Traditional Reuben Casserole

Why This Traditional Reuben Casserole Works

In the oven, the rye bread cubes act like little sponges. They sit under and between the corned beef, sauerkraut, dressing, and cheese, and they soak up the dressing and some of the sauerkraut juice as everything heats up. The bread softens on the bottom where it touches the wet stuff, but the top pieces stay a bit toasty, so the casserole ends up with both soft and slightly crisp bites.

As the cheese melts, it sinks down into the gaps between the bread and meat and starts to hold everything together. The Thousand Island dressing loosens when it warms, then thickens again as it bakes, so it clings to the sauerkraut and meat instead of running to the bottom. With steady heat, the butter on top soaks into the bread and cheese, so the top layer browns instead of drying out. After it comes out of the oven and sits for a few minutes, the melted cheese firms up a bit, and the layers stay in place when it is scooped.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the sauerkraut go in straight from the can without draining and rinsing leaves a lot of extra liquid in the dish. That liquid seeps down as it bakes, so the bottom bread turns soggy and the whole casserole can end up wet instead of sliceable.

Packing the layers too tightly or mashing them down in the dish keeps heat and steam from moving through. The center can stay lukewarm and the cheese in the middle may not fully melt, while the top looks done and starts to brown.

Skipping the foil in the first part of baking lets the top cheese and bread dry out before the inside heats through. The top turns hard and almost crusty, but the middle can still be soft and not fully hot.

Pulling the casserole from the oven and cutting right away lets the hot dressing and melted cheese run out. The layers slide apart, and instead of neat squares, the pieces fall apart into a messy pile.