Reuben sandwiches are a great party food, stacked with salty, savory corned beef and zesty sauerkraut. They give you plenty of flavors and textures in a single bite, so you can pare down the menu without cutting out variety. Plus, they’re made with sturdy bread that holds up under a layer of melted cheese, so it’s less likely to fall apart on you while you’re mingling. The biggest drawback to feeding a crowd with Reuben sandwiches is the tedious work of building them. There’s a way to skip the whole prep part of Reuben sandwiches though — just throw the ingredients into a casserole pan, instead.
Reuben casserole packs all the trademark flavors of a Reuben sandwich into one of America’s most beloved comfort foods, creating a super nostalgic meal. It tastes like a weekday staple but is unique enough to whip up on a special occasion. You can bring this casserole anywhere a Reuben sandwich would be welcome, and it’s way faster to make than 8 or 10 individual Reubens — plus you can tweak ingredients to make the casserole resemble the Reuben’s sister sandwich, the Rachel, or any of the other of the many takes on the classic sandwich that have been created since the Reuben’s invention.
How to make an easy, crowd-pleasing Reuben casserole
You can approach making a Reuben casserole from a few different angles, and the project takes 30-45 minutes. Layer the ingredients of a Reuben sandwich in a 9×13-inch casserole dish (drain your sauerkraut well to prevent soggy casserole!) and put it in the oven to bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Instead of whole pieces of bread, use cubed rye, pumpernickel, or other sturdy types of bread that you’d use making the sandwich.
How you build the casserole is going to have a big impact on the texture, and where you put the bread cubes in this casserole will make a huge difference. Some Reuben casseroles are made with the cubed bread on top, creating a toasty, golden brown crust that gives the bread a little extra crunch. Others put the bread cubes on the bottom for a softer, more tender texture. Use Swiss cheese shreds or dice up some thin-sliced Swiss and use it in as many layers as you want — reserve some to finish the casserole with a layer of cheese added just a few minutes before it’s done baking. We suggest you pair an oven-fresh Reuben casserole with some restaurant-worthy coleslaw and plenty of dill pickle spears to complement the flavors.
