Guess what I made last week after my husband kept complaining he wanted a Reuben sandwich but we had nothing in the house except random pantry stuff.

I was scrolling Instagram at like 9pm and saw this crescent roll casserole thing and thought wait I could totally make this work with deli meat and sauerkraut. my family is weird about casseroles because my kids think anything baked together is “gross” but they’ll eat the same ingredients separately. makes no sense.

first time I made this I used way too much sauerkraut because I love it and the whole thing was basically a soggy kraut soup lol. my husband ate it to be nice but I could tell he was struggling. second attempt I forgot the thousand island dressing completely and it was so dry we had to dip every bite in ketchup which defeated the whole point.

third try I finally nailed it and now my picky ten year old asks for it specifically. calls it “the rolled up sandwich thing” because she refuses to say Reuben. whatever works I guess. now I make it whenever I need something fast that looks like I tried.

Why this casserole hits different

uses crescent rolls so you get that buttery flaky crust without making actual dough

comes together in like 20 minutes of actual work then the oven does everything

way easier than making individual Reuben sandwiches for everyone

feeds a crowd for cheap because deli meat goes further in a casserole

tastes like the classic sandwich but in a shareable format that’s less messy

what you need

here’s the stuff but honestly just use what you have:

How to make it

 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. I always set a timer on my phone for this because I forget and wonder why nothing is happening.

 

Grease a 9×13 baking dish. I use butter because spray makes everything taste like chemicals but that’s just me being picky.

 

Drain the sauerkraut really well. like squeeze it in paper towels or a clean dish towel until barely any liquid comes out. this is super important or everything gets soggy.

 

Unroll one can of crescent rolls and press it into the bottom of your baking dish. I pinch all the seams together so there’s no gaps. doesn’t have to be perfect mine never is.

 

Layer half the swiss cheese on the dough. I just rip the slices and lay them down however they fit.

 

Add all the corned beef in an even layer. I tear it into pieces as I go so it spreads better. sometimes I eat a few pieces because I have no self control.

 

Spread the drained sauerkraut over the corned beef. this is where I was too generous the first time so go light if you’re not a huge kraut fan.

 

Drizzle the thousand island dressing all over. you could spread it with a spatula but I’m lazy and just pour it in zigzags.

 

Add the rest of the swiss cheese on top of everything.

 

Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and lay it over the whole thing. again pinch the seams together as best you can. mine always has holes and it’s fine.

 

Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it all over the top layer of dough. this makes it shiny and golden when it bakes. I use a silicone brush for this.

 

Sprinkle caraway seeds on top if you want that rye bread vibe. I skip this half the time because I forget to buy them.

 

Bake for like 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and puffed up. mine usually takes 28 minutes but check yours.

 

Let it cool for maybe 10 minutes before cutting into it. if you cut too early all the filling runs out and you get sad.

tips and stuff

• Use pastrami instead of corned beef if that’s what you prefer. my brother-in-law does this and says it’s even better but I haven’t tried it yet.
• Make your own thousand island by mixing mayo, ketchup, relish, and a tiny bit of hot sauce. I do this when I forget to buy the bottled stuff.
• Add some dill pickles chopped up in with the sauerkraut layer. saw someone do this on TikTok and it looked amazing.
• Use turkey and coleslaw instead of corned beef and kraut for a Rachel sandwich version. my friend made this for me once and it was really good.

storage situation

keeps in the fridge for like 3-4 days covered. I usually cover the pan with foil because I’m too lazy to transfer it to a container.

reheats pretty well in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. microwave works too but the crust gets a little soggy.

you can freeze individual portions wrapped in foil for up to 2 months. I did this once and labeled them clearly but then made another casserole the next week and forgot to label that one. ended up with a mystery casserole in my freezer that turned out to be tuna noodle which was a disappointing surprise.

seriously start labeling your freezer stuff. I never do and always regret it.

nutrition per serving

for about 8 servings:

these numbers are rough estimates from some website I found. depends how much cheese you actually use which for me is always more than the recipe says. not exactly health food but it’s got protein and vegetables so calling it balanced.

questions people ask

 

can I use homemade dough instead of crescent rolls

I mean sure but then you’re making actual bread dough and that’s way more work. the whole point of this is being easy. pizza dough from the store would work though if you don’t want crescent rolls

 

mine was really wet and soggy what happened

you didn’t drain the sauerkraut enough. it needs to be basically dry or it’ll release all that liquid while baking. squeeze it out really well next time. also make sure your bottom crust is sealed with no gaps

 

what if I don’t like sauerkraut

then this probably isn’t the recipe for you since that’s like the main thing. you could try coleslaw instead for a different vibe but it won’t taste like a Reuben anymore. maybe just make a regular ham and cheese crescent bake

 

can I make this ahead of time

yeah you can assemble it and keep it covered in the fridge for a few hours before baking. I wouldn’t go longer than like 6 hours though or the bottom dough gets weird. add maybe 5 extra minutes to the baking time if it’s cold from the fridge

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