I made this sandwich at my very first restaurant in northern Maine, I have to admit it’s been a few years since then but I have had this sandwich on most of my menus throughout the years.
At first take it may seem strange to use Cole slaw on a grilled sandwich and it has certainly raised a few eyebrows over the years but man, it is really tasty and a meal in itself. I like to serve it with fresh fried sweet potato chips which are easy to make and best if you have a slicer to cut them thin. Just put slices in medium high heat and fry until just crispy (they cook quickly and will get a dark brown if left in the oil too long) Drain on a paper toweled plate and sprinkle with sea salt….yummy.
Too make 2 sandwiches you will need:
4 slices of marbled rye bread
2 large slices of your favorite Swiss cheese
½ cup of Cole slaw (if there is a lot of liquid you will want to drain it or press it so that your bread doesn’t soak up too much liquid)
4-6 slices of cooked roast beef
Butter for grilling
Heat your skillet over medium heat and butter evenly two slices of your bread. Place in skillet butter side down. Layer 2-3 slices of roast beef depending on how thick the roast beef is sliced, 2 large tablespoons of Cole slaw (enough to evenly cover the roast beef without going too close to the edges and top with Swiss cheese. Butter the other two slices of bread and place on top, butter side up.
When bottom is grilled (you can use your spatula to gently lift a corner to see if it starting to get somewhat crispy) using a wide spatula and holding the top quickly and gently (don’t want all those yummy fillings to slide out!) turn over in pan. When cooked transfer to your cutting board, place a toothpick through each half and cut diagonally. Place sandwich on your plate, add your sweet potato chips and enjoy!
Besides getting all your food groups in one sitting, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful melding of flavors and textures in this sandwich. Crispy grilled rye, seasoned roast beef, flavorful Swiss and the slightly crunchy Cole slaw, mmmmm excellent!
