Reuben Sandwiches Are 99% Tastier With This Pastry Transformation

One of the all-time classic sandwiches is the Reuben, typically a tasty handful of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing. The final traditional component, toasted rye bread, however, can easily be substituted with puff pastry for a flaky, crispy, light, and elevated take on the sandwich.

The simplest method is to bake puff pastry sheets cut to sandwich size before using them in place of bread. To really make a puff pastry Reuben worthwhile, however, you can bake it with all the fillings already inside, and there are a few approaches to this. 

For a party or lunch gathering, use entire pastry sheets to make one giant Reuben sandwich that you can then slice into individual portions after baking. Lay down a full sheet of pastry, load it with the fillings, and lay a second sheet over the top before pinching the edges shut and baking. When it comes out, you can slice it into individual portions and serve.

Another creative avenue is the upside-down method, which involves placing mounds of your standard sandwich fillings on a baking sheet and laying a square of pastry over each. They bake up golden and crispy, ready to be layered with your favorite sauces or remaining ingredients before being pressed together.

Let's take this idea a step further and roll up a sheet of pastry topped with Reuben filling before slicing crosswise into pucks. Bake these for around 20 minutes, and you've got delicious Reuben wheels or roll-ups. You can even crimp individual Reuben empanadas or fill hand-sized Reuben pockets and serve them with a side of Russian dressing for dipping. Substituting toasted rye for puff pastry does more than just offer a lighter, crispier alternative to the rich and heavy bread — it also creates new opportunities to experiment.

With all of the approaches that involve baking pastry with the fillings in place, it's important to control the moisture of these ingredients to avoid soggy pastry. That means making sure your sauerkraut is really well-drained and as dry as possible. Don't forget the egg wash to give your pastry a beautiful golden-brown hue and help it crisp up nicely. Sprinkling some caraway seeds on top can reintroduce some of the flavor you get in rye bread to really take the pastry/Reuben crossover to the next level.

If you prefer the bite of peppery pastrami over corned beef, any of these methods will still work beautifully with a simple swap. Serve these pastry Reuben creations with typical sides like potato chips or coleslaw. Just, whatever you do, don't forget a nice crunchy pickle to enjoy alongside them.