The Reuben sandwich is, by leaps and bounds, the ultimate sandwich. Corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and marble rye bread all sound like contrasting flavors but hear me out… When combined, the ingredients do a symphonic balancing act combining creamy, sour, meaty, and cheesy all in one perfect bite. Sure it’s fine as a sandwich, but why limit the potential of a Reuben? In fact, Reuben flavors don’t have to be restrained between two slices of bread. Here are four inventive recipes inspired by the flavors of a Reuben sandwich.
Cheesy Reuben Dip
For those of you who are reuben sandwich lovers like we are, this dip is calling your name. There’s something about the salty meat and the creamy dressing and tangy sauerkraut that totally floats our boat, so when we were thinking about recipes to make this weekend when we’ve got all our friends coming over, this was a no-brainer. Any reuben purists out there: don’t worry. There’s no replacing the classic sandwich and we wouldn’t dream of trying…but there is a time and place for a new, interesting, delicious dip, and the other day seemed like as good a time as any to throw it together and see how it turned out….
Creamy Reuben Soup
Now, a good, old-fashioned reuben sandwich is just about always our top pick if we’re going to a deli or diner, but when the weather gets a bit colder and we’re looking for something to warm us up a bit more, what better way to do that than to turn our favorite sandwich into a soup! Which brings us to this creamy reuben soup. Having turned a lot of our favorite dishes into soups (cheeseburger soup, cabbage roll casserole soup, etc.) we can say that this one takes the cake – it’s so, ridiculously good.
Reuben Pull-Apart Bread
As far as I’m concerned, the Reuben just might be the greatest sandwich out there. Though I’m not a particularly huge fan of any of the components when they’re on their own, when they come together in that sandwich, pure magic happens. And that same magic – that combo of salty corned beef, nutty Swiss, tart sauerkraut, caraway, and plenty of creamy Russian dressing – is just what you get in this Reuben Pull-Apart Bread. It’s everything you love about a Reuben but in a very snackable, shareable (and yes, a little messy) form.
Reuben in a Bowl
The Reuben is far and away my favorite sandwich. It has always mystified me because I don’t truly love any of the ingredients separately but when you put corned beef, sauerkraut, rye bread, and Russian dressing together magic happens. It’s a messy sandwich, but well worth it. If you’re watching your carb intake, though, it might not feel as worth it, but that’s where this ‘Reuben in a Bowl’ comes in. It’s alllll that reuben flavor without the bread.