Reuben Sandwiches and Happy Birthday to Me!

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Somebody around this place turned another year older this week, and I’m glad to say it was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. My people were so sweet to me, trying their best to make it a special day. Saturday night the big guy took me out (sans kiddos) for dinner at Texas de Brazil, a new Brazilian steakhouse i town. It was FABULOUS! If you ever get a chance to eat at a Brazilian steakhouse, be sure to bring your appetite. The salad bar is a meal in itself, with over 50 dishes like spicy shrimp salad, orzo pasta salad, smoked salmon, marinated mushrooms, sushi, and a ton of other really delicious dishes. Then they bring out a dish of garlic mashed potatoes, along with a card that has a red side and a green side. They have gauchos walking around, each with different cuts of meat. When you are ready to try a few, you flip your card to the green side, and the gauchos bring their offerings to your table. They served parmesan chicken, Brazilian sausage, pork tenderloin, and lamb, among other meats. But my favorite was the filet. I could have just had the gaucho stand beside me and keep filling my plate with it. Such a fun concept for dinner!!

After dinner, we walked a couple of blocks to the BJCC, where we had tickets to see Elton John. Listen, I’m not really a concert type of girl anymore. I’d much rather download the CD on iTunes and listen in the comfort of my own car. However, IT WAS ELTON JOHN!! If you’ve ever had a chance to see him in concert, you know he does not disappoint. He is an incredible talented musician. He plays the piano as naturally as if he is tying his show. It seems as if he does it without thought, and it is flawless. He played all the classics, plus a lot of songs from his new album. Definitely a bucket list experience!

And since my birthday is on St. Patrick’s Day, we usually try to have a traditional corned beef and cabbage meal at some point. This year I used Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and it was the best we’ve ever made at home. MUCH better than the last one I made, which was in the crockpot. Corned beef, like all tougher cuts of meat, has to be cooked low and slow in order to break down the tough fibers and become tender. I cooked this one in the oven on 325 degrees for about 4-5 hours, and it was perfect! We even followed her recipe for the cabbage.

Of course, we had leftovers. Glorious leftovers! I have been craving GOOD reuben sandwiches, so this was the perfect time to make one. The thing about a reuben sandwich is, you need really tender corned beef. If your corned beef is the least bit tough, you can’t bite into the sandwich. Grody! Since the Pioneer Woman’s recipe made such tender corned beef, we had delicious sandwiches! They are really easy to make. Start with good corned beef…

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And good rye bread. I like to get mine from the bakery at the grocery store.

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Butter one side each of two slices, and place it in a skillet over medium heat. Place one slice of swiss cheese on each piece of bread, and pile on the corned beef. You can slice the corned beef or chop it, whichever you prefer.

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Allow it to cook long enough to melt the cheese and toast the bottom of the bread to a golden brown.Remove from heat. Pile on sauerkraut and about a tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing.

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Put it all together and enjoy!

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Comments

  1. Happy belated Birthday!!! That sandwich looks delicious! I was wondering when that steak place was going to open, I had seen them starting to advertise for it last year. It sounds like Fogo de Chao in Atlanta. I adored that place, so I am going to have to check it out!

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