The popular sauerkraut and corned beef sandwich is transformed into a hot baked dip, complete with rye toast. This is a popular appetizer for a game day party, Christmas party, or any cold weather gathering.
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I’m from Omaha, Nebraska, where the Reuben sandwich was born (sorry New Yorkers), and I grew up eating this classic sandwich.
It’s an easy lunchtime favorite, and I’ve found it doubles into the perfect party dip, too.
This dip has all the elements you love in both a Reuben sandwich and a party snack: hot and creamy cheese, a mix of salty and sweet flavors from corned beef and Thousand Island dressing, and a crunchy topping of toasted rye crumbs. Plus, of course, more slices of toasted rye bread to scoop up.
While you can use homemade corned beef if you have it, I used some sliced corned beef from the deli counter for this easy football party appetizer. You can also make your own Thousand Island dressing, but your favorite bottled dressing works just as well here.
For the bread, artisanal bakery loaves or pre-sliced loaves from the grocery store work well. I like to use a loaf of lighter rye bread and a loaf of pumpernickel so I have contrasting colors on the plate, but you can use any type of rye you like.
The number of toasts you make and the time it takes to toast depends largely on the size of your loaf. Just keep in mind that this is a savory dip, so the toasts need to be thick enough to hold the weight.
Serve the dip hot with a scooping spoon and arrange your toasts alongside.
Hot Reuben dip
ingredients
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10 ounces Corned beeffrom the deli counter or homemade, chopped
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10 ounces cream cheeseroom temperature
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6 ounces Swiss cheese Slices from the deli counter, cut into small pieces
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3/4 Cup sauerkrautdrained
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1/2 Cup Thousand Iceland Dressinghomemade or store bought
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1 teaspoon Caraway seeds
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8th slices Rye breaddivided
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3 tablespoon butterplus more for the toast
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1/2 teaspoon kosher saltplus more for sprinkling
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1/2 tablespoon chopped chivesfor garnish
special equipment
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food processor or spice grinder
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Mix the dip:
In a large bowl, use a sturdy spoon or spatula to combine the corned beef, cream cheese, diced Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, dressing and cumin seeds.
Spread evenly in a 2 liter ovenproof bowl. Put aside.
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Prepare breadcrumbs:
Tear two slices of rye bread into chunks and grind in a food processor or spice grinder until coarsely ground. You’ll need about 1 1/4 cups of crumbs; Process additional bread slices as needed.
Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbs and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the crumbs are dry and crispy. Remove from stove.
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Bake dip:
Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the dip. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling.
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Make the toasts:
Lightly butter the remaining rye bread slices and sprinkle with some kosher salt. Stack slices on top of each other, then cut into triangles or rectangles. Place a metal cooling rack in a baking sheet and place the bread slices on it.
When there is about 10 minutes left on the dip, place the bread in the oven to toast next to the dip. (It’s okay to toast on a separate oven if you can’t fit both the toasts and dip on the same rack.)
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Serve the dip:
Remove the dip and toasts from the oven. Top the dip with chopped chives, place in a spoon and serve hot immediately. Instruct guests to eat by scooping out some dip with the spoon and placing pieces of toast on top.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 302 | calories |
| 24g | Fat |
| 11g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
