Mini Reuben Party Sandwiches

The Big Game is coming up and these mini Reuben appetizers could be the hit of your Superbowl party.  Reuben sandwiches have been around for a long time but, if you're like me, you tend to forget about them until St. Patrick's Day.  We enjoyed these at a New Year's Eve party at the home of good friends and we loved them so much that they were fresh in my mind.  The home-baked corned beef makes these very special!  If you don't like corned beef, you could try using smoked turkey breast instead.

The beauty of these Mini Reubens is that the corned beef can be made a day or two ahead of time and the sandwiches can be assembled early in the day and popped under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving.   Who doesn't love melted cheese on game day!?!

We've been trying to enjoy the remainder of winter as much as possible, especially with our grandsons.  Here in Wisconsin, you need to find as much outdoor fun as possible!  Overall, it's been a pretty dry winter, snow-wise, so the local ski hills have had to use snow machines.  Recently, we took our middle grandson snow-tubing at a near-by ski hill where we learned how to ski with our daughters when they were his age!  After more than just a few trips down the tubing slide he enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate in the lodge. Great way to chase away the winter blues!  

Baked Corned Beef Brisket

Printable Recipe

Time to cook - about 4 - 4-1/2 hours 

3-4 lb corned beef brisket, I like to trim just a little of the fat layer away if it's really thick. 

1 spice flavor packet included with corned beef

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 275°

Remove the corned beef from the package, discarding the brine solution. Pat dry. 

Combine the flavor packet with the rest of the ingredients. 

Place corned beef into a Dutch oven with cover, fat side up. I used an enameled cast iron oval Dutch oven, or use a 9 x 13 baking dish tightly covered with foil. 

Sprinkle meat with seasonings and pat into the brisket. Add 1/3 cup of water to the bottom of the pan and cover.

Bake for 3-1/2 hours.

Remove the cover from the Dutch oven and cook for an addition 30-60 minutes, basting with the pan juices occasionally making sure the juices don't cook away completely. Add a little more water, if necessary. Baking time is about 1-1/5 hours per pound. 

Continue baking until the brisket is fork tender. It may take additional time depending on the thickness of the brisket.

Allow the meat to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing, then against the grain. 

If using for Reuben sandwiches, the meat is much easier to cut if the brisket can be refrigerated overnight with any remaining pan juices poured over the top. Cover with plastic wrap.

Adapted from Genius Kitchen

Mini Corned Beef Sandwich Appetizers

Printable Recipe

1 package cocktail rye bread.  I used Rubschlager brand

Sliced, baked corned beef

Fresh sauerkraut.  I used a fresh Bavarian Sauerkraut found in the meat department of my store.

Thousand Island Dressing, such as Marie's or Marzetti's

Swiss cheese slices, divided into 4ths

If desired, you may garnish with chopped chives or green onion.  

Place an oven rack about 4-5 inches beneath the broiler then heat the broiler to medium.

On a baking sheet, arrange single slices of cocktail rye bread. Top with a tablespoon of fresh sauerkraut followed by a dollop of dressing. Add about 2 quarters of Swiss Cheese or as much as desired.

Note: The Reubens can be assembled up to this point, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to broil.  

Broil Reubens on the baking sheet until the cheese begins to melt and bubble.  Remove from oven to a platter and serve immediately.  Extra dressing may be served on the side.  

Great with mini Gherkin pickles!