Classic Reuben Sandwich
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It’s so quick and easy to make a classic Reuben sandwich, which is overloaded with melted Swiss cheese, tender corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, and scrumptious Thousand Island dressing.
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
Today I’m bringing you a quick and easy way to get your corned beef and cabbage in! I love to make this treat, particularly around ‘s Day.
As the title suggests, this classic Reuben sandwich recipe features everything you’d find on a traditional Reuben sandwich, including melted Swiss cheese, tender corned beef, sauerkraut, and rye bread. It’s so delicious and most importantly, quick and easy to make. Plus, I’ve included some suggestions below to make the sandwich your own (and please everyone in the family if you have a picky eater or two).
While we’re on the topic of delicious sandwiches, there is this place in Decatur, Alabama that I just love called The Brick. They serve these great sandwiches, overflowing with freshly sliced meats and cheeses and toasted to perfection. Located inside an old brownstone downtown, there is usually live music in the evenings and while the service tends to be a wee bit on the slow side when I’ve been before, you can’t complain because that just means you get to soak up the atmosphere a little more.
Now, if you’re a fellow fan of all things Reuben-flavored, you also have to try this ridiculously good Reuben dip recipe. Let’s get cookin’!
Recipe Ingredients
- Swiss cheese
- Corned beef
- Rye bread (any kind, I’m using )
- Sauerkraut
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Pickle relish
How to Make a Classic Reuben Sandwich
First, we need to make a homemade Thousand Island dressing. You can skip this step if you have a bottle of dressing already open.
But if not, what you want to do is simply combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickle relish in a bowl. Stir well until combined.
Spread some butter on the outside of each bread slice.
I put a layer of Swiss cheese first.
Top with sliced corned beef.
Have you ever noticed how much prettier a sandwich is if you fold and layer the meat rather than just laying them flat?
Add sauerkraut.
At this point, I realized that no one in my house eats sauerkraut but me (dropped on their heads as children – the whole lot of ’em!) so I decided I might as well add one more thing that no one likes but me).
Sliced banana peppers, that is. You can also opt for sliced bell pepper.
Our classic Reuben sandwich is now ready to be toasted! That was easy, wasn’t it?
Place it in a skillet and brown on both sides over medium heat.
We just want our bread golden brown and toasted and our cheese a little melted.
Yum yum yum!
I gotta be lucky today to get to eat one of these!
Recipe Notes
- Oh my goodness, how I love sauerkraut! When we were little, Mama browned it in a skillet with slices of weenies for supper. We usually had that and fried potatoes and pinto beans with cornbread for supper. I would put ketchup on my sauerkraut and weenies and it was the best dinner as a kid! You can get these at your local deli counter and just get whatever you need so there is no waste or additional cost.
- If you like though, substitute the sauerkraut for coleslaw to keep kids happy!
- Add more flavor to your butter by sprinkling it with garlic powder.
- A classic Reuben sandwich is often made with Russian dressing, which is very similar to Thousand Island dressing. They each have a ketchup and mayonnaise base. However, homemade Russian dressing also includes a teaspoon of horseradish, hot sauce (to taste, depending on how spicy you like it), a tablespoon of chopped onion or green onion, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of sweet paprika.
- Now, a traditional Reuben sandwich is always made with corned beef, but if you’d prefer to use pastrami go ahead.
- My favorite Swiss cheese to use is Gruyere.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with a Reuben sandwich?
You can keep it simple and serve your Reuben sandwich with a side of potato chips. Otherwise, opt for a side like French fries, potato salad, coleslaw, or pickles.
Here are some more sensational sandwich recipes:
Chicken Salad Recipe for Sandwiches
Pimento Grilled Cheese Sandwich
French Dip Sandwiches (Recipe With a Twist)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp pickle relish
- rye bread 2 slices per sandwich
- butter enough to spread over the inside and outside of the bread
- Swiss cheese enough to cover the meat on both sides
- corned beef roughly a 1/4-pound for each sandwich
- sauerkraut roughly a 1/4-cup per sandwich, drained
- bell pepper, sliced optional
Instructions
- Mix the mayo, ketchup, and pickle relish together into a nice sauce and set it aside.1 tbsp ketchup, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp pickle relish
- Butter each side of the rye bread. Layer Swiss cheese slices, corned beef, another layer of Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and banana peppers (optional).rye bread, butter, Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut, bell pepper, sliced
- Spread the sauce over the sauerkraut.
- Toast in skillet until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Instead corned beef here I use smoked meat but must try it with kraut sounds good to me or even the horseradish sounds good also, will experience either instead just smoked meat sandwich. Thanks for the tips Christy
Hope you enjoy it Lo!!!
We had Reubens for dinner last night………….one of our favorites. Christy I see that you used Boarhead kraut. I came across that brand and used it for the first time last night. It is soooo goooooood! Almost as good as the kraut we made when I was a kid on the farm in Bear Creek, AL. I love the stuff and find myself eating it from the can and wishing I had some of the homemade kraut I enjoyed as a kid. Homemade kraut is the best and yes we had it fried with wieners, pinto beans we had canned, onions, we had grown and cornbread, fom the corn we grew and had ground at a nearby gristmill. To us that kind of meal was heaven. Luckily everybody in my family loved kraut.
I love reading all these comments from the wonderful Southern Plate friends. Thank you Christy for the opportunity to share!!!
Oh my goodness JoAnn, YES, the Boarshead is the best store bought kraut!! But I also make my own, in my garage!!
I can eat sauerkraut right out of the can, just take a fork and dig in, but I do like reubens only no thousand island dressing, just a little mayo and horseradish, not the creamy kind tho. I will be making corned beef in the crockpot for St Paddy’s Day. Have a blessed week!
I hope you have a great week too Beulah!!!
We love Reuben at our house! I make mine very much like yours Christy. I put 2 layers of cheese on our Reuben’s, top n bottom. We’re having Reuben for St Patty’s Day Monday. YUM!…. My Mom made wieners n kraut when I was a kid. I loved it, I didn’t put ketchup on it though. I’ll have to give the ketchup it a try on it. I haven’t made wieners n kraut in many years. Maybe we’ll have it later this week.
One of my favorites as well Sheila!!
Never liked kraut when I was a kid…in fact I must been about 30 years old before I realized it is one yummy food! Reubens are one of my favorite sandwiches …in fact I have been known to make them with roast beef, ham or without meat at all!
YUMMY!
Oh…and I was told at a little restaurant I worked at 100 yrs ago, to fold & layer the meat & fluff it a bit, as it looked like you were giving more! People would love it thinking they were getting so much more for their $1.00`s….I still do it with my own sandwiches!
That looks so good we are definatly having that for St Paddy’s ah tis grand to be Irish!!
Yummy, sounds perfect!!