Pastrami Sandwich Recipe

5 from 3 votes

A deli-style hot pastrami sandwich made at home in under 20 minutes. Butter-crisped pastrami, melted Swiss, Russian dressing, crunchy broccoli slaw, and pickles on buttery toasted rye, comes together in one pan and grilled until golden.

Prep Time5

Cook Time12

Total Time17

Course: Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hot pastrami sandwich, pastrami sandwich

Servings: sandwich

Calories: 627kcal

Author: Sharon Farnell

Ingredients

2 slices Rye bread
2 tablespoon salted butter, softened (plus more for bread)
2 tablespoon Russian dressing
2 thick slices deli Swiss cheese
6 slices deli pastrami (thin sliced)
thinly sliced dill pickles, to taste
¼ cup coleslaw or broccoli slaw (recipe below)

Broccoli Slaw

½ lb broccoli slaw mix
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ tablespoon milk use what you drink
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar preferably organic
¼ teaspoon celery seeds
¼ teaspoon poppy seeds
cracked pepper and sea salt to taste
A dash of cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

Make the Slaw

If making homemade broccoli slaw, make at least 1 hour ahead, and up to 2 days in advance of preparing the sandwich. Add all ingredients to a bowl, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.

Make the Sandwich

Butter outsides of each slice of bread with softened butter, coating the whole outside of the sandwich for even browning.
Add 2 tablespoon butter to a large frying pan, and melt over medium-high heat.
Add pastrami in a single layer, and cook 1 minute a side, until slightly browned.
While pastrami warms and browns, spread Russian dressing on the insides of both pieces of bread.
Add warmed pastrami to one side of bread on Russian dressing side, and reduce pan heat to medium-low.
Top pastrami with coleslaw, pickles, and Swiss cheese.
Top with bread, butter side facing out.
Transfer sandwich to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until both sides of the bread are golden brown, 4-5 minutes a side.
Slice and serve hot!

Notes

Brown the pastrami, don't just warm it. Cook it in a single layer until you see lightly browned, crispy edges. This is what makes it taste like a deli sandwich.
Butter the bread all the way to the edges. Bare spots mean uneven browning. Soft butter gets you an even, golden crust across the whole slice.
Drop the heat once assembled. Cook on medium-low after you close the sandwich. Too hot and the bread browns before the cheese melts.
Drain the slaw. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it, and press gently with a paper towel if it looks very wet. You want crunch, not a soggy center.

Nutrition