Reuben Sandwich with Homemade Russian Dressing

This Reuben Sandwich uses leftover corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and my signature creamy Russian Dressing to make the most delicious sandwich you’ve ever had. Leftovers have never tasted so good!

MY FAVORITE WAY TO USE LEFTOVER CORNED BEEF

You might have an inkling from some of my previous posts that I love me some corned beef! It’s so juicy and full of flavor – especially when slow simmered in Guinness, ya know?

But, I have a secret… I actually like having the leftovers BETTER than the meal itself. I can’t lie. It’s because I make a killer Reuben sandwich. Seriously, ask my friends.

I think I know what makes it so good. It’s my homemade Russian dressing. If you love a good Reuben as much as I do, you’ll definitely need to try this recipe!

What is a Reuben Sandwich?

A traditional Reuben is made on buttered and toasted rye bread and then stacked with sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese and topped with Russian or Thousand Island dressing. When you bite into it, it’s crispy and crunchy on the outside and full of creamy goodness on the inside. The flavor and texture combos in this sandwich are bonkers.

There is legit no way to eat a Reuben without getting messy, so load up on the napkins before you dig in.

Reuben Sandwich Ingredients

You just know any sandwich that starts with rye bread is going to straight up kill it.

Here’s what you’ll need for the best Reuben sandwich you’ve ever tried:

Rye bread
Butter
My homemade Russian Dressing
Thinly sliced corned beef
Sauerkraut
Swiss Cheese

How to Make Russian Dressing

Here are the ingredients you need to make homemade Russian Dressing:

mayonnaise
sour cream
ketchup
pickle juice
lemon juice
hot sauce
Horseradish
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Once you have all your ingredients together, making Russian dressing is easy! Just follow these steps:

In a small jar or bowl, combine all the ingredients for the Russian Dressing
Whisk them until they are well combined.

That’s it! You can cover and refrigerate this dressing for up to 2 weeks! Use it on sandwiches, and salads, too.

How to Make a Reuben Sandwich

Prep: Preheat your oven broiler to HIGH. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Toast: Place your bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden brown. Remove from the oven; flip over the bread slices and spread remaining butter over each slice. Set under the broiler and toast until golden brown.
Make: Remove your bread from the oven and spread the Russian dressing on each slice. Add sauerkraut on two slices of bread. Add sliced corned beef on the other two slices of bread. Add Swiss cheese on top of each slice.
Set your baking sheet back under the broiler for a couple of minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Serve: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and close the sandwiches together. Cut them in half and serve.

Fixing Ideas for the Best Reuben Sandwich

If you’re a Reuben traditionalist, you’re going to find the following to be complete blasphemy. But, if you’re open to the idea of making some culinarily exciting modifications to the classic Reuben… this is for you!

Pickles: I’ve found that pickles go so well with Reubens, sometimes, I’ll add pickle slices in the middle of my sandwich right before I close them.
Coleslaw: Another idea is using your favorite coleslaw on the sandwich in place of the Russian dressing and sauerkraut.
Bacon: We all know bacon makes everything better – so throw two slices on your sandwich for some extra flavor.
Blue Cheese Dressing: You could sub out Russian dressing for Blue Cheese dressing.
Mustard: Throw some mustard in the mix.

What Goes with a Reuben?

For me, a Reuben simply MUST have a pickle on the side. This is a non-negotiable for my Reuben eating.

I also love to have crispy kettle cooked chips on the side. Of course, I love a good french fry, too, or even a potato wedge. You can’t go wrong with potato salad, either. Are you noticing a trend? Any kind of potato will be great with a Reuben.

Really, this sandwich is so large and in charge that you could go without any side dish and still be completely satisfied!

MORE SANDWICH RECIPES

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Reuben Sandwich

This Reuben Sandwich uses leftover corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and my signature creamy Russian Dressing to make the most delicious sandwich you’ve ever had.

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American, Irish

Servings: 4 servings (Makes 2 whole sandwiches)

Calories: 631 kcal

Ingredients

For the Homemade Russian Dressing

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1½ tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ tablespoon hot sauce, optional, but I recommend it
1 teaspoon grated horseradish from a jar
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

For the Reuben Sandwich

4 slices rye bread
2 tablespoons butter
⅓ cup Homemade Russian Dressing, you can also use Thousand Island Dressing
½ pound thinly sliced corned beef
½ cup sauerkraut, well drained
8 thin slices Swiss cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven broiler to HIGH.
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Place bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden brown.
Remove from oven; flip over the bread slices and spread remaining butter over each slice.
Set under the broiler and toast until golden brown. Watch it closely because it browns quickly.
Remove bread from oven and spread Russian dressing on each slice.
Add sauerkraut on two slices of bread.
Add sliced corned beef on the other two slices of bread.
Add Swiss cheese on top of each slice.
Set under the broiler for a couple minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and close sandwiches together.