My dad is 82 years old, and he’ll eat pretty much anything you put in front of him. But his favorite food, bar none, is a messy Reuben sandwich, piled high with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese and dripping with Russian dressing — all on fresh-baked rye bread. At his age, I feel like he is entitled to indulge in his favorite meal as often as he likes. The recipe below has become my go-to for when he comes for dinner. He gets a side of rye bread that he can pile as high as he likes, and the rest of us get to enjoy all the flavors of an old-school Reuben without all the carbs.
If you can find a bottled Russian dressing that doesn’t have sugar in it, by all means, go ahead and use that. I’ve only been able to find sugar-free Thousand Island dressing, though, so I just jazz it up with horseradish, hot pepper sauce, and dill pickle relish. For an old-school, Jewish deli touch, serve with spears of crisp dill pickles on the side.
Low Carb Corned Beef Reuben Casserole
IngredientsNonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced corned beef
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups sauerkraut, partially drained
¼ cup low-carb Thousand Island dressing
¼ cup low-carb mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
Directions1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
2. Arrange the corned beef in the bottom of the baking dish and then top with the sauerkraut.
3. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
4. While the casserole is baking, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the Thousand Island dressing, mayonnaise, horseradish, hot pepper sauce, and relish.
5. Serve hot, topped with the dressing.
