It was a friend who first gave me the recipe for this Hot Reuben Dip years ago, and I remember we went a little gaga over it for a while. Then at some point, I just kinda forgot about it. Maybe spring came and Hot Reuben Dip is def a super creamy, super cheesy kind of a winter comfort kind of thing. So last night when I wanted Reuben Sandwiches and had forgotten to get the bread and didn’t want to go out for it (#HatingWinterWhenWillItGoAway) I remembered this quick and easy dip. And oh my gosh I had forgotten how insanely good it is!!
Hot Reuben Dip
And just how insanely good is this Hot Reuben Dip? It’s like you’re gonna want to fall on it like a hungry pack of wolves, good. It’s rich and creamy and comforting and Hot Reuben Dip is one of those no matter how much you make there is never going to be enough kind of thing.
About Hot Reuben Dip:
You might think all that richness and creaminess might be too much, but all of that is set off by the briny sauerkraut and just the faintest touch of sweet from the relish. As a matter of fact, at first taste you might think, man, is this salty, then you realize what you’re picking up is all the brininess from that sauerkraut. And that makes you want to go back for another scoop of the dip and then another and another…
Then all that’s punctuated by the corned beef in the most wonderful way imaginable and the whole thing is simply irresistible. Crave-worthy! Honestly, I wanted to take fancier photos, try it with different backgrounds or arrangements but my son and I were both drooling over the Hot Reuben Dip and we couldn’t hold off! If you’re making this for a crowd, double the recipe, and if you want to keep your Hot Reuben Dip in one of those small slow cookers, you might want to double it, too.
Hot Reuben Dip has all the components of a Reuben Sandwich except the bread, just in a dip form. And if you don’t forget your bread and serve it with toasted Rye, Pumpernickel or Marble, you really DO have all the makings of a Reuben. Maybe you’d want to pick up those dry rounds that you find in the cracker section and if you want to be fancy, one of those fancy packages of rye bread like I served with My Mom’s Smoky Salmon Spread. This was great with crackers, too.
Hot Reuben Dip
Making Hot Reuben Dip:
This is really a super simple dip to make with just a few ingredients – the one downfall? It’s really best to mix the cream cheese and mayo together with a hand mixer. You can probably do it by hand if you put the cream cheese in the microwave for a few seconds and then add the mayo in a smidge at a time and stir like heck, but I’m not that determined.
I think what “makes” the dip is the way I like to cut the Swiss cheese. I do some in a tiny dice and then take about half of the block and cut it into chunks about 1/2″. That gives you a good creamy cheesy dip with pockets of oooey, gooey, stringy melty cheese throughout. So don’t try to shortcut this with a package of grated Swiss if you want the same effect. It will still be super good, but won’t be quite as “stellar.”
I don’t use Thousand Island that much so I just use the most basic components of the dressing in my Hot Reuben Dip, a little Mayo, a squirt of ketchup and a heaping teaspoon of pickle relish. You can buy the dressing if you want or make my Homemade Thousand Island, but I like it best as the recipe is written, simple, easy and delish!
Make your own Dressings – most will save money and they’re so good.
Saving Money on Hot Reuben Dip:
I gotta tell ya, it’s never an easy thing to stash away a little corned beef when I make it, but I do try because there are so many fun recipes like this to whip up with a little leftover, and there’s more on my Collection of Irish Recipes. I used to tell my kids it was the Irish way to fill up on the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage and just have a little corned beef, just so I’d have me some leftovers. I don’t know if that’s true, but I suspect it is, and that’s a great strategy to stretch a more expensive protein. Then I’d hide a little bit of that precious corned beef under the vegetables where they’d never think to look.
Besides, dividing a bit of Corned Beef or any higher ticket item and serving it more than once is another great strategy to keep the food costs down. While on night one, it might be the star of the show, on another night it can come out to play as a supporting actor. Then if you’re the accountant type, you can “cost average” the price of that item over two meals.
Right away, you’ll probably notice, too, that using a bit of your leftover corned beef brisket is going to cost you a lot less than buying corned beef from the Deli, even counting any waste from removing the fat and the shrinkage. Pick up your other items on sale, see Saving on St. Patrick’s, and save a little more by mixing up your own Homemade Thousand Island, or just follow the very simple edited version in the recipe, below, adding a bit of mayo, ketchup, and pickle relish.
Hot Reuben Dip
Hot Reuben Dip
There are hardly words to describe how insanely good Hot Reuben Dip is! Creamy, cheesy, warm comforting deliciousness – and it’s easy!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1/2 of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 small can sauerkraut, about a cup, well drained
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese, small dice (see note)
- 4 ounces, about a cup, of diced or shredded corned beef
- thinly sliced chives for garnish, optional
- crackers, rye crisps or toasted rye bread for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Preferably using a mixer, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and ketchup. By hand stir in the relish, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and corned beef. Taste and adjust, adding more ketchup and/or relish if desired. Place in a shallow ovenproof casserole and bake 15 to 20 minutes until the top is starting to brown, the dip is bubbling around the edges and cheese is melted.
Garnish with chives if desired, serve warm with preferred dippers.
Notes:
- Thousand Island Dressing may be substituted for the mayonnaise, ketchup and pickle relish.
- Making some of the dice very small so it melts into the dip and some in a dice a bit larger, like a 1/2″ will give you a very creamy dip with pockets of hot, melty cheese throughout.
- For a quick version, microwave on high for three minutes, stirring halfway through. Check to see if the cheese is melted and if not give it a little additional time.
Keywords: Appetizer, Cheese, Corned Beef, Cream Cheese, Reuben, Salad Dressings, Spreads and Dips, swiss cheese, Thousand Island
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I’ll be posting Hot Reuben Dip Fiesta Friday #266, co-hosted this week by Laurena @ Life Diet Health and Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.
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