World’s Greatest Hot Reuben Dip

From the Mom files… Bunny’s fantabulous hot reuben dip recipe. This hearty creamy dip has all the flavors of a reuben – meaty corned beef or pastrami, the fermented tang and slight crunch of sauerkraut, and the distinct aged flavor of good Swiss cheese – baked into a fantastic dip ready for slathering on rye bread, hearty crackers or even crisp vegetables.

The Family Story … Hit “Jump To Recipe” Above to Bypass

In my twenties and thirties our rather large extended family was going through all sorts of party-worthy milestones so we had our fair share of showers and other soirees to graze our way through on a pretty frequent basis. This hot reuben dip recipe showed up at a fall shower, I believe it was Beth Ann’s wedding shower. To explain our somewhat loose definition of family, Beth Ann is a Long. The Longs were our neighbors for most of my childhood and beyond and so are – to their benefit of detriment; I really should ask them which – considered extended family.

And since I was in Beth Ann’s wedding wearing (to digress, natch) my most favorite bridesmaid dress ever (seriously, knee-length, flattering fit, navy with just enough sparkle for an evening wedding but not so much that it wasn’t my go-to after-work event dress for many soirees after), it was incumbent upon the sisters (Mom and Aunt Dot) to host the shower. And, tada, all these words later… I was introduced to this hot reuben dip. Having had a few since, I can confidently say, to my taste, this is my world’s greatest.

Much like the seasons of life which come and go, I go through food cycles and somewhere along the way this recipe went by the wayside. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve made this dip so when I came upon it while looting Mom’s recipe box, I promptly added it to my “must reprise” pile. Nobody around these parts was disappointed.

This dip has all the delicious ingredients you’d find griddled into a reuben at your favorite deli with the addition of cream cheese and sour cream that transform iconic sandwich ingredients into a dreamy creamy dip for the gang. My favorite way to serve this hot reuben dip is with a hearty rye baguette – either sliced as is or buttered and toasted for an authentic reuben feel.

INFORMATIVE BITS AND BOBS

INGREDIENTS

• MEATS: Not to sound like a broken record but your dip will be only as good as your ingredients. Find the very best deli pastrami or corned beef (or if you’re slightly obsessive like this typist, cure your own), and have it cut thick so that you can chop it into recognizable bits rather than tiny shreds.
• CHEESE: Aged Swiss cheese adds that distinctive flavor that makes a reuben. Use the best you can find. I generally buy a block and shred but this go chopped up deli slices which worked just fine.
• CREAM CHEESE AND SOUR CREAM: Use full-fat. That is all.
• SAURKRAUT: The stankier, the better. If I haven’t totally lost you here, really, you want that bold fermented flavor to balance all the fatty meat and cheeses.
• DIPPERS: This version, I baked King Arthur’s rye bread (using dill pickle juice in place of the water) into baguettes for easy serving. I also like buttered-and-griddled rye slices to replicate the crunch of a reuben sandwich. Crackers should be hearty to handle the heft of this dip. Vegetables are actually pretty nice with this dip… I’ve used bias-cut carrots and celery sticks. Note that nobody else so far has agreed with me on the veg for dippers. You have been warned.

MAKE-AHEAD

To make ahead, prepare through to covering with foil and then refrigerate until an hour before you are ready to bake. Take it out of the refrigerator (keep covered) when you preheat the oven. Add 10 minutes (or until you get bubbles around the edges) to the initial baking time and then carry on with the recipe.

LEFTOVERS

Hahahaha … as if. However, if you are serving folks with restraint (we run in different circles) or testing the recipe and have a bit extra, you may have leftovers.

• The reuben dip reheats nicely in the microwave on half-power, stirring and checking every thirty seconds or so.
• Grilled hot reuben dip sandwiches… discovered by happy accident. Load the dip (straight from the fridge is fine) onto a slice of rye bread, spread evenly corner to corner. Cover with a second piece of rye. Smear both outsides with butter and griddle like grilled cheese. Do NOT press on the sandwich while it’s on the pan or you will find a griddle full of dip and a wish sandwich. Bow bow bow bow.

As always, I’d love to hear from you if you make Mom’s hot reuben dip recipe or even if you just have questions. Bonus if you want to vent about the WORST bridesmaid dress (or duty) you’ve ever been subjected to. I promise I’ll be laughing with you. If you’re on social media, please tag me @piecrustandpasta #piecrustandpasta

Thanks for reading and happy hot dipping!