Reuben Casserole Recipe

All the goodness of a reuben sandwich, but in an easy to make and delicious reuben casserole recipe. Layer marbled rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, homemade 1000 island dressing, and Swiss cheese in a baking dish and bake until hot, crispy, and melty. Ideal for a comforting lunch or dinner.

This reuben casserole recipe was a creation for a reuben sandwich loving personal chef client family. They wanted all the goodness of the sandwich, but in an easy to reheat version. And it stays delicious in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Just like a reuben sandwich, the corned beef, sauerkraut, homemade 1000 island dressing and Swiss cheese are layered between rye bread.

None of the deliciousness of the sandwich is lost in the reuben casserole recipe. The ingredients are stacked in a 9 x 13 baking dish. It's so easy peasy to make the dish. And it's perfect to make with leftover corned beef.

the ingredients

Layering the ingredients of a reuben sandwich in a baking dish makes for an easy comfort food meal.

• salted butter
• marble rye bread ~ Try dark rye, pumpernickel or light rye.
• cooked corned beef ~ My easy Instant Pot recipe is below. Leftover corned beef or stored bought sliced corned beef from the deli are great substitutes.
• sauerkraut
• mayonnaise
• ketchup
• sweet pickle relish ~ Or finely chop sweet or bread and butter pickles.
• Swiss cheese ~ Gruyere or fontina cheese are tasty alternatives.
• fresh parsley

Scroll down to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

recipe substitutions

• I love swirl of color in marble rye. Other varieties of bread are also tasty in the recipe. Plain or caraway seeded rye and pumpernickel are delicious options.
• Making and shredding a whole corned beef makes for the best reuben casserole. Scroll down for my foolproof Instant Pot recipe for tender corned beef. But thinly sliced deli corned beef can stand in as a suitable substitute.
• Drain the sauerkraut so the casserole isn't soggy.
• Homemade dressings take only a few ingredients to make and are in well stocked pantries. Whipping up a delicious 1000 island dressing takes less than a minute. A store bought dressing of this creamy dressing is also an alternative.

how to make corned beef in an Instant Pot

Using an Instant pot is my first choice for cooking the corned beef. It's a super easy and relatively speedy cooking method for tender corned beef that shreds beautifully.

Add a 4 pound corned beef, 12 ounces of beer, 2 cups of water, and a large sliced onion to an Instant Pot. Set the pressure to High and the timer for 90 minutes.

After a natural release of 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure. Remove the corned beef and shred. There will be enough for the reuben casserole and even some leftover for snacking.

step by step recipe details

I love that this recipe is easy to toss together. It's just a layering of the ingredients.

Start off by tossing the bread cubes with melted butter and putting half in a large baking dish. I use a ceramic 9 x 13 inch baking dish so the casserole looks pretty going from the oven to the dinner table.

Next spread the corned beef on top of the bread cubes followed by the sauerkraut.

Make the quick homemade 1000 island dressing. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. Spread the dressing evenly over the kraut.

Now's my favorite part ~ adding the cheese! Sprinkle half of the Swiss cheese evenly over the dressing.

Add the remaining butter covered cubes of bread. Distribute the remainder of the cheese on top of the casserole.

Bake until the casserole to hot and the cheese is melted.

I serve the reuben casserole straight from the oven after cutting it into big squares.

suggestions and tips

• Shred the Swiss cheese either by hand or with a food processor. It will be much fresher tasting than the preshredded variety and melts beautifully.
• The casserole stays fresh in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave. Use 60% power for 1 to 2 minutes until the reuben casserole is hot and the cheese is melty.

more comfort food recipes to try

just one more thing

If you make this delicious reuben casserole, I’d love hearing from you.

Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my YouTube, Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

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