Little Reuben Pies Recipes

REUBEN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine meat, oats, Worcestershire sauce, egg, pepper and garlic powder.
• Turn mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and pat evenly into bottom and up sides (Yes, the meat is the pie crust!).
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and drain fat.
• Meanwhile combine sauerkraut, cheese, caraway seeds, and 1/4 of the onions.
• Turn into drained crust and return to oven for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle with remaining onions and heat for another 5 minutes.
• Pass catsup or chili sauce to spoon over individual portions.

REUBEN-STYLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For the potato topper: Boil the potatoes in salted water until just tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Heat the butter and EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat and toast the caraway seeds. Pour the caraway mixture over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and squish them with the bottom of a water glass to flatten them. Roast until crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Leave the oven on. Meanwhile, for the casserole filling: Heat the EVOO in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the corned beef and cook until browned, and then remove to a plate. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add the garlic, celery, bay leaf, carrots and onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Return the corned beef to the skillet. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until light golden. Whisk in the beer, Worcestershire, mustard and consomme; season with pepper. Pour the gravy over the corned beef mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the sauerkraut, cheeses and potatoes. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through. Meanwhile, for the Russian dressing topper: Combine the sour cream, ketchup, relish and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the casserole with the dressing and garnish with watercress just before serving. Cook's Note: The unbaked casserole can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat in the oven before serving.

LITTLE REUBEN PIES

Steps:

• If you haven't cooked your own corned beef, you can find some at the deli - but either way, make sure it's sliced super thin. I find my inexpensive hand slicer is ideal for making short work of slicing chilled meats.
• Put the sauerkraut in a cast iron or other non-stick skillet on medium heat. For every cup of sauerkraut, add about 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds and several grinds of black pepper. Saute the sauerkraut until just begining to brown slightly and the moisture is absorbed. Add the corned beef and mix together well, breaking up the corned beef slices as you do until all is well incorporated. Turn off the heat, add 1 cup grated Swiss cheese for every two cups of corned beef/sauerkraut mix and stir well. Cool to room temperature.
• Roll out your pastry dough - I used a store-bought dough from the refrigerated section, brought it to room temperature and rolled it out just slightly. You don't want it too thin - the filling is heavy and things could break apart. Cut circles from the dough using a glass, small bowl, pastry round -- whatever you have, and what ever size you'd like. You could make a mega-pie and eat with a fork, but hand-held is fun! Smear a bit of strong mustard on half of the dough circle and put on a good mound of the filling. Fold over, align the edges and crimp with a fork. Brush on a thin layer of egg wash (one egg, well beaten) and poke a couple of small air holes.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (this depends on the size of your pie!) until golden brown. Serve with any or all of : Strong mustard, horseradish sauce, Russian dressing. Enjoy!

LITTLE REUBENS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cut each frank into 6 pieces. Unroll dough into 16 triangles; cut each triangle lengthwise into thirds. Place 1 tsp. sauerkraut and 1 frank on wide end of each triangle; roll up. Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 min. or until golden brown.
• Mix dressing and horseradish; serve with franks.

MINI REUBENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler.
• Arrange cocktail rye slices on a baking sheet. Top each one with about 2 teaspoons of thousand island salad dressing, then fold about 1/2 slice of corned beef to fit the bread, and lay over the dressing. Place a small amount of sauerkraut over the meat, then top with 1/4 slice of the Swiss cheese, or a slice about as big as the bread.
• Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve warm.