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Hot Reuben Dip showcases all the flavors of the famous deli sandwich in one easy appetizer recipe. Scoop up with toasted rye bread pieces to complete the reuben sandwich experience.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Corned beef: Deli corned beef is great, and so is leftover St. Patrick’s Day corned beef you make yourself (I usually buy deli meat, because this is a dip for year-round enjoyment, not just in March).
- Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage adds texture, acidity, and flavor. I make my own sauerkraut when I have the chance, but canned works well too.
- Thousand Island dressing: Make it homemade if you want to (it’s just mayo, bread and butter pickles, ketchup, lemon juice, and garlic).
- Crackers: If you run out of crackers or are craving flavors more similar to a reuben sandwich, lightly toast rye bread and cut each slice into quarters. Melba rye chips work well too.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and lightly grease a baking dish or oven-proof skillet with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing.
- Then spread it into the bottom of the skillet, smooth the top, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the dip is hot and bubbly, and the top is golden brown and crackly.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: One batch of the recipe makes enough for 8 servings as a snack. We recommend doubling it for a family; you’ll want more.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dip in the skillet up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake.
- Stove-top method: To save time, mix the the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and Thousand Island dressing in a saucepan on the stove. Cook over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally so nothing burns on or sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- Slow cooker method: For a hands-off slow and low approach, combine the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing in a crockpot and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
- Broiler: Start the dip on the stove, transfer to a skillet, then broil until the top of the dip is golden brown.
- Corned beef vs. pastrami: Corned beef and pastrami both come from beef brisket, but different parts of the cut. Pastrami is smoked and usually rubbed with more spices during the process, though. And yes, you can and should make this delicious dip with pastrami, too.
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Hot Corn Dip
Hot Reuben Dip
Hot Reuben Dip showcases all the flavors of the famous deli sandwich in one easy appetizer recipe. Scoop up with toasted rye bread pieces to complete the reuben sandwich experience.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce package) cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces deli corned beef coarsely chopped (see note 1)
- 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut drained well (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Thousand Island salad dressing (see note 3)
- Triscuit crackers or rye chips, for serving (see note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a pie plate or oven-safe skillet with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, sour cream, and dressing and mix well. Spread into prepared pie plate and bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or chips.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Corned beef: Deli corned beef is great, and so is leftover St. Patrick’s Day corned beef you make yourself (I usually buy deli meat, because this is a dip for year-round enjoyment, not just in March).
- Sauerkraut: Fermented cabbage adds texture, acidity, and flavor. I make my own sauerkraut when I have the chance, but canned works well too.
- Thousand Island dressing: Make it homemade if you want to (it’s just mayo, bread and butter pickles, ketchup, lemon juice, and garlic).
- Crackers: If you run out of crackers or are craving flavors more similar to a reuben sandwich, lightly toast rye bread and cut each slice into quarters. Melba rye chips work well too.
- Yield: One batch of the recipe makes enough for 8 servings as a snack. We recommend doubling it for a family; you’ll want more.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dip in the skillet up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake.
- Stove-top method: To save time, mix the the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and Thousand Island dressing in a saucepan on the stove. Cook over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally so nothing burns on or sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- Slow cooker method: For a hands-off slow and low approach, combine the corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing in a crockpot and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
- Broiler: Start the dip on the stove, transfer to a skillet, then broil until the top of the dip is golden brown.
- Corned beef vs. pastrami: Corned beef and pastrami both come from beef brisket, but different parts of the cut. Pastrami is smoked and usually rubbed with more spices during the process, though. And yes, you can and should make this delicious dip with pastrami, too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 160kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 518mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 163IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 122mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
I made this for our company worksgiving. It smells wonderful. I doubled the recipe and added a touch of dill relish and some Dijon mustard for a slight kick. I don’t think its going to make it to the start time of the festivities. The prospects of having any left overs for the weekend are looking pretty bleak LOL
Sounds amazing, Kacey! I understand, I’ve been there too!
Made this for a party and everyone loved it!! Delish 😋
Glad to hear it was a hit, Sarah! – Meggan
Delicious. I double this though. Goes fast!
Hi Tracy, same here! Take care! – Meggan
Can you use can corned beef?
Hi Jackie, I’ve never used corned beef from the can but I don’t see why not! – Meggan
I added a little horseradish for a little bit of better. Even more spectacular.
Sounds delicious Colleen, thanks! – Meggan
I made it and it was delicious… Now, in March I have 2 events in my home and will be making this dip for both. I know this takes extra time but I really like my sauerkraut, well drained with a little water added and cooked with a little tiny cut up apple and brown sugar to remove some of the sour element some folks don’t like.
Yum! I added extra thousand island dressing and some horseradish. It was super yummy!
That sounds great, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
Can this be frozen after being made?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried this myself but other readers have made this and frozen it with no issues. Nothing in there would suffer from the freezer so let me know how it goes! – Meggan
Yes, this was good. A very different Friday night appetizer. Made exactly to recipe, but used Pastrami since that is what I had in the refrigerator. Maybe not for everyone, but I love reubens.
Hi Eric, sounds great! Glad you enjoyed! -Meggan
Made this to take to a St Patty’s day party. It was a big hit. So easy to make in the crockpot.