How To Make The Best Reuben Sandwich – A Delicious Leftover Corned Beef Recipe!

Now that St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, you may be searching for the best recipe to use your leftover corned beef; and there is no better (or easier) way than to make a Reuben sandwich. Sliced corned beef layered in between two slices of bread and topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and a tangy dressing.

Once it is put on a hot griddle the cheese melts over the meat and binds the entire sandwich together. Slice it in half and take a bite into one of the most flavorful sandwiches that you have ever had.

Best of all, it takes only minutes to prepare and it can easily be customized. For instance, if you don’t have leftover corned beef, use deli slices of corned beef instead.

And if you aren’t a fan of sauerkraut, simply leave it out or use fried cabbage, kimchi, or coleslaw instead. As for the dressing on top, the choice is up to you as well.

However, in order to make the best classic Reuben sandwich, there are a few tips and tricks to follow. And it all starts with the ingredients.

Classic Reuben Ingredients

1. The Bread

A traditional Reuben is made with rye bread. However, the first decision that you have to make is what type of rye bread that you should use.

Yes, there are actually several different types of rye bread to choose from. Variations of rye bread include: light rye, dark rye, marble rye, Jewish rye, and pumpernickel bread.

Although you could use any bread to make the sandwich, hands down the crowd favorite that makes the best Reuben is marble rye bread. Not only does it look impressive, it also has the best flavor and texture for making a Reuben sandwich.

2. Corned Beef

Many of use will have leftover meat after our Corned Beef and Cabbage meal that we enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day. Then we will use the meat to make Reubens, Reuben Dip, and Corned Beef Hash.

However, if you are craving a Rueben and don’t have any leftovers, deli corned beef can be used. In fact if you prefer thin, even slices deli corned beef is your answer.

The corned beef that you get at the deli counter is most likely made from a top round roast. Once cooked and cooled, the meat is bound together and can easily be sliced.

However, homemade corned beef that you make at home is most often sold in package that contains a salt cured brisket. And more specifically, the flat cut of the brisket.

Once cooked low and slow the lean brisket breaks down and becomes super tender. In fact, once sliced the meat may even crumble apart. Although the meat is great to use for Corned Beef Hash, it is less than ideal to make into sandwiches.

However, using a few simple techniques it is possible to turn your brisket into thin, even deli slices. Start by cooking the brisket to the safe consumption temperature of 145°F. Then let the corned beef cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it across the grain.

I prefer to use a meat slicer to get thin, even deli slices. However you can also use a sharp carving knife and cut the brisket against the grain.

Slicing along the grain, or in the same direction as the muscle fibers, will result in slices with a tough and stringy texture. Be sure to avoid cutting in this direction!

The Other Ingredients For A Reuben Sandwich:

Although the remaining 3 ingredients are pretty standard, it is important to layer and grill your Reuben sandwich in a certain way to make it the BEST EVER!

3. Swiss Cheese

Slices of Swiss Cheese are used not only for flavor and texture, but also to prevent the bread from becoming soggy. Be sure to place the cheese so that it is next to both the bottom and top slices of bread.

4. Sauerkraut

Although I prefer to use our Homemade Sauerkraut that we made from the cabbage from our garden, you can use your favorite store-bought sauerkraut. Sauerkraut can be found in refrigerated bags, cans, and jars.

No matter which one you choose, be sure that it is drained well before adding it to your sandwich. It is best to not only place it in a colander, but to use your hands to squeeze out the excess moisture before adding it to your Reuben sandwich.

5. Thousand Island Dressing

Yes, you could make your own homemade dressing. However, full-fat, store-bought Thousand Island dressing works just as well for most people.

Although if you aren’t a fan of Thousand Island dressing, you can use your favorite Russian dressing instead. It all depends on the flavor that you enjoy.

The Two Skillet Method

Now that you have the ingredients on hand, it is time to make the sandwiches! Although I prefer to use as few as dishes as possible, in order to get the best tasting Reuben sandwich, you will need 2 skillets for this recipe.

The first skillet is to grill the sandwiches. And the second skillet is the heat the corned beef and drained sauerkraut prior to the sandwiches being assembled.

However, if you have a large griddle or Blackstone flat top grill, you can use that instead. Just be sure to follow the assembly instructions below so that you layer the ingredients in the proper order. It is what makes the Reuben taste so good!

The Best Reuben Sandwich Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices marble rye bread
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 8 slices corned beef
• 1/2 cup sauerkraut, well drained
• 2 tablespoons Thousand Island dressing

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE BEST REUBEN SANDWICH

Heat 2 large skillets over medium heat.

Butter 2 pieces of marble rye bread on one side. Spread Thousand Island dressing evenly on the other side and top each with a piece of Swiss cheese.

Place 2 pieces of the prepared buttered bread (with the dressing and cheese facing upward) into one skillet and begin to brown. In the other skillet, heat the corned beef in one half of the skillet and the drained sauerkraut on the other side.

Once the corned beef and sauerkraut are heated through, top each piece of the toasted rye bread with half of the sauerkraut mixture and 4 slices of corned beef placed on top of the cheese.

Place the remaining 2 slices of cheese on top of the corned beef. Then spread Thousand Island dressing to one side of the remaining bread slices and butter the other side.

Place the bread with the dressing spread on top of the Swiss cheese, with the butter side facing upward and flip the sandwiches over. Grill until the bottom piece of bread is nice and golden brown.

Carefully remove the sandwiches from the skillet. Slice at a diagonal and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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