Smoked Reuben Sandwiches are a great way to use up leftover smoked corned beef brisket. With melty cheese and a homemade Thousand Island Dressing, these sandwiches are always a hit.
Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like some delicious Smoked Corned Beef, but our favorite is the Reuben Sandwiches that inevitably follow in the days after.
Reuben Sandwiches may seem simple, but timing is crucial to having a perfectly grilled sandwich with melty Swiss.
Unlike a softer cheese like American, Swiss cheese takes longer to melt, so you want to make sure you heat the sandwich slowly.
We find using a melting dome or a lid can help melt the cheese faster than without.
Ingredients
For these sandwiches, you will need the following:
- Sliced Smoked Corned Beef
- Beef Broth (to reheat the beef)
- Sliced Seedless Rye Bread
- Softened Salted Butter
- Sliced Swiss Cheese
- Saurkraut
- Thousand Island Dressing (store bought or homemade)
The recipe for the Reuben sauce can be found under Thousand Island Dressing.
Instructions
First, you want to slice and reheat the leftover Smoked Corned Beef. The easiest way to do this is to use a sharp meat slicing knife on the cold, intact leftover corned beef.
- VERSATILE: This 11” slicing knife works well with different types of meat. Long enough to cut through brisket, pork loins, turkey, ham, smoked salmon and roast. It can also be used to slice fruits and vegetables.
- TOP PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE
Cut as many slices as you plan to use. Place the slices in a microwave safe dish and cover with beef broth.
Reheat the beef on 50% power for a few minutes.
The length of time will depend on the strength of your microwave and how much beef you are reheating.
Next, spread the slices of rye bread with softened butter and gather all of the ingredients.
Pro Tip: The secrets to the perfect Reuben sandwich with melty Swiss cheese are to start with reheated corned beef, heat the sandwich slowly, and use a melting dome.
In order to time the sandwich right so that the bread is grilled at the same time as the cheese melts, we utilize two techniques:
- The first is to assemble the sandwich on a cold pan before heating.
- The second is to use a melting dome or lid to trap the heat and facilitate melting the cheese.
Here are the steps to assemble and grill the sandwich:
Place a slice of buttered bread face down on a cold frying pan. Layer the Swiss cheese on top.
Spread the Thousand Island Dressing on top of the Swiss.
Layer the reheated, sliced corned beef on top of the sauce.
Evenly distribute sauerkraut and more Reuben sauce.
Add another layer of Swiss cheese.
Top the sandwich with another piece of buttered rye bread, butter side up.
Turn on the heat to medium-low to start grilling the first side of the sandwich.
When the first side is nicely grilled, flip the sandwich and continue cooking.
To help melt the Swiss cheese, use a melting dome before the second side is completely grilled. You can also turn off the heat or even remove the pan from heat during this step if the second side is close to being finished.
Remove the melting dome and ensure that the second side is perfectly grilled and that the cheese is melted before removing the sandwich to a plate.
Substitutions
We prefer seedless rye bread. You can use seeded bread or other types of rye, such as marbled rye bread or pumpernickel.
These sandwiches work well with pastrami.
If you have some non-beef eaters in your family, smoked turkey or turkey pastrami is great on these sandwiches in place of corned beef.
Even vegetarians like this sandwich without the meat!
Sauerkraut is very traditional on a Reuben, but you can make it a California Reuben by substituting coleslaw for the sauerkraut.
This is especially good with smoked turkey.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Omit the meat
- Kid Friendly: Omit the sauerkraut
Storage
Leftover sandwiches can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days.
To reheat the sandwiches, open the foil and place the foil and sandwich on a baking sheet.
Place the sheet into a 375°F oven and bake until the sandwich is heated through. Flip the sandwich about half way through.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Reuben Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 Slices Smoked Corned Beef
- ½ Cup Beef Broth
- 8 Slices Seedless Rye Bread
- 4 tablespoon Salted Butter softened
- ½ Cup Sauerkraut canned, drained
- 12 Slices Swiss cheese
Reuben Sauce
- ½ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Chili sauce such as Heinz
- 2 tablespoon Sweet pickle relish
Instructions
Reheat the Smoked Corned Beef
- Place the slices of corned beef in a microwave safe dish. Cover them with beef broth.
- Microwave the beef at 50% power for several minutes, turning the slices as needed throughout the cooking time to ensure even heating.
Make the Reuben Sauce
- Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- On a cold frying pan, place a slice of buttered rye bread, butter side down.
- Add the following layers in order: Swiss cheese, Thousand Island Dressing, smoked corned beef, sauerkraut, more Thousand Island Dressing, another layer of Swiss cheese. Top with the second slice of buttered rye bread, butter side facing up.
- Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Grill the Sandwiches
- Turn on the stove heat to low or medium-low. Grill the first side of the sandwich until perfectly grilled, then flip the sandwich to grill the second side.
- Before the second side is finished, cover the sandwiches with a melting dome or lid to trap the heat and help melt the Swiss cheese.
- Remove the dome when the cheese has melted. Continue to grill until the second side of the sandwich is perfectly grilled.
- If the second side is cooking faster than the cheese is melting, cover the sandwiches with the dome and either turn down the heat or remove the pan from the heat to melt the cheese but not over cook the second side.
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