Baked Reuben Casserole is like a huge reuben sandwich for a crowd! Layers of rye bread, pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and special sauce!
BAKED REUBEN CASSEROLE
One of my family’s favorite sandwiches are reuben sandwiches. They love them! But it can be time consuming to make each individual sandwiches, right? So why not just make one big reuben sandwich casserole. All the flavors, served warm and easy to slice up and serve!
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS CASSEROLE:
- You can use sliced corned beef or pastrami. I prefer pastrami but use your favorite.
- Make sure you drain the sauerkraut real well. You don’t want any excess juices making it soggy.
- Use dark or light rye bread. Both work just fine with this recipe.
- Don’t forget the caraway seeds. They really do make this recipe!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
rye bread (dark or light)
thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef
sauerkraut
shredded Swiss cheese
caraway seeds
chopped dill pickles
milk
eggs
thousand island dressing
mustard
HOW TO MAKE BAKED REUBEN CASSEROLE (STEP-BY-STEP 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.
Spread cubed bread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Cover evenly with half of the pastrami.
Then evenly top with drained sauerkraut, chopped pickles and 1 tsp. caraway seeds.
Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese on top of sauerkraut layer.
Next, top with remaining pastrami. I gently push down to help compact it all a bit.
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.
Top with breadcrumbs.
Cover with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.
Enjoy!
BAKED REUBEN CASSEROLE
Ingredients
- 6 slices rye bread (dark or light) divided use
- 1 pound thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef divided use
- 1 14.5 oz can or jar sauerkraut drained well
- 4 cups shredded Swiss cheese divided use
- 2 tsp caraway seeds divided use
- 1 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large eggs beaten
- ⅓ cup thousand island dressing
- ¼ cup mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray 11x7 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.
- Spread cubed bread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Cover evenly with half of the pastrami.
- Then evenly top with drained sauerkraut, chopped pickles and 1 tsp. caraway seeds.
- Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese on top of sauerkraut layer.
- Next, top with remaining pastrami. I gently push down to help compact it all a bit.
- 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.
- Top with breadcrumbs.
- Cover with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.
Nutrition
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Can you make this and put in two smaller baking dishes and freeze one for future use?
This looks so good and I love Ruebens!
You absolutely could do that!
Do the breadcrumbs get crisp with it covered for the entire baking period?
Yes, they get crisp. If you like it super crispy, you could take off the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking. Or stick it under the broiler. 🙂
Don’t care for sauerkraut, what do you suggest as a replacement? Love your recipes always a hit with my family. Thank you.
I’m not sure. I suppose you could just leave it off. 🙂
You can use coleslaw and call it a Rachel instead.
A Rachel has turkey instead of corned beef. It’s not either without the kraut. Try Bavarian style kraut. It’s sweeter.
Reuben means sauerkraut….you can’t leave it out and still have a Reuben…..it would be something else.
Cliff
we love Reuben casserole!
the only thing I do differently is to chop the pastrami slices so we don’t have to wrestle with whole pieces, since we often have younger eaters here when I make it ;0)
thanks for the idea of layering rye cubes on the bottom! I will do that next time I make this–which is already on my menu list for next week, thanx to you LOL
Thanks so much!! Those cubes on the bottom totally make a difference! 🙂
I always have my corned beef shredded/shaved. It taste so much better.
I do not like Thousand Island dressing so when I make reubens If anyone wants it they can put it on themselves I prefer to use a nice mild horse radish dressing it is realy good
me too
Would love to try this today. The rye I bought is an elongated loaf (all I could find). Can you provide approximate measurements for the rye bread in cups?
Seriously, just use good judgment. You can see she just covered the bottom of the dish with the bread one easy layer in cubes and covered the top not to thick. Cooking doesn’t mean exact measurements all the time., in baking maybe, but cooking no!.
I always like horseradish sause on my reuben sandwich.
This looks so interesting! i’ve never tried a reuben casserole before. It actually looks delicious! I want to try this at home, I bet my family would love it! They are fiends for rueben sandwiches, I can’t imagine how fast they’d devour this one. Thanks again for sharing!
What side dish would you suggest serving with this?
Roasted red potatoes with Irish butter and parsley.
Perfect! I used less sauerkraut and added it warmed in the microwave on the side for those who wanted more. Thank you !
I stumbled across this recipe one day and love reubens so made it for our house and the neighbors one night. They loved it so much, they’ve already asked me to make it again. I did half corn beef and half turkey, since I like turkey!
Thank you.
Brandie, I’ll try this for sure. Even though I love traditional Rubens I might try with a lower sodium ham.
Thanks much
I have made this for St.Patricks Day the past two years and get rave reviews. I made it exactly as the recipe states except used corned beef one time and pastrami the second. To be honest, I couldn’t tell the difference in taste. This is a great recipe and so much easier than making individual sandwiches.
Thank you for posting this. In college I had a Casserole cookbook with a Rueben casserole recipe. Everyone loved it but somewhere along the moves I lost the book and have been looking for a recipe to match it. I am definitely going to try this. .
This recipe sounds great but I don’t like eggs. Do the eggs make it “eggy” or do you not even taste them?
Cannot taste egg at all. Just made it tonight.
Could this be made with a corned beef brisket?
Corned beef is a brisket that has been processed in a brine.
.
I cannot wait to try this, it looks fantastic!!! Actually a Rueben with pastrami instead of corned beef is actually called a Rachel (same would go for turkey instead of corned beef).. The pastrami by far is my favorite!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I know I’ll make it many times! Will come back with a review as well!
I wanted to make this earlier in the day, and then just be able to toss in the oven when I get home about 5:00, do you recommend this, or will it sog up too much from sitting with the egg in it?
Was wondering this too. Can it be made ahead and baked next day?
Hi Khadija, well, the only thing I would worry about it that it would get too soggy. However, having said that, I haven’t tried it. If you give it a try, please let me know!
I come from update NY and we NEVER use “Thousand Island dressing for Ruebens. Sacrilegious! Lol. We use Russian dressing. Since I now live in Delaware, you can’t find it down here so I make my own Russian dressing. Ketchup, mayo and sweet chopped pickles. Yum!
Russian dressing doesn’t have pickle relish – Thousand Island does. If you google recipes for both, you’ll find that what you are actually using is a simple for of Thousand Island dressing. I also make my own for Reuben Sandwiches – am in KS.
This recipe sounds fabulous! Although 3 eggs sounds like a lot. It doesn’t turn out too eggy, does it? Makes me think of a quiche-type dish.
Nope not all because it’s spread out in such a large dish. 🙂
You ‘re right about the eggs. I made this dish for St. Patrick’s Day dinner, following the recipe exactly, and it was fabulous! I mean, really, really delicious! My friends absolutely loved it. Thank you for this recipe! I’ll be making it again. I almost like it better than a regular Reuben. 😀
I just made this and it is KILLER! I did add horseradish and next next time I will more 1000 island dressing. I toasted the bread before I put it in and the last 10 minutes I did take the foil off. Great recipe and reasonably low carb!
Thanks,
Colleen R
I made it last night for a group of ladies at a retirement center including my Mother. I put into a foil pan, and it filled to the brim. In place of classic yellow mustard, I used Dijon. And in consideration of their fragile chewing, I ran the corned beef through a food processor, until it was similar to a coarse hash. Perfection! Great recipe – thanks so much!
Did you need to chop the sauerkraut too?
We always have left overs after making a casserole. Can anyone comment on how this would work as leftovers the day after? Too soggy?
So many of us are trying to cut out carbs and avoid bread, as much as we LOVE it! Friends of mine brought this casserole over for a pot luck and it was a hit! I had to figure out a way to eliminate the bread and make it a fun, low carb treat! After a few attempts and a lot of watery mess, I think I have found a good alternative. I eliminated all of the bread / crumbs and the milk. I used a food processor to chop my pastrami and sauerkraut and followed the other directions in the recipe exactly the same. What comes out is a wonderful Reuben dip. I offered the Rye with Caraway Triscuits as a dipper for those that wanted to indulge in some carbs, but eating it right off the plate is a treat and really satisfies that Reuben craving!
I’ve made this 2 times with pastrami and corned beef added a little horseradish sauce to my homemade thousand island dressing. Always double recipe to take to church, just changed it up tonight made a Rachael casserole with turkey breast I had left over.. Personally I like Rachael better. Haven’t eaten yet but I imagine it will be excellent as the other 2 times it got rave reviews..
Yay!! Thanks so much Linda!!
Can this be made in a crock pot?
I’ve never tried it but if you do, please let me know how it turns out for you!
Followed recipe exactly as written and it came out perfectly, just like the photo.
If you’re a Reuben lover and a casserole fan, this recipe is for you. This tastes just like a Reuben and is delicious.
Now I have a go to recipe for left over corned beef.
Thank you for the recipe, this ones a keeper for sure!
This is an amazing casserole !!
Sounds YUM ! Think I will try Bread/ Butter pickles instead
What kind of mustard is used? Prepared? Yellow or Dijon? Can dry mustard be used? How much?
Hi Maren, not sure if you can see in my photo above but I used regular yellow. However if you have a preference for dijon or brown mustard, feel free to use those. I have never tried this with dry mustard. 🙂
I love Reuben’s and do not eat meat but have made sandwiches using portebella mushrooms for the corned beef/pastrami.
That is what i did with this casserole. I did saute the ‘rooms first and pressed them with a paper towel so they would not release any extra moisture. I used a 16 ounce and 1-8 ounce of sliced portebella’s. Just enough for the two layers for the best baked reuben casserole!!!
I had a similier recipe but it was made with corn beef and the top was mashed potatoes. Can’t find it anywhere. Have you heard of this recipe? if so, can you repost?
I don’t have a food processor. Would a blender work or should I ready made bread crumbs/panko?
Linda, a blender should work 🙂 You just want to make sure the blades are sharp.
Do you pre-cook the corned beef?
Recipe is great and was a family hit! I smoked the corn beef on a green egg first. We liked the pickles in the sauerkraut. Delicious.
Loved the casserole but no way would this fit in an 11X7 dish. This just fit in a 9X13 pan.
I made croutons in the oven with six slices of rye bread and a bit of olive oil for the bottom and they didn’t get soggy as someone stayed in an earlier post. Also used 3 slices of rye crumbed in food processor on the top. Everyone wanted the recipe after eating it!
Will be keeping this one, and may never make a sandwich Reuben again. ????
Hi Lynn! Thanks so much for the feedback. I definitely appreciate it!! So glad you liked this recipe 🙂
I made this last night and it was so good my husband and I had seconds, and I don’t care for Reuben sandwiches! The only difference was that I used corned beef sliced med-thin from the deli, and slices of provolone cheese instead of swiss. I ran out of provolone so one layer was Muenster cheese. It baked for about an hour, as I had used a glass baking dish and only had the oven @325. Also I only had a tiny can of sauerkraut but it worked out beautifully. It was easy to make. And yummy!
Hi Nancy! That is SO funny! I don’t really care for Reuben sandwiches either but I really liked this too! So happy to hear you loved it. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Any way to make this low carb but still as yummy?
Really Liked this Recipe. The “Sauce” you mix and pour on at the end bakes up really nicely. Definitely will be making it again.
Can this be a freezer meal? If so, would you cook it before or after freezing?
Hi Nealy, I think it could be although I haven’t tried it. My best guess would be to wrap it up well and freeze before cooking. Then add a few minutes onto the cooking time when you’re ready to make.
I have frozen it several times and every time it’s as good as the first time I had it. I don’t think you can ruin the meal. It’s amazing!
Thank you Don!
So so so yummy
Yay!! Thank you so much Mary Beth!!
I love Reubens,, but can’t do Rye bread. Would this be good with sourdough?
Delicious and quick!
Thanks so much Barbara!
Are you certain that you use an 11×7 pan??? When I poured my wet ingredients on the top I had it flowing off the sides!! I followed the recipe to a T. It’s in the oven now but it is really overloading the pan?? Thank You 🙂 Should be good!!
I have a (slightly) different recipe. This is a real favorite.
For easier eating, use 1 pound of chipped corned beef. (If the deli attendant does not understand, ask for shredded).
And, use shredded Swiss cheese.
My husband & I loved your Baked Rueben Casserole. But the fine dark rye breadcrumbs on the top, looked very unappetizing when I took the foil off . It didn’t look like the pictures at all
Made this twice in a week, i think that speaks how good this is.
If I make it again, I will chop the cornbeef or pastrami, and I would prepare it in a 9×12 dish, and up the ingredients to fit the size.
Everyone who has tasted this reuben casserole has absolutely loved. 5 plus stars.
Awesome! I never really cared for a Reuben Sandwich but this casserole is to die for! I used corned beef. Just freaking incredible.
Yay! Thanks so much Sheryl!