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This savory Reuben casserole layers savory corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, creamy Russian dressing, and plenty of rich Swiss cheese on a bed of cubed rye bread, then bakes it ’til it’s hot and melty. It’s everything you love about a classic Reuben sandwich!

Overhead photo of a Reuben casserole on a table, surrounded by Russian dressing and rye bread.

Before You Get Started

Skip the bagged pre-shredded cheese. Instead, go to the deli counter and get a block of fresh Swiss cheese, then take it home and shred it yourself. It’s super easy to do, and it makes a world of difference. It’ll have a much more pronounced flavor, and since it doesn’t have the fillers and starches that pre-shredded cheese has, it’ll have a much better consistency when it melts.

How to Make This Recipe

See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.

Reuben: Assemble!

Start with the cubed rye bread, spreading the pieces out across the bottom of the greased casserole dish, covering it completely. Spread the drained & dried sauerkraut over the pieces of bread, then layer strips of corned beef on top of the sauerkraut. Follow that up with a layer of Russian dressing, then cover the entire dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Cheryl’s Tip: You don’t want the sauerkraut to make the bread soggy, so make sure to drain it really well, then spread it out over 2-3 layers of paper towels and squeeze out the excess moisture. Don’t overdo it – it shouldn’t be super dry! Just remove enough moisture that it isn’t too wet.

Bake.

Bake the casserole, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take the casserole out of the oven and remove the foil, then sprinkle the shredded Swiss cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Back into the oven, this time just for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

A scoop of Reuben casserole being lifted out of a casserole dish.

A close-up of the corner of a reuben casserole in a casserole dish.

What I Love About This Recipe

This casserole has all the flavors of a classic Reuben sandwich, layered in an easy-to-make, warm-and-gooey casserole.
My recipe for homemade Russian dressing is so simple, with a wonderfully tangy flavor. I like to make a little extra to drizzle over the top of the Reuben casserole right before serving it.
If you’ve got leftover corned beef from your St. Patrick’s Day meal, you can use that instead of deli corned beef! Just make sure to chop it into bite-sized pieces or slice it thin so it layers well and so it’s easy to serve the casserole.

Recipe Variations

Russian Dressing: If you don’t want to make your dressing from scratch, you can use store-bought Russian dressing. You can also land somewhere in the middle and add a little prepared horseradish to 1 cup of Thousand Island dressing for a super easy version!

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.