I don't know if this is a casserole as much as it is a family-sized sandwich. You put it together like a sandwich but in a casserole dish and then you bake it to crispy, melty deliciousness.
The Inspiration for this came from a sandwich I ate all the time in high school back home in New York. There was a restaurant down the road from my mom's house, The Katonah Bar and Grill (which has since been renamed Oliver's and the menu is different), and they had a sandwich on the menu, the White Russian. I'm not entirely sure why it was called that, but it was my favorite.
It was layers of turkey, ham, bacon, cheese and Russian dressing in between buttery-toasted rye bread. They served it with beer battered french fries and a pickle. I highly recommend the pairing - however, I didn't have any fries to go with this dinner.
This is honestly one of the easiest, cleanest meals I've ever put together. With the exception of a bowl for melted butter and a cutting board, all you need is a knife and a casserole dish. Woohoo! A meal that requires practically no clean-up!
This would also be a great dish for a winter potluck of sorts - a football party or something. Its basically the epitome of a bar food casserole.
Anyway, back to making it. You butter the bottom of your dish, then layer like a sandwich: rye bread (topped with a little butter), provolone cheese, ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, rye bread (a just a bit more butter). Cover it with some foil so it doesn't burn while the cheese melts, bake it for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Uncover it and bake for 5 more minutes to toast up the bread on top. It's that easy! Enjoy!
White Russian Casserole
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 6 tbs. butter, melted
- 10 slices of Rye bread, cut in 1-inch squares
- 4-6 slices of Provolone Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
- 8 oz. deli sliced ham, cut in 1-inch squares
- 8 oz. deli sliced turkey, cut in 1-inch squares
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked, and diced
- 4-6 slices of Swiss Cheese, cut in 1-inch squares
- Russian dressing
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Brush the bottom of a 12x9 casserole dish with the melted butter. Layer half the bread on the bottom of the dish, brush with butter.
Layer the Provolone cheese on top of the bread, followed by the ham, then turkey, bacon, and Swiss cheese.
Drizzle Russian dressing over the entire casserole (amount to your preference).
Top with the remaining rye bread, brush with butter. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil.
Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, until top layer of bread is toasted golden.