Growing up, sauerkraut made a somewhat regular appearance at our kitchen table. I come from a long line of Germans, and this sour cabbage is a well known fact of my heritage. And Mom kept our house stocked, making her own in a four-gallon crock in the basement.
Ahhh…nothin’ like fresh kraut!
My dad also recalls helping to make this as a kid, after bringing in the cabbages from the fall garden. And when visiting his grandparents (my Great Grandpa & Grandma Braun), he was often asked to fetch some fresh sauerkraut from their very large Red Wing crock in the basement. The crock was covered with a circular board, sized to just fit the inside of the crock, and it had a small hole cut into it for an easy finger pull. A heavy stone rested on the board, pressing the fermenting cabbage down into the brine. Armed with a bowl and a large tined meat fork, Dad would scoop out some fresh sauerkraut for his grandma to warm up with their next meal. And that meal probably consisted of sausage or smoked meat, fresh from the farm’s fall butchering.
I know that sauerkraut is pretty much a love/hate thing. Its distinctive strong flavor just doesn’t sit well with alot of people. But I remember my own fondness growing with each Reuben sandwich I ate as a kid. Dad & Mom were big on their Reubens, and after a few snitchful bites of theirs, I started wanting my own. I think that’s when I discovered I liked Thousand Island dressing, too!
So, many years later, after preparing far too few sauerkraut dishes of my own, my dear friend Meghan introduced me to this handsome Reuben Dip. It’s like a deconstructed Reuben sandwich, all magnificently reborn into a baked ooey gooey dip!
I, along with my very German parents, think it’s mighty fine. And my non-sauerkraut-loving very Norwegian husband has even been seen taking seconds. That right there is huge testimony to this dip’s goodness!
Reuben Dip
(print recipe)
1 lb. diced corned beef
8 oz. shredded swiss cheese
1 14-oz. can sauerkraut, drained very well (place in strainer & press out liquid)
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. Thousand Island dressing
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Spoon into a serving dish that can be placed in the oven (a 9″ pie plate works great!). Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes, until it is bubbling and nicely browned. Serve with your favorite sturdy crackers. I used rye crackers and bagel chips, but think pumpernickel crisps would be good, too.
This makes a good sized bowl of dip. If you want, split the dip in half between 2 pie plates, or dishes of similar size. When baking them separately, there’s more surface area of cheese that gets browned, making for more of that gooey browned cheese texture. Yum!
Source: adapted slightly from Meghan Cornell‘s recipe box, originally from her friend “Biz, The Appetizer Queen”
I’m linking up with:
Robyn at Add a Pinch for Mingle Monday
Rachel at A Southern Fairytale for Mouthwatering Monday!
Just remembering how I couldn’t leave this alone when you made it. Yum!
Hi Mom! xoxo
Oh my! I love sauerkraut and LOVE reuben sandwiches, this is on my to do list. It looks so tasty
Thanks – hope you like it!
I adore sauerkraut. Just this morning I was thinking about how long it has been since I’ve had a good reuben and then I come across your gorgeous photographs and yummy recipe!
LOVE. Thanks for sharing!
It is just so much fun to share eachother’s recipes. Thanks for stopping by, Rachel!
OH my – what a great alternative to a reuben sandwich for Gluten Free peeps!Blessings!
LIb
http://bit.ly/i5pPMF
Thanks, Liberty – great to hear from you!
Looks great!!! I have to admit I’ve never tried sauerkraut (although I studied it at length when doing my A levels at school!) so I think I’ll seek some out and try it for myself.
Harriet recently posted..Debt advice and the Finance Industry
Thanks, Harriet – please let me know what you think!
OH my, I don’t know if I could be alone with that dip! Amazing. Simply Amazing!
Leah @ Beyer Beware recently posted..Hunk of Meat Monday- Crock Pot Lasagna
It is pretty amazing, Leah!
Oh, I want some of this right now! Sounds delicious, and perfect for my German family/neighborhood. No wintertime get-together is without sausage & sauerkraut!
Thatta girl, Carol!!
I love reading the story behind this… I have many German and Norwegian relatives, and I think they would all enjoy it!
P.S. Love that your mom reads your blog.. that is SO cute!
How can I get my mom too??? hehe
Amanda recently posted..Easy Cake Idea and a Giveaway
Well, pass the kraut, Amanda!! (And, yes, Mom is one of my biggest fans…)
Wow….that sounds REALLY good! I love your idea of using the pumpernickel crisps, too!
Thanks much, Bridget!
My husband’s family is Norweigan, but sauercraut is one dish he was never able to embrace!! (I like it though!!)
We were at the horse races in Hot Springs (arkansas) the other day, and their signature sandwich there is the Reuben. My husband kept looking around and asking me, “why would ANYONE eat that?! WHY?!” He just doesn’t see the appeal.
I think this dip looks fabulous!! I need to find someone to eat it with me so I can make it.
Cookbook Queen recently posted..Cooking Connections- Sweet Treats Class
I know EXACTLY the tone of voice and the look on your husband’s face…I’ve seen it many times when sauerkraut is mentioned! But this really is good – I do hope you find someone to indulge in it with!
I think I’m going to sneak this into my recipe arsenal. Even though my hubs is not a fan of sauerkraut, I love it. Maybe used in a new way will change his mind.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Kristin
LoveFeast Table recently posted..Branding Exercise
My husband won’t eat kraut, EXCEPT for this recipe. I say, give it a shot, Kristin!
Oh my gosh this look absolutely fabulous! I am definitely going to be making this in the near future. Yum!
Wonderful! Thanks, Tracy.
I grew up with sauerkraut, too… I love it, but have trouble convincing my hubby to eat it. I bet he’d devour this dip, though!
There seems to be a common theme here, with husbands not liking sauerkraut…???
I have never heard of Reuben’s turned into a dip. OMG – I think I am going to have to try this very very soon!
Kristen recently posted..Cooking Connections Sweet Treats Class Recipe- Frozen Hot Chocolate
I’d love to know what you think, Kristen!
How perfect to put this in dip form! I love reubens, and I can only imagine how wonderful this is.
Shaina recently posted..Dr Seuss’s Birthday- Baked Green Eggs and Ham Crêpes
Wonderful to hear from you, Shaina!
You inspired me to make my own Reuben dip. I featured it on my site today. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
crafted a fantastic. It’s not advice content friend, and this sort of.
I was used that my husband would usually cook for us, but now that he’r far due to his work I’ve learned a lot and even love to learn more. I like “dip n’ fry” thing which is also my kid’s favorite. It’s easy to cook and won’t require much of your time to stay in the kitchen for long. They say that flaky and greasy foods were not healthy but I guess it’s not. I make sure that the cooking oil I use to fry is pure and filled with omega 3 which is a good thing for the heart.
Tina recently posted..provillus for men
A friend of mine just pinned this on Pinterest and tweeted the link http://pinterest.com/pin/96616354475773364/ .
I’m seriously thinking of trying this for the Super Bowl tomorrow night.
ps. Suddenly, I’m beginning to get what Pinterest is all about.
Yes, Pinterest is pretty neat. And very addictive!! If you like reubens, I’m pretty sure you’ll like this dip – enjoy!
This might be a silly question, but is the corned beef used in this recipe pre-cooked?
Not silly at all, Julie! Yes, it is pre-cooked. Look for it in the deli section.
My German grandma made sauerkraut every summer…store bought kraut can’t come close. I wish I had her crock with the wooden top, I might even try a batch.
I came late in life to the Reuben, although with both parents being Irish there was some corned beef in our lives. Now, I have to quell the cravings for that exquisite combo of flavors. This dip looks like a great idea for St.Paddy’s Day festivities and anytime. Will be making soon. (My friend’s brothers run a local Irish pub and have a great “Reuben” quesadilla!)