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Turn a classic sandwich into an easy low carb baked Reuben casserole recipe. You'll enjoy the classic flavors of Pastrami, Corned Beef, Thousand Island Dressing, and Swiss cheese, but in a keto casserole instead.
What Makes Reuben Casserole So Great?
- Fast. Enjoy this tasty casserole in under 30 minutes.
- Easy. Make the dressing, layer the ingredients, and bake.
- Low Carb. Only 6 net carbs per serving.
- Gluten-free. No need to worry about finding allergy-friendly bread for a sandwich when you can skip the bread completely.
The thing about Reubens, in all their drippy, messy, tasty goodness though? Is that classic rye bread. Terribly tasty, entirely not keto or low carb.
Ever since I started eating low carb though, one of the things I've learned is that it really is all about the insides of the sandwich anyway. That's where ALL the flavor is at.
So making a baked Reuben casserole is fairly easy, really. This is how you can take all the flavor of a Reuben sandwich, but make it low carb.
How Did The Reuben Get Its Name?
As I was looking up the origins of a Reuben sandwich, I was surprised to discover that there was once an actual Reuben's Deli in New York. Mr. Arthur Reuben used to name sandwiches for the famous celebrities that ate at this restaurant.
So I guess it's only fitting that we now have a sandwich named for Reuben himself.
Do You Use Pastrami or Corned Beef in a Reuben?
If you're anything like me, you have no idea about the difference between Pastrami and Corned beef. All I know is, that they are both beef, they're both cured, and they're both delicious.
I also know that using both together in a Reuben makes an already delicious dish even better.
If you really must know, the biggest difference is that both cuts are brisket but Pastrami is a little fattier cut than corned beef. They're both brined. But corned beef is boiled, and pastrami is smoked.
I suggest using half and half of each as I did in this Reuben Casserole recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
For The Casserole
- Pastrami,thinly sliced
- Corned Beef
- Sauerkraut
- Swiss Cheese,sliced
- Caraway seeds
For the Russian dressing
How To Make a Baked Reuben Casserole Recipe
- Mix mayonnaise, low-sugar ketchup, hot sauce, and onions together to make your own Thousand Island Dressing.
2. In a 9-inch round cake pan, layer most of the pastrami and corned beef.
3. Spread with drained sauerkraut. Then, sprinkle with caraway seeds. You can also use sauerkraut with caraway seeds.
4. Spread the dressing on top of the sauerkraut.
5. Spread a few more slices of pastrami and corned beef. You are doing this to keep the cheese and the dressing from making a melty mess. Although, it WOULD be a very tasty mess!
6. Use some kind of good melting cheese, like Swiss cheese.
7. Bake the casserole and then slice. You will have a lot of sauce at the bottom. If you are not doing low carb, you can use bread at the bottom. If you are low carb but still want bread, I'd use this Sola bread at the bottom.
8. If you can let the casserole rest for 10-15 minutes, a lot of that sauce gets absorbed back in. Otherwise, just drizzle it on your casserole and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks for Making a Keto Reuben Casserole
- Use a 9-inch cake pan or an 8 x 8 baking pan to make this casserole.
- Use a combination of thinly sliced pastrami and corned beef.
- Drain the sauerkraut as well as you can. Despite this, you will have some sauce in the bottom of the pan once it's baked. I drizzled most of this over the casserole.
- If you don't care about making this low carb, you can always layer the bottom with pieces of rye bread. Top with rye bread as well, and bake as directed. In this case, the bread will soak up all the lovely dressing. But of course, for low carb, either skip the bread or try it with Sola bread which is currently my favorite low carb bread.
- Use Swiss cheese or any other kind of melting cheese for the top.
- The caraway seeds add a lovely crunch to this dish. You can also buy sauerkraut with caraway seeds and skip a step.
Watch the Video on Making This Keto Casserole
What To Serve With Reuben Casserole
When you're searching for the right thing to eat with Reuben Casserole, you should think of things you would normally eat with a Reuben sandwich. If you're choosing this recipe because it's low carb, you might be struggling to think of something other than chips or french fries to pair with it.
Here are a few things that will pair well with it while still keeping the carbs low:
- Keto Cheese Muffins
- Loaded Broccoli Salad
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Instant Pot Green Beans with Bacon
- Loaded Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
How Long Does It Last?
Since the sauerkraut has quite a bit of moisture in it, and the Reuben dressing is relatively thin, I would suggest enjoying this within 3 days after you prepare it. The moisture in the keto casserole can cause the meat to change texture after sitting for too many days.
Can You Freeze It?
Properly frozen, Reuben casserole can typically be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months without a significant loss of quality. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply thaw the frozen portions in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through.
Other Low Carb Casseroles You Might Enjoy
- Tacos de Alambre makes an easy casserole dish as well.
- Try this super easy Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole made with rotisserie chicken.
- This Bacon Jalapeno Mac and Cheese Casserole is another great low carb casserole when you're craving something creamy.
- This Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a delectable take on a casserole classic! This recipe uses rotisserie chicken so it's crazy quick and easy to make!
Pin It!
So the next time you're craving a hot Reuben sandwich, save yourself the carbs and make this Reuben Casserole instead. Make sure you share the recipe with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try it too.
Reuben Casserole | Keto Casserole Recipe
Turn a classic sandwich into an easy low carb baked Reuben casserole. You'll enjoy the classic flavors of Pastrami, Corned Beef, Thousand Island Dressing and Swiss cheese, but in a low carb baked Reuben instead.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Course: Main Courses
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked reuben, low carb reuben, reuben casserole
Servings: 4
Calories: 595kcal
Author: URVASHI PITRE
Click on highlighted ingredients or Equipment to see exactly what I use to make this recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226.8 g) Pastrami, thinly sliced
- 8 oz (226.8 g) Corned Beef, thinly sliced
- 2 cups (284 g) Sauerkraut
- 8 oz (226.8 g) Swiss Cheese, sliced
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Caraway seeds
For the Russian dressing
- 1/2 cup (112 g) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Low Sugar Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Louisiana Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Smoked Paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Make the Russian Dressing: In a small bowl, mix together mayo, ketchup, onion, hot sauce, and paprika and set aside.
Butter an 9 inch pan or an 8 x 8 baking dish. Layer the ingredients for the Reuben: start with the three fourths of the corned beef, top with the sauerkraut. Sprinkle the caraway seeds across the sauerkraut. Drizzle the dressing over the sauerkraut. Top with the remaining meat, and then top with Swiss Cheese. So your layers will be: meat, sauerkraut, caraway seeds, dressing, meat, and Swiss cheese.
Bake at 400F for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.
Watch The Video
- Use a 9-inch cake pan or an 8 x 8 baking pan to make this casserole.
- Use a combination of thinly sliced pastrami and corned beef.
- Drain the sauerkraut as well as you can. Despite this, you will have some sauce in the bottom of the pan once it's baked. I drizzled most of this over the casserole.
- If you don't care about making this low carb, you can always layer the bottom with pieces of rye bread. Top with rye bread as well, and bake as directed. In this case, the bread will soak up all the lovely dressing. But of course, for low carb, either skip the bread or try it with Sola bread which is currently my favorite low carb bread.
- Use Swiss cheese or any other kind of melting cheese for the top.
- The caraway seeds add a lovely crunch to this dish. You can also buy sauerkraut with caraway seeds and skip a step.
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Nutrition
Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 46g | Fiber: 2g
Tried this recipe?Follow @twosleevers and Pin it!
Don't forget to check out my other Keto cookbooks.
Keto Instant Pot, Keto Fat Bombs, Sweets, & Treats, and Easy keto in 30 minutes.
