This decadent dip deviates from the sandwich that inspires it—a true Reuben is made with corned beef, Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese piled between slices of rye bread then griddled. Instead we substitute in pastrami for corned beef and add cream cheese with Swiss to create that perfect, creamy dip texture, all mixed together with sauerkraut and homemade Thousand Island dressing in a pumpernickel bread bowl. It captures much of the original’s essence and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 cups grated Swiss cheese (about 9 ounces)
- 2/3 cup sauerkraut, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces chopped sliced pastrami (about 1 cup)
- 1 round or oval loaf pumpernickel bread (about 8 inches)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Crackers and/or crudites, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup and pickle in a large bowl until combined; season with salt and pepper.
- Add the Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, cream cheese and pastrami to the mayonnaise mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Using a small serrated knife, hollow out the bread loaf, leaving a ½-inch-thick shell; reserve the cut-out bread. Fill the loaf with the dip; transfer to a baking sheet.
- Slice the reserved bread into pieces and arrange on a separate baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake the bread bowl until the cheese melts and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes, adding the sliced bread to the oven during the last 10 minutes. Serve with the toasted bread and crackers and/or crudites.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 335 |
| Total Fat | 28 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 501 mg |
Reviews
Much too thick to be a dip!
Amazing! Got to try this one!!
This is always a huge hit when I bring it somewhere. I can’t always find a pumpernickel round so have also used rye which was also great!
Much simpler than I thought it would be. Great dip to make for a potluck. I will be the most popular man at the house warming I’m going to, tonight.
Very tasty and easy. Great for entertaining.