This classic reuben sandwich features homemade corned beef and sauerkraut, melty Swiss, and a rich, creamy Russian dressing, all sandwiched between the best marbled rye bread. Pass the napkins.
It’s a sandwich in the classical sense of sandwiches. But it is so much more than that.
It’s grilled. It’s cheesy. It’s crunchy and gooey all at the same time. It begs to be dipped into matzo ball soup, and in our family, it is.
And it’s probably the only sandwich I honestly, seriously crave.
I bet you know that feeling. That gut-wrenching, I DON’T CARE IF I’M ON A DIET, mouth-watering-when-you-think-about-it CRAVING!!!. For the love of God, just give me a bite!
And more napkins. Lots more napkins.
I became a reuben aficionado in 4th grade or so. That’s about the time my mom and I started going on shopping dates. We would drive to the big city of Salt Lake to window shop where I’d try to convince her to buy me an iron-on-Farrah Fawcett-emblazoned t-shirt, and she’d try to convince me to wear culottes. Annnnnnd, they’re back. Ugh.
After shopping we always made time for lunch. I think that secretly that shopping was just an excuse to lunch. We most always ended up at The Pub, normally for adults only, but because I was with mom, I got in too.
That’s where I had my first Reuben. It was life-altering and spoiled me for any other sandwich eclipsing that meaty, sauerkraut bite between two slices of rye bread. Others would solidly stand forever in the shadows of it’s sandwich greatness.
So when it comes time for the St. Patrick’s Day and the opportunity to break out the slow cooker to make my favorite slow cooker corned beef, I ALWAYS plan on sandwiches after.
Yes, I’ll even gyp family members on their serving of corned beef if I see we’re running low on leftovers for sandwich fixins’.
They always thank me later.
About the Recipe
To start off this killer sandwich, I always opt for corned beef rather than pastrami. As I mentioned above, I start off with homemade corned beef rather than what you might find at the deli. I simply prefer the meatier chunks instead of thin, shaved slices. If I have extra jus left over from cooking my corned beef, I save it separately and warm the corned beef in the jus to moisten and flavor it before layering it on the bread. Otherwise a quick zap in the microwave works for warming it up for me.
My version of the best reuben is all about the fixins’, of which there are few, making it a very simple sandwich to make.
One of the key ingredients is a really good rye bread. It can sometimes be a challenge to find a decent, thick sliced rye bread but if you search out a local bakery, you will hopefully find yourself in luck. The rye seeds with bits of caraway add the unique herby flavor to any reuben. I found my Rye Swirl Pullman bread from our local Stoneground Bakery. I imagine it’s more plentiful during March when reubens are in higher demand so it’s easier to find.
Next up is the cheese. I used a sliced swiss cheese for this sandwich and put a slice on both the bottom piece of the bread and the top piece of bread. The melted cheese acts as a barrier so your bread won’t get soggy if you happen to add a little extra jus or sauerkraut juice. Just sayin’ you might.
A homemade Russian dressing ties this sandwich together. I sort of gag at the thought that I used to make this salad dressing for myself at dinner time as a kid and called it Thousand Island dressing, slathering it on iceberg lettuce and cucumbers. So gourmet! These days I save it especially for this sandwich. My secret ingredient is a tablespoon of pickle juice. It adds just the right vinegar kick.
Be sure to drain the sauerkraut well so your sandwich isn’t soggy. If you aren’t a fan of sauerkraut, try using coleslaw instead. This is my favorite homemade coleslaw recipe.
Remember to butter the outsides of your bread before stacking your sandwich high and butter the outside of the bread so the dents and crevasses of your break align as if they were still in loaf formation.
I use a cast iron skillet and cook my sandwiches over medium low heat, just high enough to melt the cheese and gently toast the bread.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
My Favorite Reuben Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon horseradish cream
- 4 slices marbled rye bread
- 3-4 tablespoons butter , softened
- 4 slices swiss cheese
- ½ pound cooked corned beef , warmed
- ½ cup sauerkraut , drained
Instructions
- Mix the mayonnaise, pickle juice, pickle relish, lemon juice and horseradish cream in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat a frypan on medium to medium-low heat. Butter one side of each of the slices of bread and place the buttered sides together. On one set of bread, lay a slice of swiss cheese on the bread, then top with half of the warmed corned beef, then half of the drained sauerkraut and half of the Russian dressing. Place the sandwich buttered side down in the frypan and top with another slice of cheese and the other side of the bread, buttered side up. Cover with a lid and cook until the cheese melts and the bread is golden. Flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with the makings of the other sandwich.
Nutrition
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I’m very very sorry to disappoint everyone but please do not define this Ruben sandwich as “old-school jewish…” anything. Jews, and specially old-school ones, do not eat meat and diary products together. It may be tasty, but it’s not Kosher.
The Reuben sandwich was actually invented by Reuben Kulakofsky at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, NE. in 1925.
The Reuben sandwich ain’t Jewish, no matter the Hebrew name. So how did it get on a list of Jewish foods?
Meat and dairy together – need I say more?
I was thinking the same exact thing. Not Kosher!!
This is naked bribery. I would love a taste of the corned beef you describe and compare it with the tinned variety we have here in Briton.
Yum! I’m nomming on the sandwich right now for lunch and its so delicious! Never made my own reuben before, but I have all this sauerkraut in my fridge and needed a reason to use it! Thanks for sharing!
So glad! It’s one of my favorites! Thanks for reading.
I also love to eat sandwich. Specially this reuben sandwich. Surely I am going to try this at home
This is now my 3rd most favorite sandwich in the world. But, that only happened recently. For years, I avoided this sandwich, as I did most Jewish foods. They just seemed…icky. Like that matzo balls soup. Oh sweet Jesus that stuff looks nasty! Sort of like slightly unraveling gray paper balls in a foul liquid. Every time I saw it (and also the even more vile gefelte fish), it looked nearly identical to preserved animals or organs in that yellow fluid you’d see in a jar at the museum. It still makes me nauseous when I see it at the store.
My grandfather pretended to be Jewish for most of his later life, in an attempt to get more clients. He wore the clothes, celebrated all the holidays, knew all the prayers and customs, and no one suspected. He’d often take me with him to the various deli’s around NY, but I always chose simple and basic things off the menu, for fear of being revolted by some of those “weird” foods. Well, at the time thought they were weird.
However, a few years ago I was with my father, who also inherited the ruse of being Jewish (though he’s actually Buddhist), and he would not take no for an answer one evening, in regards to my trying a Ruben he’d just carefully crafted. My childhood fears kicked in, and i wanted nothing to do with that messy thing. But he refused to give me any alcohol until I did. And I really really needed that Bloody Mary. So I did it. And the rest, is history. Today, I can’t get enough.
Your response is offensive. What other ethnic food do you find vile?
Cool it, Yaakov. I like some cuisines better than others -does that mean I hate the people whose traditional foods I like less?
Anti Semitic much? I doubt your father was a Buddhist either, I practice Buddism and the teachings would go against him pretending to practice something he is not, and if you father gave you alcohol, he was definitely NOT Buddhist. Honestly I pray that you can get along in the world with others without injuring yourself or them. Be easy with others, and yourself.
I find your remarks to be offensive also. It isn’t that you dislike particular ethnic foods, it’s the tone you take in the family story you tell. Your grandfather posing as Jewish to obtain more business smacks of serious stereotyping. Stereotyping is racist in action. If I were you, I’d be careful who you tell your story to. It is unbecoming to you.
My Dad would have loved this. I know I will too. Thank you for all the great information and good stories to go along with wonderful food.
Made it and enjoyed it immensely. Still wished had a bit more bite though. I’ll have to figure that out. Thank so for the great recipe though.
Try horseradish for a bit more bite!
do not rinse the kraut so much
Side?
I must say, I’m seriously hungry after looking at this Reuben! Oh my goodness gracious, it looks DIVINE!!!
My mom always prepared the kraut as follows: Slice an onion and pan fry until golden then add package of kraut. Stir to combine then add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. When pan dries out of liquid, add apple juice and cook down again. Finish with either carraway seeds or poppyseeds. I could never eat kraut right out of the package. This is good with the Rueben or with any Kielbasi type smoked sausage.
Thanks for the sauerkraut recipe Charlotte! I love it with caraway seeds too!
Charlotte, your mom’s recipe is for sweet sour kraut which is an excellent dish, (usually of German origin), but nothing to do with a Reuben.
Heidi, no history of pickle relish and pickle juice in Russian Dressing, except for one from Bon Appetit for a Reuben Dog, and as mentioned, the omission of ketchup is a big omission. Just had “true” Reubens last evening, up here in Eastern Canada! They were excellent!
if you do not want the apple juice if you do not like it a bit sweeter….use chicken buillion and some water.. :)
Thanks for the clarification!
Is the dressing missing ketchup? How else would it get it’s pinkish color.
It is.
How much ketchup should I add?
till it looks pink enough to you and tastes how you like it. COMMON SENSE is quite useful when used!