Home » Dinner Recipes » Reuben Casserole

Reuben Casserole

This Reuben Casserole is like a huge reuben sandwich for a crowd! Layers of rye bread, pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a special sauce!

A DELICIOUS PASTRAMI CASSEROLE

One of my family’s favorite sandwiches are reuben sandwiches. They love them! But it can be time consuming to make each individual sandwich, right? So why not just make one big Reuben Casserole. All the same flavors, served warm and easy to slice up and serve!

A white dinner plate with a serving of Reuben Casserole.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

What kind of meat should I use?

You can use sliced corned beef or pastrami. I prefer pastrami but use your favorite.

How do I keep this casserole from getting soggy?

Make sure you drain the sauerkraut real well. You don’t want any excess juices making it soggy.

What kind of bread works best with this Reuben Casserole?

Use dark or light rye bread. Both work just fine with this recipe.

Do I have to use the seeds?

Don’t forget the caraway seeds. They really do make this recipe! If you really don’t want to use them, you can omit them, but it won’t be the same.

Can I halve this recipe?

You bet! If you don’t need as many servings, you can simply cut this recipe as written in half. You’ll need a smaller baking dish and you will most likely need to cut back on the baking time.

How to store leftovers?

Store leftover Reuben Sandwich Casserole covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The longer it sits, the higher the risk of getting soggy.

Can I use a larger baking dish?

If you don’t have an 11×7-inch baking dish you can use a 9×13-inch dish but the casserole will just be thinner. You also may not need to cook it in the oven quite as long.

Can I freeze this casserole?

Sure thing. Just transfer to a freezer safe container or freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

A large baking dish with a serving of Reuben Casserole being held above it.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • rye bread – you can use dark or light. We like both but sometimes stores only carry one or the other.
  • thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef – this is a wonderful recipe for that leftover St. Patricks Day corned beef!
  • sauerkraut – make sure you drain it well or it will make this casserole soggy.
  • shredded Swiss cheese – if you don’t enjoy Swiss cheese, you can use provolone or even mozzarella.
  • caraway seeds – I think the caraway seeds really make this casserole special but you can leave them out if you don’t like them.
  • chopped dill pickles – I suppose you could also use a dill pickle relish just don’t get too carried away with spreading it on.
  • thousand island dressing – you could also use Russian dressing.
Rye bread, thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef, sauerkraut, shredded Swiss cheese, caraway seeds, 
chopped dill pickle, 
milk, eggs, thousand island dressing, and
yellow mustard.

HOW TO MAKE REUBEN CASSEROLE:

Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray 11×7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Please note the photos below make the baking dish look larger than it is. It is not a larger baking dish – it is only an 11×7-inch dish. Take four slices of rye bread and cut them into 2-inch cubes. Spread cubed bread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place remaining slices of rye bread into food processor and pulse into fine breadcrumbs and set aside.

A collage of images with a baking dish filled with bread cubes and a food processor filled with bread crumbs.

Cover evenly with half of the pastrami. Then evenly top with drained sauerkraut. Note: press down on the layers as you go.

A collage of images with pastrami and layered sauerkraut.

Followed by chopped pickles and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese on top of the previous layer.

A casserole dish layered with cubed bread, meat, sauerkraut, chopped pickles, shredded cheese, and seeds.s.

Next, top with remaining pastrami. Continue to push down the layers as you go. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups Swiss cheese and 1 tsp. caraway seeds on top of pastrami. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, thousand island dressing and mustard. Pour mixture evenly over the casserole.

A mixing bowl with milk, eggs, thousand island dressing and mustard. And then a baking dish layered with a Reuben Casserole with the sauce mixture poured on top.

Top with breadcrumbs. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

A layered Reuben Casserole before it gets baked then a freshly baked Reuben Casserole just out of the oven.

Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.

A fork holding a bite of Reuben Casserole above a plate with a serving of it.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: March 2017
Updated photos and republished: February 2024

A serving utensil holding a large serving of Reuben Casserole.

Reuben Casserole

This Reuben Casserole is like a huge reuben sandwich for a crowd! Layers of rye bread, pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and special sauce!
4.88 from 120 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 slices rye bread (dark or light), divided use
  • 1 pound thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef, divided use
  • 14.5 ounce can or jar sauerkraut, drained well
  • 4 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided use
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, divided use
  • 1 cup chopped dill pickles
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • cup thousand island dressing
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray 11×7 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Take four slices of rye bread and cut them into 2-inch cubes.
  • Place remaining slices of rye bread into food processor and pulse into fine breadcrumbs and set aside.
    A food processor with bread crumbs.
  • Spread cubed bread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
    A baking dish filled with bread cubes.
  • Cover evenly with half of the pastrami.
  • Then evenly top with drained sauerkraut, chopped pickles and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds.
    A partially layered Reuben Casserole in a baking dish.
  • Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese on top of sauerkraut layer.
    Shredded cheese layer on top of other casserole layers in a baking dish.
  • Next, top with remaining pastrami. Push down on all the layers to help compact it a bit.
    Pastrami layer on top of other layers of a Reuben Casserole.
  • Sprinkle remaining 2 cups Swiss cheese and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds on top of pastrami.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, thousand island dressing and mustard.
    A mixing bowl with milk, eggs, thousand island dressing, and mustard.
  • Pour mixture evenly over the casserole.
    A milk, eggs, thousand island dressing and mustard mixture on top of a Reuben Casserole in a dish.
  • Top with breadcrumbs.
    Bread crumbs on top of a layered casserole.
  • Cover with foil.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.
    A baked Reuben Casserole in a glass baking dish.
  • Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.
    A white dinner plate with a serving of Reuben Casserole.

Notes

  • Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 15g | Sodium: 795mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




96 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We made this last night, and it was delicious! I did have to bake it about 15 minutes longer, because it wasn’t hot enough, so I uncovered it and baked it until the thermometer reached about 165° and it was delicious. I will also say that it’s salty because of the corned beef, cheese and sauerkraut. Letting it rest for 5 minutes made it easy to serve. My slices looked just like the recipe picture. Overall, this was a great success. Next time I’ll try pastrami. Thanks for this recipe I will be keeping.

  2. 5 stars
    Excellent! Thank you for sharing w us! I can see this recipe in my fall rotation
    Excited to try your other recipes now!

  3. 5 stars
    I made This Casserole With anxiety, My hubby is very fussy about his Rubens, We almost ate The entire Casserole. Absolutely perfect in every way possible, Thank you ❤️

  4. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!!
    The pickles really make this pop!
    I just toasted the rye bread and cut it into tiny squares for our topping instead of making bread crumbs in the food processor. It worked out so well, gave the top layer a little crunch. (I did use 4 slices for the topping)
    I am looking forward to trying some more of your recipes!

  5. 5 stars
    Awesome Recipe!
    Super easy to make and so delicious. Everyone loved it and then I froze the leftovers. Weeks later I reheated it and it tasted like the day I made it. This recipe is a keeper! Thank You!

    1. 5 stars
      Instead of pastrami, i use portabella mushrooms,(saute lightly 16 oz or the huge caps around 4-5) everything else is the same.
      This is a year round recipe.