Reuben Sandwiches
There’s no need to dine out to when you can enjoy an exceptionally delicious Reuben Sandwich at home that’s so easy to make! It’s cheesy, crunchy, tangy, spicy, and utterly fantastic. This classic Reuben Sandwich recipe is made with juicy, vibrant, salty corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, spicy Russian dressing and gooey melted Swiss cheese all sandwiched between buttery, crunchy rye bread. It’s a mouthwatering mashup that can be assembled ahead of time for an easy lunch, dinner, game night and every occasion in between. Serve it up with a side of potato salad and tomato basil soup, and prepare yourself for the best Rueben Sandwich you’ve ever sunk your teeth into!
Servings 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Sandwiches
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 pound corned beef - thin deli slices, or homemade
- 8 slices rye bread
- 8 slices Swiss cheese, preferably Swiss Gruyere
- 1 1/4 cups sauerkraut, well drained
- butter for grilling
- vegetable oil or light olive oil for grilling
Russian Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream (may sub more mayo)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon grated onion (I use my zester)
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon Frank's Original RedHot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground mustard, sweet paprika (may sub smoked or regular paprika)
- 1/4 tsp EACH garlic powder, salt, pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste (I like more of each); set aside.
- Homemade Corned Beef, if using: Can be sliced or shredded. Microwave just to warm through with jus (or gently heat on the stovetop) and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain excess liquid before using.
- Spread parchment paper out on a flat surface. Spread ½ tablespoon of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Flip all the pieces over and spread the other side of each slice of bread with Russian dressing.
- To four bread slices (the other slices are the tops), layer over the Russian dressing in this order: corned beef, drained sauerkraut and two slices of Swiss cheese. Top with the other 4 slices of bread, buttered side up/on the outside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1-2 sandwiches (whatever comfortably fits), cover, and cook until the bread is golden on the bottom and the cheese is starting to melt, about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the sandwich(es) over and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom bread is toasted, another 3-4 minutes. (Reduce the heat as needed if the bread is browning too quickly before the cheese is melted). Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Rye bread: I recommend using medium or dark rye or dark marbled rye for the best balance of flavor and texture. Medium or dark rye has a higher ratio of rye flour to wheat flour so it will be sturdier and more flavorful. You may also seeded rye which means it contains caraway seeds – an extra flavor perk for these sandwiches.
- Deli-style corned beef: Ask your deli counter for a pound of sliced corned beef. You can have them slice it as thinly or thick as you’d like-personal preference here.
- Corned beef from scratch: Use this corned beef recipe - be aware that it takes 5 days to cure so plan ahead accordingly. By making your owned corned beef, you can enjoy meatier, juicer chunks.
- Store-bought corned beef: By nature of its name, “corned beef” that you purchase at the grocery store is brisket that is already cured/corned in its own pickling spices, all you do is cook it according to package directions. This is a great shortcut for semi-homemade corned beef.
- Swiss cheese: You can purchase Swiss Gruyere with the specialty cheeses at your grocery store by the block, but this can be harder to thinly slice, so I recommend shredding it. Alternatively, ask the deli counter for thinly sliced Gruyere. You may also use other Emmental Swiss cheese, but please avoid American made Swiss.
- Use room temperature cheese. Remove the Swiss cheese from the refrigerator, slice or shred if needed and let it rest while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Even better, let it rest for 30-60 minutes ahead of time if you think of it. Room temperature cheese will melt much more quickly than chilled cheese for perfectly melty cheese and a toasted crunchy crust.
- Russian dressing: It marries all of the ingredients together and takes less than 5 minutes to whip up – so pleased don’t skip! Though you can purchase Russian dressing or even substitute it with Thousand Island plus hot sauce and horseradish, my homemade version is TOO GOOD to not make! It’s also make-ahead friendly, pantry friendly and keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
How to cook Reubens at the same time
Instead of grilling the sandwiches, you can bake them in the oven all at once.- Line all the buttered slices of bread on a baking sheet, buttered side up. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes then flip all the pieces over.
- Spread Russian dressing on all the top sides of the bread. On 4 slices of bread, top with corned beef, sauerkraut and one slice of cheese. On the other four slices of bread, top with 1 slice of cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Place the cheesy tops on top of the cheesy bottoms while hot. Dig in!
Make-Ahead Reuben Sandwiches
Take care the sauerkraut is very well drained so the sandwiches don’t become soggy. Toast the bread by baking the bread slices at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, then spread the Russian dressing on the insides of the bread so the pre-assembled sandwiches don’t become soggy. Assemble the sandwiches per recipe directions, wrap each layered sandwich separately in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. To serve, proceed to grill or bake at 350 degrees F, just until the cheese melts, 10 to 15 minutes.HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVERS
- To store: Reuben Sandwiches are best served fresh but can be stored for up to 3 days, becoming less fresh/soggier the longer they are stored. To store, wrap each sandwich in foil then reheat in skillet or oven:
- Stove: Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat, cover, and cook for a couple minutes or until warmed to your liking, flipping the sandwich halfway through.
- Oven: Wrap the sandwiches in foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
- Microwave: Is not recommended because the bread will become soggy. You may opt for the microwave, however, if you’re in a time crunch, just adjust your expectations accordingly. To reheat in the microwave, transfer the sandwich to a microwave safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds, then at 15 second intervals until warmed through.