Reuben Sandwiches

March 23, 2022

There is something extra special about the combination of buttery grilled rye bread, creamy thousand island dressing, melted Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and tender corned beef. I would love to know what was going through the mind of the first person to put all of these bold flavors together, but I am so glad that they did, because it works… it really works…

Last week, I slow roasted a big beef brisket for my corned beef and cabbage spread to celebrate St Patricks Day and I had just enough leftover corned beef to make two big reuben sandwiches for dinner, which made me and my husband very happy.

Reubens are easy to bring together (especially if you already have leftover corned beef) and they are just so wonderfully delicious, so grab some marbled rye and a few slices of baby Swiss and lets get started…

I am all for shortcuts in the kitchen, especially if that means that I can enjoy my reuben quicker, but if you want to absolute best reuben, I would recommend making your own corned beef and thousand island dressing. Everything else can be bought at the grocery store, but my slow roasted corned beef is not only easy to make, but incredibly delicious.

Simply rub 1/4 cup of your favorite grainy dijon mustard over a rinsed and dried flat cut of brisket. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of pickling spices or the contents of a corned beef seasoning packet over the top surface of the mustard rubbed brisket and then wrap it up in foil. Roast the corned beef for 1 hour per pound in a 350 degree oven, let it rest for 15 minutes and then slice up the most tender, flavorful corned beef you’ll ever taste.

Easy, right?

To make the thousand island dressing, simply combine 2/3 cup of mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons of ketsup, 2 tablespoons of sweet relish, 1 tablespoon of finely minced shallot (or yellow onion), 1/2 teaspoon of finely minced garlic and a pinch of salt.

Now that you have your corned beef and thousand island, gather some marled rye bread, a few slices of Swiss cheese(I prefer baby Swiss on reuben sandwiches, but any Swiss will work), sauerkraut and some softened butter.

Put your sauerkraut into a mesh strainer to allow the excess moisture to drain away for a minute while you place a flat griddle or large skillet over medium heat.

To make your reuben sandwich…

Step #1 – Butter one side of two slices of marbled rye bread and place them buttered side down onto a warm griddle
Step #2 – Place two slices of baby Swiss onto one slice of bread and a generous amount of thousand island dressing onto the other slice
Step #3 – Add about 1/4 cup of drained sauerkraut over the slices of Swiss cheese and as much thick sliced corned beef as you want over the other slice
Step #4 – As soon as the rye is crisp and golden brown and the cheese starts to melt a bit, carefully combine the two halves into a fabulous sandwich and transfer the sandwich onto a cutting board

Feel free to repeat this process for as many reuben sandwiches as your heart desires…

Slice your reuben in half, add some chips and a few pickles and grab some napkins… because you are definitely going to need them…

This reuben is so delicious! I can’t choose what part I love best, but I will tell you what I can tell…

The corned beef is so tender and full of wonderful flavors, the melted Swiss both helps to keep the sandwich together and adds a wonderful nuttiness, the sauerkraut adds some sour notes and that thousand island dressing is subtly sweet, tangy and creamy.

Whether you make some of the elements, all of the elements or grab everything from the store on your way home from work, make yourself a reuben sandwich! You’ll be so glad that you did…

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