How to make Reuben Sandwiches (Baked)

Skip the skillet flipping of your next reuben sandwich and bake a bunch quickly and easily in the oven. Gooey and delicious, this fast classic will be a winner and you don’t have to babysit them.

A hot melty sandwich makes a fabulous dinner or lunch for guests. You might tend to skip over the simplicity of a great reuben or tuna melt and go right for the prime rib–but this simple sandwich is full of amazing flavor.

To make things even easier, we’re baking these on hot cookie sheets so the bread toasts and you don’t have to stand over a skillet and tend to each sandwich one at a time. If you have large enough pans, they can all be baked at once.

Reuben sandwiches would be a great recipe to teach your kids if they make dinner and it’s easy to adjust for large crowds or when you’re cooking for two.

What ingredients are on a reuben sandwich?

Reuben sandwiches are made with

• Rye or pumpernickel bread
• Corned beef
• Sauerkraut
• Swiss cheese
• Russian dressing (I use Thousand Island) You could make your own Russian dressing.

Tips for the best reuben sandwiches

Like I always say: When a recipe has just a few ingredients they all need to be the best they can be.

• Use a good quality rye or make your own bread if you feel up to it.
• I’d recommend a refrigerated sauerkraut over the canned version, but get what you like
• Buy a good corned beef and get it shaved in the deli.
• Get a block of Swiss cheese sliced in the deli as well. Bagged pre-shredded cheeses don’t melt reliably.
• I’ve always used potted Thousand Island dressing in this sandwich. It has some pickle relish in it that Russian dressing doesn’t. You can make your own dressing if you choose.

To skip baking: Stovetop instructions

Heat a medium skillet over medium high. Add your assembled sandwich and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the bread is toasted (3 to 5 minutes) and then flip.

Cook on the second side until toasted another 3 to 4 minutes, and if needed you can put a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt. Just don’t leave it on long so it doesn’t drip condensation on your bread and make it soggy.

What to serve with reuben sandwiches

Personally I keep it simple with just some chips but you could make homemade potato chips to impress your guests. This is one sandwich where fancy side dishes just aren’t necessary.

Baked Reuben Sandwiches

Baked reuben sandwiches are a fast, fun, hands-off way to make dinner or party food on the fly.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 1012kcal

Author: Rachel Ballard

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Ingredients

• 8 slices rye bread
• 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
• 1 pound corned beef shaved in the deli
• 1 pound Swiss cheese sliced
• 1 14.5 ounce sauerkraut canned or refrigerated; drained and squeezed very dry
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine softened

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place two rimmed baking sheets in the oven to heat while you assemble the sandwiches.
• Butter one side of each of the slices of bread, and place four of them butter side down.
• To these four slices of bread, spread on 1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing per slice.
• Top with one slice of cheese (or a little extra if you want it).
• Add several slices of corned beef–I guess at the amount–enough to make it about 1-inch thick on the bread. You can do less if you like.
• Add 1/4 cup sauerkraut. Make sure you've pressed out most of the liquid to prevent sogging.
• Add 1 more tablespoon Thousand Island dressing to the un-buttered side of your remaining slices of bread. Place it on top of the sandwich, butter side up.
• Place the sandwiches on a hot baking sheet and place the second baking sheet on top of the sandwiches.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are hot–about 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 1012kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 2330mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1274IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 960mg | Iron: 4mg