I didn’t eat out much as a kid. There weren’t many restaurants around in my neighborhood, and besides that, my mom is a great cook, so she was always whipping something up. It wasn’t until I could drive that I would go the local Togo’s sandwich shop and order my favorite…the #9, which is their signature hot pastrami sandwich. Ironic that now, when my #9 craving hit, I wanted to make this instead—Pastrami Pretzel Roll Sandwich.
The Inspiration
Fast forward to 2000, when Jeff and I went to my first trip ever to New York City, for his Uncle Robert’s wedding. My in-laws, happy to be back in their ole’ stomping grounds, took us to Carnegie deli, where I got to taste the real thing. Heaps of hot pastrami on rye bread with a kosher dill pickle. Heaven.
That was decades ago, and to this day, I still remember the fun we had at that little deli table. Despite being in the dead of winter, it was crowded in that little shop, with people jostling all about us in heavy coats and shopping bags, ordering knishes and matzo ball soup. My father in-law, also a pastrami lover, was grappling with his sandwich—a tower of meat and rye—making a big undignified mess, while we sat there and laughed at his efforts. It is one of my fondest memories of him.
It is with this in my heart that I created my own version of the hot pastrami to share with my family. I assure you, it isn’t a Carnegie sandwich, or Katz, or even (on the West Coast) a Katella. But it is, delicious!
The Ingredients
- Pretzel roll buns
- Pastrami
- Swiss cheese
- Thousand Island dressing
As with almost all my recipes (as practicality dictates), very, very easy to make and makes the perfect Friday Night dinner. You just need three main ingredients: pretzel roll buns, pastrami (sliced deli thin), and Swiss cheese.
How hard can it be to bake them together and serve with Thousand Island dressing, some sauerkraut, and of course a zesty dill pickle? Not hard at all, my friend.
Serving Suggestions
- Crisp dill pickle on the side
- Top with sauerkraut
Pastrami Pretzel Roll Sandwich
Equipment
- 3-quart casserole dish
Ingredients
- 6 pretzel rolls
- 12 ounces Pastrami, thin deli slices
- 12 ounces Swiss cheese, thin deli slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the rolls and fill them with pastrami and cheese to your liking (about 3 slices of pastrami and one slice of cheese, whatever fits into that roll)
- Place rolls in a casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes or until starting to get crispy on the edges and the cheese starts to melt.
- Top with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing and serve with kosher-style pickles.
Everything looks so good! Can’t wait to try out some of these dishes.