Reuben Sandwich - 1956 #1 winner

[Antilope]

The National Sandwich Idea contest was held between 1956 and 1981. It was sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute. Each year 20 sandwich recipes, created by Food Service professionals, were chosen as the top sandwich recipes from hundreds of entries.

The Reuben Sandwich was the number #1 recipe chosen in 1956.

The Reuben sandwich dates to the late 1920s, but no one can solve its hotly-contested origin.

In 1956, Fern Snider, a cook at the Blackstone, entered the Reuben recipe in the first National Sandwich Idea Contest sponsored by the Wheat Flour Institute.

The Reuben Sandwich consists of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing on Russian rye bread.

Reuben Sandwich - 1956 #1 winner

18 slices Russian rye bread
1 1/4 cups Thousand Island Dressing
12 slices Swiss cheese (about 12 oz)
1/2 cup sauerkraut
24 slices corned beef (about 12 oz)
Butter or margarine

Spread 12 slices of bread with dressing.
On each of 12 bread slices, arrange 1 cheese slice,
2 teaspoons sauerkraut, and 2 slices corned beef.
Double-stack these bread slices to make six sandwiches.
Cover with remaining 6 bread slices. Secure with toothpicks.

Spread outside surfaces with butter or margarine
and grill until cheese is melted and sandwich is
heated through. Cut diagonally into three pieces.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Serve with French fries as a garnish.

Source: Pittsburgh Press newspaper, May 7, 1957