have to cook them two at a time), and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until the outside is nicely browned, and the cheese has melted.
Serve: Cut in half and serve hot.
Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes. For more Thanksgiving stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/thanksgiving, and for more holiday stories go to https://apnews.com/hub/holidays.
Turkey reuben sandwiches appear in New York on Oct. 17, 2017. (Katie Workman via AP)
Turkey reuben sandwiches appear in New York on Oct. 17, 2017. (Katie Workman via AP)
A table spread featuring turkey reuben sandwiches appear in New York on Oct. 17, 2017. (Katie Workman via AP)
Russia's military captured a British national fighting with Ukrainian troops who have occupied part of Russia's Kursk region, according to reports Monday, as Moscow began daylight drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and its ground forces accelerated gains along parts of the front line.
The Briton was identified by state news agency Tass and other media as James Scott Rhys Anderson. Tass quoted him as saying that he had served as a signalman in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in Russia's nearly 3-year-old war against its neighbor.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces are straining to hold at bay a push by Russia's bigger army at places in the eastern Donetsk region. Russian forces recently have gained ground at “a significantly quicker rate” than they did in the whole of last year, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.
The Russians have detected and are exploiting weaknesses in the Ukrainian defenses, it said in an analysis late Sunday.
The war surpassed 1,000 days last week, and the milestone coincided with a significant escalation in hostilities.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said Russia is adapting its drone tactics, as it fired 145 Shahed drones at Ukraine.
Russia has started launching drones during the day, whereas in the past most drone attacks occurred during the night, the air force said.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the National Security Council’s Counter-disinformation Center, said earlier this month that the Russians were looking to conserve their stocks of more destructive but more expensive missiles and also terrorize civilians.
The air force said it stopped almost all the drones before they struck.
But a morning missile attack on downtown Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the northeast, injured at least 23 people, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. He said the attack on a densely populated residential area was carried out by a modified surface-to-air S-400 missile.
The captured Briton reportedly served as an instructor for Ukrainian troops and was deployed to the Kursk region against his will. Tass published a video of the man saying in English that he doesn’t want to be “here.”
The report couldn’t be independently verified, but if confirmed it could be one of the first publicly known case of a Western national captured on Russian soil while fighting for Ukraine.
The U.K. Embassy in Moscow said officials were "supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention” but provided no further details.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The soldier’s father, Scott Anderson, told Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper that his son’s Ukrainian commander had informed him that the young man had been captured.
Scott Anderson said his son had served in the British military for four years, then briefly worked as a police custody officer before going to Ukraine to fight. He said he tried to convince his son not to join the Ukrainian military, and now he fears for his safety.
“I’m hoping he’ll be used as a bargaining chip, but my son told me they torture their prisoners and I’m so frightened he’ll be tortured," he told the newspaper.
The International Legion for Defense of Ukraine was created at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Legion is a unit of Ukraine’s Ground Forces that consists mostly of foreign volunteers. Apart from the Legion, Ukraine recruits foreigners to other units of its army, filling squads, companies, or even battalions.
Early on in the war, Ukraine’s authorities said over 20,000 people from 52 countries came to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's aggression. Ever since, the numbers of foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian military have been classified.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
In this photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry press service on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, Russian servicemen operate a Russian Uragan self-propelled multiple rocket launcher in an undisclosed location. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
