My absolute favourite thing to do with corned beef leftovers has to be making reuben sandwiches . There is just something magical about the combination of tender corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, creamy Russian dressing and Swiss cheese wrapped in rye! I like to grill my reuben sandwiches to melt the cheese and give the rye a nice and crispy texture a warm buttery flavour. Reuben sandwiches are pretty easy to make though there is one tricky part and that is dealing with all of the liquid in the sandwich from the juicy corned beef, the sauerkraut and the Russian dressing. No one likes a soggy sandwich and luckily there are some easy ways to deal with the problem. First you want to really squeeze the excess liquid from the sauerkraut and if it still has a lot of moisture you can saute it in a pan to get rid of even more of it. Next, you can also lightly toast the bread so that it can better withstand the liquid. Following these tips you will never be subjected to soggy reuben sandwiches again!
If you happen to have some Russian dressing in your fridge feel free to use it but if you don’t have it and you don’t want yet another bottle in your fridge then it is easy enough to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand. I often enjoy making my own dressings because I can make just enough and not have any leftovers competing for the limited space in my fridge and Russian dressing is one that I always make at home.
It’s so easy to make your own Russian dressings!
Reuben Sandwich
The classic reuben sandwich made with luscious corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, creamy Russian dressing and plenty of swiss cheese that is grilled until the cheese has melted and the rye bread is crispy and golden brown.
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 2 slices rye, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup swiss, shredded, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sauerkraut, squeezed and drained, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon russian dressing (see below)
- 2 ounces cooked corned beef, sliced or shredded, warm
directions
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Butter the outside of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese on the inside of one slice of bread, top with half of the sauerkraut, half of the russian dressing, the corned beef, the remaining russian dressing, sauerkraut, cheese and finally the other slice of bread.
- Add the sandwich to the pan and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.
Russian Dressing
A creamy red tangy dressing with a bit of a bite.
ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon horse radish
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 1/4 teaspoon chili sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Mix everything.
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cakewardrobe says
February 27, 2008 at 2:32 amI think I’ve had an overdose of sandwiches in middle school , therefore traumatized (and gum too which I haven’t touched in nearly 10 years). But your reuben definitely doesn’t make me shudder like ham sandwiches do! YUM YUM!
Emiline says
February 27, 2008 at 3:51 amAhh, the beloved Reuben. Doesn’t it seem more popular than ever?
There is a Reuben panini on the cover of Bon Appetite this month.
This looks delicious! Now I have the craving, too.
Vicki says
February 27, 2008 at 4:40 amThat looks absolutely delicious! I’m craving a pseudo-reuben now, with thin apple slices under the cheese, and mustard instead of dressing…mmm…
Peter M says
February 27, 2008 at 4:58 amKevin, a Reuben is one of the best sangwiches arounnd!
I’ve only had it with zesty mustard, nevermind this russian dressing.
Princess TinyButt says
February 27, 2008 at 5:07 ammmmmm….. brings back memories of cold, misty, foggy san francisco days when the fog was so thick that it hadn’t burned off by the time lunch came. my dad would bring my lunch to me about once or twice a week. and one day he brought a reuben (on toasted dark marlbled rye) and warm tomatoe soup in my new princess themed thermos. that began my love affair with corned beef, dark rye bread, and all things “princess”!!
RecipeGirl says
February 27, 2008 at 5:12 amThere is nothing I love more than a really, really good Reuben sandwich!!
Flanboyant Eats says
February 27, 2008 at 6:49 amthis is my favorite sandwich in the whole world!!!
Pixie says
February 27, 2008 at 8:38 amReuben sandwich are a favourite and even better making your own dressing.
Anonymous says
February 27, 2008 at 1:34 pmThe reuben is my favorite sandwich. BTW, Kevin, your photos are getting better and better!
Bellini Valli says
February 27, 2008 at 2:29 pmI’ll have to revisit the Rueben sandwich Kevin…I used to have them all the time at the diners 😀
giz says
February 27, 2008 at 2:57 pmWhat I wouldn’t do for a bite of that sandwich – awesome – unfortunately way too much sodium for my dietary restrictions but doesn’t stop me from drooling.
JennDZ - The Leftover Queen says
February 27, 2008 at 4:00 pmI love a nice reuben and this looks great!
Brilynn says
February 27, 2008 at 4:03 pmThe cover of this month’s bon appetit is a corned beef sandwich on rye with gooey fontina cheese melting out of it that has had me drooling for days now, your version looks awesome!
Cakespy says
February 27, 2008 at 4:26 pmOh, a classic! This reminds me of my NYC days, they can make a mean reuben and delis there.
Elle says
February 27, 2008 at 5:09 pmA good reuben is a thing of beauty, with the flavors all coming together to make total sandwichy goodness. That’s what your’s looks like! I think I want one now. Wait, I know I do.
Mike of Mike's Table says
February 27, 2008 at 5:48 pmAnd now, I too have a reuben craving :-/ Looks like a very tasty sandwich
DocChuck says
February 27, 2008 at 7:09 pmThe Reuben is our favorite sandwich, well, actually about the only sandwich we ever prepare . . . unless you count burgers as sandwiches.
Like you, we also prepare our own dressing, which I call “DocChuck’s Reuben Dressing”:
½ cup mayonnaise (REAL mayonnaise, please)
1/8 cup ketchup
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire
½ Tablespoon finely-chopped, fresh curly parsley
½ teaspoon grated yellow onion
½ Tablespoon prepared horseradish
dash of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix ingredients – refrigerate at least one hour to let flavors blend.
——————————-
Great post honoring a great sandwich!
Deborah says
February 27, 2008 at 7:30 pmI’m not usually a sauerkraut lover, but I do love a good reuben!
Jenny says
February 27, 2008 at 10:32 pmGorgeous Sandwich!
I am craving one right now!! Looks fantastic.
Kate / Kajal says
February 27, 2008 at 11:13 pmgimme a bite of that sandwich will u!!
michelle @ Us vs. Food says
February 28, 2008 at 12:39 ami’m not going to lie, i never understood the whole russian-dressing-on-a-sandwich thing, but that’s one damn good looking sammich.
my personal favorite these days is hot pastrami on rye, straight up – no mayo, no mustard, just me and the meat.
Allen says
February 28, 2008 at 2:51 amI’m not a fan of corned beef EXCEPT when it comes to Reubens. I love these sandwiches and yours looks absolutely amazing. Good job!
Manggy says
February 28, 2008 at 6:57 amOf course, after I saw your post, I ordered one at the deli! Mwahahaha! 😀
tigerfish says
February 28, 2008 at 9:17 amI always like sandwich. The Russian dressing looks like sauerkraut.
Jaime says
February 29, 2008 at 4:13 ami’m like you…i enjoy certain sandwiches but never get enough of them! this is a great looking sandwich 🙂
katiez says
March 2, 2008 at 11:00 amI absolutely love a good Rueben… And they seem to be hard to find in the US now, bad ones, easy; good ones, not.
This one I can make myself – even better!
-r says
March 5, 2008 at 2:21 pmMade these for dinner last night, and they were delicious! 🙂
Anonymous says
March 18, 2008 at 9:46 pmHeidi’s Deli here in Denver serves up the Reuben without grilling it. Passable. But not great. Every year about this time (Reubens for Good Friday?) I get a major crave for the real thing. And the only way is to make it the way I like it. Which is the way most other folks like it. EXCEPT, I like mustard on it. Spicy brown or yellow, it doesn’t matter. And it has to be grilled CRISP, but not burned. Alright ! That’s tasty.
Anonymous says
March 19, 2008 at 11:30 pmThe Reuben is a great sandwich. It is truly a taste to be desired. However, you can OD on these things.
Gerd Wissemann says
August 20, 2008 at 9:33 pmA very nice blog you have here!
http://forum.phuketchefs.com/index.php
Have a look at mine please.
Best Regards fro Phuket/Thailand,
Gerd
Anonymous says
March 17, 2009 at 4:03 pmit looks perfect just the way it is. I rarely have this sand but think I’d enjoy yours a lot.
Anonymous says
April 20, 2010 at 9:45 amThis looks MUCH better than most. One word of advice: Don't drain the sauerkraut TOO much — the Reuben is SUPPOSED to be a moist sandwich. That, in a nutshell, is the entire trick to making a proper Reuben; making it as juicy as possible without having it turn into mush. It's a delicate balancing act. It's also why there is not such thing as a "take-out" Reuben. If it survives the trip home, it wasn't made very well in the first place.
Kate says
March 18, 2011 at 11:44 pmThis is my all-time favorite sandwich!
Alisa Fleming says
March 19, 2011 at 3:33 pmRye bread has always scared me away from the Reuben, but that pictures is making me want to give it a chance.
Mcburn's Kitchen says
March 20, 2011 at 3:10 pmSo creative in making sandwiches,I really amaze with your innovation in making food more enticing to our palate… visit my traditional dishes from Malaysia.
Renee Julia says
March 29, 2011 at 7:52 pmTalk about fine looking Reubens, man, oh man… I can't get enough of corned beef.
Rooster says
September 18, 2011 at 12:52 pmI'm running out to the store now…
Laura C says
March 20, 2012 at 9:08 pmI happened upon a 50% off sale on corned beef last Saturday and decided to make you Rueben. Oh heaven! I am sooo glad that I went the extra mile and made the dressing myself instead of buying it. Awesome recipe!
titanların öfkesi says
March 22, 2012 at 8:44 pmThank you
kita says
March 27, 2012 at 2:49 amWe are making a second batch of corned beef this week. I am looking forward to the sandwiches, as BF ate the entire one last time without as much as blinking. These sound mouth watering.
Anonymous says
March 9, 2014 at 4:07 pmHi Foodies,
I did make the Reuben Sandwich and it was very gooood.So this is the next thing . I want to make a Turkey Reuben Sandwich but I want to change a few things in the sauce.2014 KL love your recipe please keep making them. Friday