Corned Beef Reuben Casserole Recipe

What if you could have a dinner that took your favorite sandwich, the one you turn to for pure enjoyment, and turned it into a make-ahead, no-fuss recipe? Thankfully, that's exactly what this corned beef Reuben casserole does.

As a food and travel writer from Montreal, I've seen a lot of Reuben sandwiches in my time. All have the classic combination of flavors — good rye bread, bonus points if it's two-hued, a heaping pile of shaved or sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut, and creamy dressing, which can be either Russian or Thousand Island. If making a good Reuben requires some know-how, then taking those flavors and successfully converting them to another dish was a fun challenge. Luckily, we figured it out after some trial and error.

Our corned beef Reuben casserole is creamy and meaty on the inside, with a cheesy pull from the shredded Swiss, and crunchy, crispy pieces of toasted rye bread. The sauerkraut, which we make sure to drain, is laced throughout, giving every other bite a surprising edge and zip. But the crowning jewel of the whole casserole is our crunchy chip topping, which is meant to emulate the toasted rye bread on top of the Reuben. We found that chopping all the components into bite-sized pieces was the best approach, rather than layering them in a way that fell apart once you cut into the casserole. The result is a gooey, crunchy, and satisfying casserole that will bring your favorite sandwich to the dinner table in a magnificent new form.

To make the casserole version of the beloved corned beef Reuben sandwich, you'll need a loaf of rye bread, cut into cubes, butter, and chopped corned beef, to start. When choosing your corned beef, we recommend that you go for one from the frozen or deli counters rather than the canned variety, though canned corned beef has its many uses in the kitchen. Additionally, you'll need drained sauerkraut, whole caraway seeds, cream cheese, eggs, thousand island dressing, whole milk, salt, black pepper, shredded Swiss cheese, fresh parsley, and crushed potato chips.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Toss the bread with 3 tablespoons of melted butter in a bowl, then spread it evenly on a baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter.

Layer half the toasted rye bread cubes in the dish. Top with corned beef, sauerkraut, and caraway seeds. Add the remaining bread cubes.

Blend the cream cheese, eggs, thousand island dressing, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Fold in the Swiss cheese and 2 tablespoons of parsley.

Pour the cheese sauce over the casserole.

Bake for 30 minutes until set and golden.

Remove the casserole from the oven and top with crushed potato chips, distributing them evenly across the surface.

Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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The beloved Reuben sandwich is so popular that it often feels like it's always been around. However, like all good dishes, the Reuben also has an origin story – except just like the question of whether you prefer your sandwich with Russian or Thousand Island dressing, the debate around it is hot.

One prominent theory traces its origins back to Nebraska in the 1920s, while another dates it back to a New York deli in 1914. According to the Nebraska tale, one day a poker player by the name of Reuben Kulakofsky requested a corned beef and sauerkraut sandwich, thus inspiring the local hotel owner's son, Bernard Schimmel, who had a penchant for cheffing, to come up with this creation. Meanwhile, a New York historian disputed the tale in Saveur magazine when she claimed it was actually Arnold Reuben, a NYC deli owner, who made the sandwich first. The issue is, his creation consisted of ham, cheese, turkey, and coleslaw, without a slice of corned beef in sight.

The debate continued for years, with two historians debating it back and forth. It finally came to somewhat of a resolution when the descendants of Bernard Schimmel found Nebraskan menus that clearly advertised the Reuben sandwich as far back as 1937. It still remains unclear which inventive mind came up with the combo first, but both stories seem to hold merit in their claim to having made the original Reuben.

A good Reuben sandwich is worth its weight in gold, and we tried to be as true to the traditional version as possible with our casserole version. However, if you want to play around with possible alternative combinations, we do have some ideas to inspire you.

If you want to lighten this hearty casserole up a bit, you can substitute the cream cheese with Greek yogurt and a touch of mayonnaise. This will add protein and also lower the fat content. If you want to make the casserole zingier, adding a bit of horseradish to the mix is also great for sharpness of flavor.

You can substitute the store-bought dressing with a homemade mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish. Another twist we love is to use a sharp aged cheddar in place of the Swiss cheese, to add its distinct sharp flavor. Finally, you can even use canned corned beef in making the casserole, but just make sure to use some of our hacks and seasonings to make it taste better.

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