Reuben Sandwich Casserole Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/22/22
Reuben casserole recipe

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Who could have imagined that the classic corned beef deli sandwich could be eaten any other way than as a sandwich? But, the ingredients of this grilled sandwich actually lend themselves to a delicious casserole—the corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese are layered with Thousand Island dressing, then topped with buttered rye breadcrumbs. It's an excellent way to use leftover corned beef, especially for Reuben sandwich lovers. 

Use leftover corned beef, deli corned beef, or canned corned beef in the recipe. If you use canned corned beef, chill it in the can for a few hours so it will be firm enough to dice.

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 to 1 pound corned beef, cooked, diced or sliced

  • 1/4 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

  • 1 (16-ounce) can sauerkraut, or bagged sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

  • 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

  • 6 slices rye bread, crumbled or cut into cubes

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Reuben casserole
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C / Gas 4). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

    Casserole dish
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Spread the corned beef over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and dot with spoonfuls of dressing.

    Reuben casserole
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Spread the sauerkraut over the top and sprinkle with the Swiss cheese.

    Spread the sauerkraut
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. In a bowl, toss the crumbled rye bread with the melted butter.

    Rye bread
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the sauerkraut layer.

    Stuffing
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and the crumbs are lightly browned.

    Bake
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Serve and enjoy!

    Reuben casserole
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • If you don't have commercial Thousand Island dressing, it's easy to make your own substitute. Combine 1/4 cup of mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of sweet pickle relish. Stir in 1 teaspoon of grated or finely minced onion and a dash of garlic powder. Add salt to taste.
  • To quickly make the bread crumbs, pulse the rye bread slices in the food processor. You can also replace the rye bread with whole-wheat, pumpernickel, or white bread, although be aware that signature rye taste will be missing from the casserole.

Recipe Variations

  • Instead of using shredded Swiss cheese, overlap thin slices over the sauerkraut. You can also replace the Swiss cheese with Gouda, Gruyère, Emmenthaler, Jarlsberg, or fontina. Again, the final dish will have a different flavor.
  •  If you like caraway seeds, toss a tablespoon in along with the sauerkraut.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
510 Calories
37g Fat
17g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 510
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 132mg 44%
Sodium 1551mg 67%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 347mg 27%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 316mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)