My husband loves Reuben sandwiches. When we first married, that is one of the few dinners he specifically asked me to make for him.
If you have never had a Reuben sandwich, it is a grilled sandwich that is corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on rye or pumpernickel bread. The origins of the Reuben sandwich are disputed. Some think a grocer in Omaha, Nebraska by the name of Reuben Kulakofsky invented the sandwich around the 1920s/1930s. However, the family of Arnold Reuben claims he invented it in New York City in 1914.
No matter who created it, it is still a great sandwich. So when I found this Reuben casserole today, I decided that I will have to make it to surprise my husband.
For this recipe, you will need Thousand Island dressing, sour cream, minced onions, 12 slices of rye bread, sauerkraut, 1 1/2 pounds of corned beef, shredded Swiss cheese, and butter.
To prep for this recipe, you will need to cube your rye bread. Slice the corned beef then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of Thousand Island dressing, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of minced onions. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, arrange all the cubed rye bread pieces except for 1 cup (which will be used as a topping).
Top the bread with 1 pound of sauerkraut then the cubed corned beef. Spread the Thousand Island dressing mixture over the corned beef. Sprinkle with 2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese. Top that with the remaining rye bread cubes. Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top.
Cover the baking dish and place the casserole in the oven. Let it cook for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes.