Mini Reuben Toasts Recipe

Mini Reuben Toasts are a quintessential appetizer for St. Patrick's Day. Your friends will love them.

I have a major weakness for mini food, which actually comes in handy when trying to come up with great appetizer ideas. I love taking some of my favorite foods and just turn them into smaller versions of themselves.

The miniaturizing makes them perfect for a party and a crowd. 

Do you usually have a party for St. Patrick’s Day? In all honesty, we don’t do anything big, like getting together with friends, especially when St. Patrick’s Day lands on a weeknight. Between school and swim lessons, I just don’t have the energy to plan a big shindig.

But, and this is a big but, I LOVE making Irish inspired food for my family on and around St. Patrick’s Day — even if it’s just the four of us. 

Some years I’ve made a big batch of Guinness Irish Beef Stew or a classic corned beef and cabbage dinner. But often, I like to mix up some classic flavors and turn our dinner into a little tasting experience.

I’ll make some Irish beef and vegetable hand pies or some of these mini Reuben toasts. Some of these smaller portions paired with a salad work equally well for a main course as they do for appetizers. 

Now, Reuben sandwiches have always been a favorite of mine. I can hardly l resist one when it’s on a menu at a restaurant.

I think it’s something about the fatty corned beef and cheese paired with the tangy sauerkraut. I cannot resist. 

These mini Reuben toasts are simply small open faced Reuben sandwiches and so easy to make. You can make a big batch in about 15 minutes, which in my mind is the perfect kind of party food. Hard to get much faster than that! Especially when a third of the time is just for prep.

Pair them with a nice Irish beer (or root beer for the kiddos) and you can have a great little St. Patrick’s Day party in the comfort of your own home. 

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Mini Reuben Toasts Ingredients

This recipe calls for five ingredients — most importantly, 1/2 a pound of corned beef, of course, and half that amount of Swiss cheese. 

Here's the list:

• 24 slices Party Rye Bread
• 1/2 cup Thousand Island Dressing
• 15 ounces Sauerkraut, Drained
• 1/2 pound Corned Beef, Sliced thin
• 1/4 pound Lacy Swiss Cheese

I like to use Lacy Swiss specifically. If you're unfamiliar, here's a description from Wisconsin Cheese (America's dairyland capital!):

"Like many Swiss varieties, Lacy Swiss is made from cow milk," its website says. "However, instead of being made from whole milk and occasionally cream, lacy varieties are made from lowfat milk and have a delightfully light and nutty flavor, but a lower calorie and sodium content than original Swiss."

Sounds delicious, and health-conscious!

Pepperidge Farm makes Party Rye Bread, but if you can't find a party version specifically, regular rye bread will be totally fine with this recipe!

It's not at all essential, but you can also choose to top these with a little cracked black pepper. For some people, the sauerkraut will be all the zing you need, but you may appreciate this added flair! Try it out and see.

Tips for Making the Best Mini Reuben Toasts

Here are a few things that will ensure you come out with the best possible results:

• Be sure to toast both sides of the bread. This sounds like a trivial step, but it’s important in how the bread holds up to all of the toppings. There's a lot stacked onto these!
• Drain your sauerkraut as much as possible! Really get rid of as much moisture as you can to ensure that the little toasts don’t get soggy. Sauerkraut can make a real mess and make these impossible to eat if you skip this step, too.
• Use a great quality Swiss cheese. I like a lacy Swiss for this, with it’s tiny little holes it gives you a nice even layer of cheese over the top of each toast. If you can't find it, that's okay.

Now you're ready to party!