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Overnight Reuben Strata

Overnight Reuben Strata is basically a Reuben sandwich drenched in a simple egg custard, refrigerated overnight and baked the next day. IMO, it is way better than a traditional Reuben.

Overnight Reuben Strata, Casserole, Breakfast Casserole

The truth is I have never liked a Reuben sandwich. You know the Reuben you order for lunch with corned beef and Thousand Island, Swiss cheese, rye bread and…sauerkraut.

To me that’s just too much gobbly gook. I know many of you adore them.

My girlfriend always orders a Reuben at lunch; after first apologizing that she just shouldn’t. But she just does.

My solution is this Overnight Reuben Strata recipe. Even I adore a Reuben this way!

This overnight Reuben strata recipe is amazing.

I’m telling you this because I mean it.

But what is a strata?

Nothing fancy. A strata is a casserole with bread, cheese and meat drenched with eggs and milk and refrigerated overnight.

Call this whatever you want, but I love this corned beef strata.

Making this reuben and rye strata was as simple as making a few reuben sandwiches with the traditional ingredients of corned beef, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles.

Then it was time to pour the egg and milk mixture over the top and refrigerate until the next day.

Upon dissection of a Reuben sandwich it appears that there isn’t much I like about it.

I never liked rye bread because I’m not a fan of caraway. Swiss cheese was not my favorite. And sauerkraut?

Puleeze…

Although, my father kept it in a jar hidden in the recesses of the refrigerator as if he was worried someone might eat it.

As for 1000 Island dressing? I preferred the good old bright orange, sugary French dressing made by Western.

However my mother did make her own version of 1000 Island with just two ingredients. Ketchup and mayo. She put that on iceberg lettuce when we were kids. That was good.

I do like corned beef, but only between the bulk of an onion roll or in the split of a bagel. I know.

I don’t eat beef anymore but I do confess to having a bite of thinly sliced corned beef when it is around. Which really is almost never.

Reuben Casserole

So what compelled me to make this savory strata filled with corned beef and Swiss cheese?

Perhaps it was the fact that I love making breakfast the night before. I love the casseroles that you can keep overnight in the fridge and bake the next morning.

In this case I kept it 24 hours and baked it for dinner. It was perfect.

Filled with heaps of corned beef and the slight tang of mustard, with no 1000 Island in sight; I guess you could say I’ve grown up.

I even made this strata with Jewish rye, (go figure) and I tried, but couldn’t detect the caraway.

Top this with well dried sauerkraut and good old Swiss cheese and this was a totally delicious experience.

The corned beef benefits from the nutty sweetness of the Swiss and the tang of the sauerkraut. The bread melts right in and seems to hold everything in place. A perfect strata as evidenced those pretty layers!

Overnight Reuben Strata

 

And, a few of my favorite overnight breakfast casseroles:

Overnight Mexican Egg Casserole

Overnight Mexican Egg Casserole

Overnight Everything Bagels and Lox Casserole

This overnight bagel bread pudding is perfect for brunch. Topped with lox and all the extras, this everything bagel breakfast is a winner. #overnightbreakfastcasserole #everythingbagel #breakfast www.thisishowicook.com

Overnight Egg Casserole with Salami, Bread and Wine

Overnight Salami and Wine Breakfast Casserole

I’d Love it if you’d Follow Me and Pin and Share:

This Overnight Reuben Strata is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Quickly made and refrigerated overnight, this is a fun meal! #reubens #cornedbeef #breakfast #overnightcasserole #strata #brunch www.thisishowicook.com

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Overnight Reuben Strata

Overnight Reuben Strata (Way Better Than a Sandwich, IMO)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
  • Category: Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Overnight Reuben Strata is a great way to start your day, though it is also perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. Savory, tangy and a bit cheesy, this corned beef strata is better than a reuben. IMO!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 68 slices rye bread, TOASTED (The number of slices depends on the size of your pan and the bread. I used Oroweat Jewish rye and only needed 6 slices for 11 x 8 pan.)
  • 1 lb thinly sliced deli corned beef
  • 8 oz Swiss cheese shredded (2 cups)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 c whole milk
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t pepper
  • 12 ounces sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry (I used Trader Joe’s Persian Pickle)
  • 2 T minced fresh chives or scallions
  • 1/3 c mustard (optional) and Dill Pickle chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Spray or grease an 8 inch square pan or an 11×8 rectangle pan. Spread mustard on 1 side of slices of bread. This is optional though I did enjoy my sweet hot mustard in this! Arrange half of bread slices in one layer in prepared dish.
  2. Top slices of bread with half of the corned beef.  Sprinkle corned beef with 2/3 c of the Swiss cheese. Repeat layer with the the rye bread , corned beef and 2/3 c Swiss cheese.
  3. Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Pour evenly over top of strata. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap , pressing it directly on top of the bread. Weigh strata down with heavy cans, wine bottles or even dried beans in a ziplock bag. Press so that it is weighted firmly and evenly. Refrigerate overnight and up to 24 hours.
  4. Adjust oven rack to upper middle position and heat to 325. Meanwhile let strata sit at room temperature for 20 minutes uncovered. Bake until edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away from sides of pan; about 50 minutes. Rotate pan after 25 minutes.
  5. Remove pan from oven. Adjust oven rack to about 8 inches from broiler. Heat broiler to high. Sprinkle sauerkraut over top of strata, (at this point you can also throw on some dill pickle slices if you desire) then sprinkle with remaining 2/3 c of cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and golden, about 5 minutes.
  6. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Adapted slightly from “One Pan Wonders” by America’s Test Kitchen

 

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Mary

Thursday 16th of March 2023

Can this be frozen either before or after bakin?

Mary

Friday 17th of March 2023

@Abbe, You hank you!

Abbe

Thursday 16th of March 2023

Hi Mary! I would do it after baking. After all, it does need to sit in the fridge overnight.

Liz

Tuesday 15th of March 2022

Oh, this sounds amazing! I love a reuben sandwich and this is another delicious way to get my fix. My dad was the same way about sauerkraut---keeping a jar in the fridge that no one else was going to touch, LOL!

chef Mimi

Friday 4th of March 2022

This sounds wonderful! What a great recipe.

Abbe

Friday 4th of March 2022

This is really a good one Mimi!

mjskit

Friday 23rd of March 2018

Corned beef is something that I never buy, but when I see a dish like this, I kick myself. This looks SO yummy and, since I'm not much of a sandwich eater, it's right up my alley. Thanks!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen

Tuesday 20th of March 2018

Such a delicious idea and so much less fuss!