Best Reuben Recipes

Soon after it was invented by Bernard Schimmel, the Reuben won the National Sandwich Idea Contest in 1956. Now, nearly 60 years later, the combination of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing is still a deli favorite. It's definitely mine. Whenever I'm lucky enough to eat at a classic New York City deli for lunch, a Reuben is my go-to order — but I always swap out the corned beef for pastrami. As much as I love the sandwich, though, I've never once made it at home. The lengthy cooking methods for both corned beef and pastrami completely contradict my sandwich ideal: a quick, no-fuss lunch or an easy weeknight dinner. This recipe solves the problem. Changing the meat once again, I sub out pastrami for an all-beef, char-grilled hot dog, which I top with all the best parts of a Reuben: melted Swiss, hot sauerkraut, and tangy-sweet Russian dressing.  Click here to see 8 Creative Hot Dog Recipes.

A classic Reuben uses Thousand Island dressing, but throw some sharp mustard in here and you’ll get a great contrast to the rich meat and cheese. Instead of broiling or using a sandwich press, fry up the meat in a sauté pan, and then melt the cheese directly over the meat for maximum meat-cheese adherence.

Turn Reuben sandwich ingredients into a tasty appetizer when you bake classic ingredients in Pillsbury’s refrigerated crescent dinner roll dough and serve in bite-size pieces. For more inspiring Irish recipes, click here!