To make the best Rachel Sandwich, you need to start with the best ingredients. From homemade pastrami to a delicious dressing and bakery-fresh bread, here’s a breakdown of how to make the most delicious Rachel Sandwich ever!
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Warm and toasty bread, thinly sliced pastrami, crisp coleslaw, and a fabulous dressing is what this tasty Rachel Sandwich is all about! I made a whole bunch of them at once on my Blackstone Griddle, but you can certainly make them inside on a grill pan or even in a skillet.
What you’ll love about THis Rachel Sandwich
- It’s so easy to make!
- It pairs with so many tasty side dishes or is terrific all on its own!
- You can make 1 sandwich or 10 – it’s that easy!
Reuben Sandwich vs. Rachel Sandwich
What’s the difference between a Reuben and a Rachel sandwich? Reuben sandwiches are made with corned beef, sauerkraut, and a tangy dressing. On the other hand, a Rachel sandwich is made with thinly sliced pastrami (though there are turkey Rachel sandwiches, too), coleslaw, and a fabulous dressing. So similar, but very different and equally tasty!
Ingredients
- Coleslaw shreds – Don’t dress the coleslaw. Just use the shreds.
- Russian dressing – Homemade Russian dressing is fabulous on this sandwich!
- Marble rye bread – Or regular rye bread.
- Butter – I use salted butter.
- Pastrami – Homemade pastrami is the best, but deli pastrami is terrific, too.
- Swiss cheese
How To Make The Best Rachel Sandwich
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe near the bottom of this page.
- Mix the coleslaw with enough dressing to just coat the coleslaw.
- Butter one side of the bread, then lay it buttered side down in a hot (but not screaming hot) skillet.
- Top the bread with a slice of cheese, then layer on the sliced pastrami, another slice of cheese, and a layer of coleslaw, and then top with the last slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Press the sandwich down gently with a flipper or spatula, and cook it slowly, allowing the sandwich to heat through.
- Flip the sandwich carefully when the bottom slice of bread is golden brown and toasted, and continue to cook until the sandwich is heated through, the cheese has started to melt, and the bottom slice of bread is golden brown.
- Cut the sandwich in half and dig in!
How To Make Rachel Sandwiches on the Blackstone Griddle
- Preheat your Blackstone griddle to medium as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Warm the pastrami on the griddle but don’t cook it – you just want it warmed through.
- Butter 1 side of each of the slices of bread and lay them buttered side down on the hot griddle.
- Top each slice of bread with a slice of swiss cheese, followed by 3-4 ounces of pastrami, another slice of cheese, and 1/4 cup of dressed coleslaw. Add the final slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Cook the sandwiches until golden brown on the bottom, then flip them over and continue to cook until the sandwich is heated through and golden brown on both sides.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Make your life easier and buy the bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, but don’t add any coleslaw dressing to it.
- Heat the pastrami in the skillet, the microwave or in the oven until it’s warm to help your sandwich cook through faster.
- No Russian dressing? You can use bottled Thousand Island dressing instead.
Recommended
Storage
Once assembled and cooked, a Rachel Sandwich won’t keep well. The bread will get soggy from the dressing, and it’ll be cold. Trying to reheat it will make the bread soggier. This pastrami sandwich is best eaten fresh! However, you can store the individual parts of the sandwich – the bread, dressing, pastrami, cheese, and coleslaw will all keep well in the fridge for a few days.
What To Serve With a Rachel Sandwich
Potato chips are an easy answer, and they go with just about any sandwich. Or, go all out and pair your sandwich with Cream of Jalapeno Soup or a brothy pick like a classic Beef and Barley Soup. Salads also pair well with sandwiches – go leafy with a serving of Waldorf Salad, or carby with Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad. And for dessert? A slice of this fabulous Water Pie is perfect!
Step By Step Process
Rachel Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 4 slices marble rye bread or regular rye bread
- 4 slices swiss cheese
- 1/2 pound pastrami thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup coleslaw shreds
- 2 tablespoons Russian dressing or enough to moisten the slaw
Instructions
- Mix the coleslaw with enough dressing to just coat the coleslaw.
- Butter one side of the bread, then lay it buttered side down in a hot (but not screaming hot) skillet.
- Top the bread with a slice of cheese, then layer on the sliced pastrami, another slice of cheese, and a layer of coleslaw, and then top with the last slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Press the sandwich down gently with a flipper or spatula, and cook it slowly, allowing the sandwich to heat through.
- Flip the sandwich carefully when the bottom slice of bread is golden brown and toasted, and continue to cook until the sandwich is heated through, the cheese has started to melt, and the bottom slice of bread is golden brown.
- Cut the sandwich in half and dig in!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Make your life easier and buy the bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, but don’t add any coleslaw dressing to it.
- Heat the pastrami in the skillet, the microwave or in the oven until it’s warm to help your sandwich cook through faster.
- No Russian dressing? You can use bottled Thousand Island dressing instead.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
