Have leftover corned beef? Use if for easy and delicious grilled reuben sandwich, made with quick pickled onions, Swiss cheese and homemade Thousand Island dressing.
If you’ve got a bit of leftover corned beef after St. Patrick’s Day, there is no nicer way to enjoy it than in this grilled Reuben Sandwich. If you aren’t familiar with the classic Reuben sandwich, it is a delicious combination of corned beef, Swiss cheese, mustard and sauerkraut.
My Reuben Sandwich is made without sauerkraut (not really a fan) and uses quick pickled red onions instead, for a similar tangy note. That said, if you’re a fan of sauerkraut, go ahead and add it instead of the pickled onion.
The Swiss cheese and the corned beef is here though, along with a homemade Thousand Islands dressing, all placed onto a nice multigrain sourdough rye and given a quick grill for warmth and crispness.
Jump to:
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Recipe Tips
- Get the Recipe: Grilled Reuben Sandwich
- More Corned Beef Recipes to Love!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you will need for the sandwich:
Nice bread – rye bread is classic for a Reuben, but a nice rye variation, such as multigrain or marble is a good option, as well.
Cooked corned beef – you can use either leftover cooked and sliced corned beef from a corned beef brisket or deli-bought corned beef slices.
Swiss cheese – Swiss cheese is probably classic, but sliced Emmental would also be nice with a similar flavour profile.
Mustard – either regular prepared mustard, Dijon or my favourite, a nice grainy mustard.
If you’d like to make your own pickled onions – Red Onion, Vinegar and Sugar
For the homemade Thousand Islands dressing: – Mayonnaise, Ketchup, Vinegar, Sugar, Relish
Optionally:
Replace the quick pickled onions with Sauerkraut, for a more classic Reuben
Use store-bought Thousand Island or Russian dressing
Recipe Tips
This sandwich holds up surprisingly well made ahead!
If you prefer a more classic Reuben sandwich, swap the pickled onions for sauerkraut, maybe swap the Thousand Islands dressing for Russian dressing and skip the grilling.
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Get the Recipe: Grilled Reuben Sandwich
A classic way to enjoy corned beef, with Swiss cheese, quick pickled red onion and homemade Thousand Island dressing.
5 stars from 10 ratings
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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Yield: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Quick Pickled Onions:
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Thousand Island Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the sandwich:
- 4 slices rye bread, or any bread you enjoy
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices Cooked corned beef, leftover or deli-bought
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon or grainy mustard
- 3 Tablespoons butter, softened
Instructions
Make the pickled onions: In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the water, cider vinegar, sugar and mustard seed. Heat to boiling in the microwave (2 – 2 1/2 minutes). *Alternately, heat to a boil in a saucepan on the stovetop. Add the sliced red onion and season with salt and pepper. Stir and let stand at least 1 hour, before draining and using. (Refrigerate any leftovers to use for other things)
Make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine well. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To prepare the sandwich: Lay out two of your bread slices. Spread with some of the Thousand Island Dressing. Top with cooked corned beef slices and two slices of Swiss cheese, overlapping them. Add a layer of pickled onions. Spread the inside of the two other slices of bread with Dijon mustard and place on top, mustard side down.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spread top of sandwiches with softened butter. Place into hot skillet, butter side down and grill until golden brown underneath. Before flipping, spread the top piece of bread with butter, then flip and grill that side until golden.
Notes
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card or more tips on making this delicious sandwich.
Cuisine: American
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 586kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 786mg, Potassium: 211mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 990IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 501mg, Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonsandsuppers on Instagram or tag #seasonsandsuppers.
More Corned Beef Recipes to Love!
Jennifer Maloney
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/about/
Sandwich Recipes
originally published on Mar 16, 2018 (last updated Aug 5, 2023)
30 commentsLeave a comment »
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30 comments on “Grilled Reuben Sandwich”
Leave a comment »
Chrid —Reply
Followed your recipe, we did use sauerkraut, the sandwiches were delicious! Thank you.Jennifer Maloney —Reply
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Patricia Lawlor —Reply
I love your blog, your site and your food and a Canadian to boot.
Thank youJennifer —Reply
Thanks so much, Patricia :)
Laura | Tutti Dolci —Reply
It’s a cold and rainy day, and a reuben has never looked better!
Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Laura! Wishing there was some corned beef left myself :)
Karen (Back Road Journal) —Reply
I cooked two corned beef briskets just so we could have leftovers for Rubens and hash. Had the hash, now it is time for a sandwich and your photos are making me hungry.
Jennifer —Reply
Do enjoy, Karen :)
Susan —Reply
This recipe is absolutely sensational!
Being empty nesters, yet wanting to observe St. Patricks day and realizing that doing the corned beef and cabbage was a huge exercise, this fit the bill.
We started out with a Potato Soup and then moved on to these delicious sandwiches. I adored the simplicy of the red onions and the Thousand Island dressing is a ‘keeper’.
I found the last pouches of corned beef in a bag at the supermarket earlier that day, and boiled them for a few minutes while preparing the rest of the sandwich.
Served a dill pickle and a couple of chips on the side and we were toasted you!
Jennifer —Reply
Sounds like a perfect meal and so glad you enjoyed this one :) I too like the simple combination of flavours! Thanks :)
Kristie —Reply
Great way to use our corned beef leftovers! Your thousand island dressing was delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!Jennifer —Reply
So glad you enjoyed it! I love Thousand Island dressing and especially on this sandwich :)
annie@ciaochowbambina —Reply
I saw this on Insta the other day and had to immediately turn the phone to show my husband! We wanted it in that very moment! How does one make a sandwich look so beautiful? Delicious!!Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Annie :)
Dawn - Girl Heart Food —Reply
This seriously looks like the best sandwich ever, Jennifer! A big kosher pickle with this and some coffee and I’d be one happy lady! It’s been far to long since I’ve had one of these so I’m thinking it’s definitely time ;)Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Dawn and yes, it’s a once a year treat for me, so it’s worth going all out :)
sue | theviewfromgreatisland —Reply
I don’t have any leftover corned beef, but I am absolutely going to find some for this epic sandwich!
Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Sue! I couldn’t resist with my leftovers :)
This looks insane Jennifer! My husband and I would be fighting over the last bite! It’s one of our favorite sandwiches!Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Mary Ann :)
n —Reply
These sandwiches look scrumptious! I am loving the sound of this thousand island dressing. Totally going to try it out!Jennifer —Reply
Thanks! Enjoy :)
Christina —Reply
Holy mother of deliciousness. I can’t decide what I like better, your mouthwatering recipe or your amazing food photography!! I love a good Reuben and this sandwich looks amazeballs. Pinning!
Jennifer —Reply
Thanks so much, Christina :)
Milena —Reply
Perfect! I also don’t like sauerkraut on sandwiches, but these pickled onions sounds delicious. And the flavor of rye bread always puts me in a good mood:)Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Milena!
Chris Scheuer —Reply
Now you’re talking my kind of language! I love Reubens and would gladly eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!Jennifer —Reply
Me too, Chris :) Thanks!
I love sandwiches and especially ones like this with plenty of cheese, sauce and layers of meatiness! This alone makes me want to cook up some corned beef!
Jennifer —Reply
Thanks Tricia and me, too! Go big or go home, I say :)
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