The Reuben Sandwich: The Best Sandwich Ever!

So, St. Patrick's Day has come and gone – did you enjoy your corned beef? With luck, you've got leftovers!

Enter the Reuben. Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, mustard, and Russian dressing grilled on sourdough rye bread. Doesn't that just make you drool thinking about it?

It takes me back to late nights with friends lingering over philosophical conversations at the Irish pub in my hometown – soul food as well as delicious noshing!

Nearly every ingredient in this sandwich is cultured or fermented and teeming with good-for-you bacteria. Oh, my goodness! No wonder this sandwich feels good for the soul as well as the body.

How to Make a Reuben Sandwich

You can see how to make Dijon mustard, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and more in our e-book of 55+ homemade condiment recipes, Restocking the Pantry. Buy your copy now.

You will need:
Sourdough rye bread, sliced (see how to make sourdough rye bread)
Thousand Island dressing (in Restocking the Pantry or see recipe below)
Dijon or honey mustard
Corned beef, thinly sliced (see how to make traditional corned beef)
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry

Method: Slather two slices of sourdough rye bread with mustard and Thousand Island dressing. Lay on corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. Grill the Reuben as you would a grilled cheese sandwich, either in a panini grill, on a stovetop griddle, or in the oven. Enjoy thoroughly.

For a mess-free version that can easily fit in school lunches, tuck into picnic baskets, or go-along on road trips, check out our Sourdough Reuben Picnic Buns.

Print Recipe

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Prep Time10 minutes

Author: Kresha Faber

Ingredients

For the mayonnaise:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• generous pinch of salt
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ Tbls. lemon juice
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, may substitute with other unrefined cold-pressed oils

To finish the dressing:

• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 T. prepared horseradish
• generous dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. unrefined cane sugar
• 1 T. minced parsley
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp. chopped pickles, dill or salt-  your choice
• 1 T. minced onion

Instructions

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the eggs, mustard, lemon juice, and salt. Keep the blades running to combine thoroughly.
• Pour in the oil extremely slowly. Start with mere drops, then work up to pouring it in in a thin stream.You'll notice when the oil is fully emulsified, as the sound will change.
• When the mayonnaise is finished, add in all remaining ingredients. Pulse several times to combine thoroughly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

If you prefer not to make your own mayonnaise, simply substitute 1 1/2 cups of your favorite store-bought mayonnaise.