If you like Reuben sandwiches, you’ll love these delectable bite-sized morsels. They’re perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
The word “Croustade” (pronounced krü-ˈstäd) is a French culinary term for a crisp shell in which to serve food. In this case, the crisp shell is toasted Melba Thin Rye bread. This is a perfect accompaniment to the Reuben filling and melted Swiss cheese.
I used the following ingredients: Melba Thin Rye bread, unsalted butter, corned beef, Russian Dressing (homemade), sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. If you have it, Gruyère cheese would be even better than the Swiss cheese.
Making the Croustades:
For the Croustades, I cut two 2-inch circles from each slice of bread. I used a tart tamper to press each circle into the well of a mini muffin pan. Next, I use my fingers to “mash” the bread against the sides of the mini muffin well.
Then, I brushed each bread shell with melted butter before popping the pan into a 350° F oven for about 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, bread was crisp and lightly toasted all over. I removed the pan from the oven, and placed the shells on a wire rack to cool. At this point, I could store the shells in an airtight container or in the freezer until they were ready to be used.
Making the Filling:
With the shells made, I turned my attention to making the filling. I added chopped corned beef, drained and chopped sauerkraut, and Russian dressing in a small bowl. I stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon to ensure that the ingredients were well combined.
Because of the size of the shells, I found that a teaspoon worked the best to add the filling. I placed the filled shells on a baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil, and topped each one with shredded Swiss cheese.
Into a preheated 350° F oven the Mini Reuben Croustades went for about 10 minutes, until the filling was heated through and the cheese was melted. I placed them on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
I ended up with 36 absolutely delicious Mini Reuben Croustades garnished with chopped chives. Yum!
For other Reuben delicacies, you should try my Ultimate Reuben, and Easy Reuben Sliders.
- 18 pieces Melba Thin Rye bread (See Note 1)
- 2-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1-1/2 cups 6-ounces finely chopped corned beef
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut drained and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup Russian Dressing (See Note 2)
- 3/4 cup 3-ounces finely shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chives for garnish optional
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Croustades: Cut two 2-inch circle from each slice of bread. Press into mini muffin tins. Brush with melted butter and bake at 350° F 12 to 15 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted all over. Cool. Store in airtight container or freeze until ready to use.
- Reuben Mixture: Combine corned beef, sauerkraut and Russian Dressing in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Fill Croustades with Reuben mixture just before baking. Top with shredded Swiss cheese and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or cheese is melted and Reuben mixture is until heated through. If desired, garnish with chopped chives. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 36 appetizers.
- May use party rye in place of Melba Thin Rye bread. Do not attempt to press into mini muffin pan, but rather toast flat, brushed with melted butter. Top with Reuben mixture and shredded Swiss cheese, and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or until Reuben mixture is heated through and cheese is melted.
- Try my homemade Russian Dressing. It's so much better than the store-bought.
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