Skinny Kitchen’s Mini Reuben Appetizers

Nancy Fox

While the Thanksgiving dinner is usually loaded with enough food to feed the entire continent of Asia, it’s still nice to have a little “somethin somethin” to serve as an appetizer. These Mini Reubens from Skinny Kitchen are the perfect thing to stave off the hunger pangs until the “real” eating marathon begins. You would be wise to keep this recipe handy since these bite-sized deli classics would be perfect to serve on Super Bowl Sunday as well!
Mini Reuben Appetizers

Ingredients For The Thousand Island Dressing:

⅓ cup Nancy’s Skinny Ranch Dressing or reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup

2 teaspoons pickle relish

1 teaspoon mustard

¼ teaspoon paprika

Ingredients for the Reubens:

1 cocktail loaf of rye bread

1 (16 oz) can sauerkraut, drained

½ lb lean pastrami or turkey pastrami, thinly sliced and quartered (see shopping tip)

6 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, cut into fourths

Mustard for dipping, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix together all the Thousand Island ingredients.

3. For easy clean up, line a cookie sheet with foil. Place 24 cocktail rye on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

4. Spread each piece with 1 teaspoon of Thousand Island Dressing.

5. Place one piece of pastrami on top of each.

6. Add about 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut on top of that.

7. Add a small amount of dressing on top of the sauerkraut.

8. Top each with one piece of Swiss cheese.

9. Bake for about 8 minutes until cheese is melted. Place on a serving plate with a side dish of mustard, if desired,  for dipping.  Serve at once.

Makes 24 appetizers

Food Facts
Depending on who you talk to, the Reuben was invented in the early 1900s’ either at Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York City or by Reuben Kay at a hotel in Nebraska during a weekly poker game.

Sauerkraut is made by combining shredded cabbage, salt and sometimes spices and allowing the mixture to ferment.

Healthy Benefit
Sauerkraut is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as some of the B vitamins. It does contain lots of sodium but you can greatly reduce it by rinsing under water before using.

Shopping Tips
I found very lean uncured pastrami containing “no nitrites” at Trader Joe’s. You could also use turkey pastrami.

Most supermarkets sell cocktail rye bread. It’s usually found in the fresh deli section. You can also use regular rye bread.  Just cut 6 pieces into quarters before you assemble each sanwich.

Sargento and Alpine make reduced-fat Swiss Cheese. Most supermarket’s carry this type of cheese along with Trader Joe’s.  If you can’t find it, substitute reduced-fat Jarlsberg, mozzarella, or provolone cheese.

Serving Tip
Most people will want to eat 2-3 appetizers. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Weight Watchers (old points) 1
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 1

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