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Reuben in a Bowl

Crush that craving. Skip the carbs.

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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.

The dressing is a key component of a successful Reuben and here we’re making our own. But don’t worry, it’s simple.

Just add mayo, ketchup, relish, horseradish, Worcestershire, and a bit of salt and pepper and give it a whisk. There, perfect dressing done.

Now, battles have been fought over whether corned beef or pastrami belongs on a Reuben, but you’re welcome to use either. Just brown it up in a pan…

… and then add some coleslaw mix to soften a bit, and some sauerkraut and green onion too. The cabbage gives a bit of crunch that you might be missing from the bread, while the sauerkraut adds the traditional flavor you need. Some Swiss melted over the top rounds this out into a comforting cheesy meal.

So what about the rye bread? A light dusting of caraway seeds brings that flavor in just fine. It doesn’t seem like that simple touch will take care of it, but it truly does. And the dressing drizzled over everything ties all the flavors together, albeit in a less messy way than with the sandwich. It’s one of those situations where each ingredients brings out the best in the others, also like the sandwich, but this version feels a little more fitting around dinner time.

Yield(s): Serves 4

3m prep time

12m cook time

4.4
Rated by 76 reviewers
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you're making mealtime meaningful.
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For the dressing:
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the salad:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 1 lb corned beef or pastrami, sliced
  • 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
  • 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Preparation
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, ketchup, relish, horseradish, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to make the dressing. Chill until ready to use.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter. Add corned beef or pastrami and cook until browned, 5 minutes. Add coleslaw mix and cook until tender but crisp, 5 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, and green onion, season with salt and pepper and top with Swiss cheese.
  3. Cover and let cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
  4. Drizzle with dressing, top with green onion and caraway seeds and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Stylish Cravings.