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The Reuben layers corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing between two slices of grilled rye bread — a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does, balancing salty, tangy, creamy, and rich in every bite. Its origin is disputed between two competing stories: one credits Arnold Reuben, a New York deli owner, in the early 1900s, while the other points to Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer in Omaha, Nebraska, who is said to have created it for a poker game in the 1920s. Both cities still claim the sandwich as their own.

What You’ll Need

• 8 slices rye bread
• 1 lb corned beef, thinly sliced
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1½ cups sauerkraut, drained well
• ½ cup Russian or Thousand Island dressing
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

How to Make It

1. Warm the corned beef gently in a skillet or microwave so it’s ready to melt the cheese.
2. Butter one side of each bread slice. On the unbuttered side, layer dressing, a slice of Swiss, corned beef, sauerkraut, another slice of Swiss, and more dressing, then close with the second slice, buttered side out.
3. Grill in a skillet or on a griddle over medium heat, pressing gently, until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is fully melted, about 3–4 minutes per side.
4. Slice diagonally and serve hot, ideally with a pickle spear on the side.

Tips for a Better Reuben

Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly, or the bread will turn soggy fast. Keep the heat moderate so the bread toasts through without burning before the center warms up — a lid over the pan for the last minute helps the cheese melt evenly. Some delis swap in pastrami and call it a Rachel; either way, the technique stays the same.