Reuben Dip or Casserole

As long as I’ve known my husband Dan he has loved a good Reuben Sandwich.  When we first met let me just say that I would not have touched a Reuben with its sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.  Well, my tastes have come a long way since then.  I used to be a pretty picky eater.  Through Dan, I was exposed to lots of different foods. I am not exaggerating when I say that Dan will eat just about anything.  I am a largely self taught cook and I’m sure Dan had to wade through some pretty bad food when we were first married, but I would never know it because he dutifully ate whatever was put in front of him.  Gotta love him for that.

I would say that all 4 of our kids are terrific eaters.  Sometimes they don’t eat a full serving of something, but they will at least try different foods.  They don’t always like it but I’m happy they try.  Our third child is the worst. Doesn’t that stand to reason!  I would have to say she is the pickiest if I had to name one.  I firmly believe they do eat as well as they do because we did expose them to different foods at a young age.  I also never made one supper for Dan and I and something different for the kids.  Maybe I would tweak something a little bit, but if you wanted dinner you would have to eat what the family is eating.  It also helps that Dan and I are big kids at heart and we like kid friendly food.

 

Now, getting back to the dip.  Dan and I will sometimes go to lunch at a really cool bar downtown here in Hutch.  All of my Hutch friends of course know that I am talking about Carl's Bar.  We both love their Reuben sandwich.  I like this dip because it tastes more like an authentic sandwich. Several versions of Reuben Dip are just canned corned beef mixed with mayo, sour cream, sauerkraut and dressing which I have been making different versions of for a long time.  I like this because the ingredients are layered separately and not mixed together in a heavy mayo base.  At the end of the recipe there are directions so you can also make this into a casserole if you want to make the dip into a meal! 

Reuben Dip or Casserole

1  pound sliced Corned Beef

1  (15 ounce) can Sauerkraut, well drained

2  cups (8 ounces)  shredded Swiss Cheese

½  cup mayonnaise

¼  cup sour cream

2  tablespoons cocktail sauce

2  tablespoons pickle relish

½  teaspoon minced garlic

Pumpernickel or Rye bread for serving

Finely dice Corned Beef and place in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with the well drained sauerkraut, and then the Swiss cheese. 

In a small bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream, cocktail sauce, pickle relish and garlic.  Spread evenly over the Swiss cheese in the dish. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Serve with pumpernickel or rye bread squares.

Cooks Note:  You can also make this a meal.  Cube about 8 slices of pumpernickel or rye bread and mix with ½ cup melted butter.  Place on top of the mayo mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You now have a Reuben Casserole!


By the way...the hand in the photo is my darling 3rd child who informed me that Sauerkraut was "disgusting" and "smelled gross" when she saw the can on the counter before I made the dip.  Hmmm...she sure ate a lot of that "disgusting" dip with the sauerkraut in it!

Enjoy!

Kim


Linked to the following parties:
Our very own Weekend Potluck
Real Housemoms Fabulous Fridays!
Six Sisters' Stuff Strut Your Stuff Saturday
Everyday Mom's Meals Church Supper