Reuben Casserole (Corned Beef Casserole) Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep a Reuben from getting soggy? ›

Why is my Reuben sandwich soggy? The culprit is most likely the sauerkraut. Be sure to drain off as much liquid as possible from the sauerkraut before piling it onto your Reuben sandwich to prevent any sogginess. It's also best to serve Reubens soon after griddling to keep the toasted bread nice and crisp.

There's nothing like hot, toasted classic corned beef Reuben sandwich. I love biting into buttery, crispy rye bread, and tasting an explosion of tender, salty corned beef, melty Swiss cheese, creamy dressing, and tangy sauerkraut. It's a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

One of the keys to simmering corned beef correctly is the amount of water in the pot. When there's not ample liquid to cover the meat, your dreams of tender corned beef may be replaced by a tough, chewy result. Instead: Start by filling a large pot with enough water so the corned beef is completely submerged.

Toast one side of your bread to keep your sandwich crunchy

This hack works for all sorts of sandwiches, from classics like ham and cheese to more unique fare. Toasting one side of your bread can also help maintain the texture of your sandwiches on-the-go, and you can further the results with a little extra prep work.

About the Sandwich

Marbled rye bread filled with freshly sliced corned beef, melty Swiss Cheese, tangy sauerkraut and creamy Thousand Island dressing. This is a Reuben sandwich inspired by the New York standard.

To add some flavor to your boiled corned beef, add some vegetables, such as carrots, onions and potatoes, to the pot. These vegetables not only add flavor but also make for a well-rounded meal. You can add some herbs and spices, such as a bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns, to the water for extra flavor.

While beef is the common meat source for corned beef and pastrami, they have different types of cuts. Usually, brisket is used for corned beef. It is the lower area of a cow's chest. Meanwhile, brisket for pastrami comes from the beef plate, shoulder, or cow's naval area.

The more moisture you remove before assembling the sandwiches, the better. Cool before assembling. Make sure that your eggs and meat are fully cooled before you assemble your sandwiches. If they're still hot, they can make the bread soggy before the sandwiches even go into the freezer.

To stay safe, sandwiches, salads, and other meals with perishable ingredients shouldn't be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours—max. Leftovers should also go back in the refrigerator within 2 hours.

In some cases, this rule works for melts, which is what a Reuben technically is. But with the Reuben, I prefer to revert to single-side toasting, because I like the inner surfaces of the bread in a Reuben to be slightly steamed and tender, the whole thing partially fusing together.

Do pickles make sandwiches soggy? ›

—can be sliced so thick that each crunchy bite of sandwich is a briny burst of too-much pickle. And I can't be the only one who nearly loses their appetite when a pickle—clearly transferred directly from jar to bun—releases all that excess moisture into the bread, making it soggy and impossible to hold.