Golden Beet Reuben

I originally came across this recipe in this YouTube video when searching for vegetarian Reuben recipes. The recipe in this video is vegan however I am not so I substitute vegan ingredients with non-vegan options (butter, cheese, dressing). Warning: The presenter in the video is incredibly annoying however the sandwiches are delicious. The recipe, without having to watch the video, can be found here.

Ingredients

"Pastrami" Spice Mix

• 1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds, ground in mortar and pestle (the mortar and pestle I use is here)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Beets

• 4 small to medium sized golden beets (skin on)
• 2 tsp olive oil

Sandwich

• Rye bread
• 3-4 Tbsp butter
• ~2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1 cup of sauerkraut
• Thousand Island dressing
• Pickle chips (as garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the mustard seeds and then add to a bowl with the rest of the spice mix.
3. Brush 1/2 tsp oil on each beet and place in foil. Create a foil packet by placing all the beets in the foil and wrapping tightly to cover completely. Roast for 45 minutes for small beets or longer for larger beets (time may vary).
4. Open up foil carefully as hot steam will be coming out. Beets should easily be punctured by a fork. If not then continue roasting in the foil packet.
5. Generously brush the liquid that has pooled in the foil packet over the beet skin to get it wet, then generously cover in the pastrami spice on outside of the beet so it’s covered evenly. Keep them spaced apart on the foil but you don’t need to wrap them again. Roast for another 15 minutes so the moisture evaporates and the paste sticks.
6. Remove the beets from the oven and slice thinly.
7. Spread 4 pieces of bread with butter on the outside and thousand island dressing on the inside. Top with cheese and 1 sliced beet per sandwich. Then top with sauerkraut, more cheese and top with a piece of bread with thousand island on the inside and more butter on the outside.
8. Get a grill pan heated over medium heat and press the sandwich on the grill pan for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use a sandwich press or another small cast iron to press the sandwich. I use a combination griddle/grill/panini press which can be found here
9. Let rest to cool before slicing and serve with pickles if desired.