Don't let all your hard work go to waste!
Fact: If you’re cooking a big Irish-inspired meal this St. Patrick’s Day, we bet there’s a good chance you’re going to end up with quite a bit of leftover corned beef on your hands. Whatever you do, don’t let it go to waste! These recipes will put it to excellent use in everything from hearty breakfast options (mm, corned beef hash) to work lunches for the whole week post-holiday. They’re so good, they might just have you making corned beef all year long.
The absolute BEST thing to do with leftover corned beef is to make a corned beef sandwich, the most well known of which is the Reuben. Traditionally, a Reuben consists of salty, cured corned beef topped with sauerkraut, mild Swiss, and the real MVP, Russian dressing, all sandwiched together on rye bread.
We’re big fans, so much so that we’ve taken the concept and ran with it: For lunch, try it out in our pickle Reubens, our Reuben bowls, our creamy Reuben soup, or our Reuben crescent squares. Want something heartier for dinner? We recommend going with our Reuben-stuffed chicken, our (rye toasts/ bread crumbs a MUST), or our .
Heads up: St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday this year, lucky us! Make an Irish-inspired family dinner on Friday, then use your leftovers as party food on Saturday. Check out our Reuben egg rolls, our St. Patrick’s Day nachos, our Reuben pickle bites, or our baked Reuben dip for ideas, then feel free to get creative!
Feeling bummed you don’t eat meat and can’t get in on the corned beef sandwich action? Our vegetarian beet Reubens are for you. Want more leftover inspiration? Check out our ideas for what to do with extra Easter ham too.
1
Reuben Casserole
The Reuben is a perfect sandwich. So turning such a masterpiece into a casserole is a no-brainer—it takes everything you love about a Reuben and turns it into a crowd-pleasing, easy-to-assemble dish with layers of cubed pumpernickel-rye bread, chopped corned beef (or pastrami!), and shredded cheese, all with a generous dressing drizzle.
Get the Reuben Casserole recipe.
2
Corned Beef Tacos
Corned beef has taken on new challenges beyond the Reuben. We’ve taken the classic Reuben and repurposed it in nacho and casserole form. Next challenge: a taco, with a melted layer of Swiss and a lightly creamy, acidic, and caraway-forward slaw.
Get the Corned Beef Tacos recipe.
3
Creamy Reuben Soup
Everyone loves the cheesy bread topping on French onion soup, so we stole from it and our favorite Reuben for this fusion recipe. Filled with everything you love about the two, this is about to be your favorite soup.
Get the Creamy Reuben Soup recipe.
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4
Reuben Pickle Bites
These little bites ditch the bread for a low-carb appetizer worth making over and over again. Store-bought Russian dressing works in a pinch, but we're big fans of the homemade version.
Get the Reuben Pickle Bites recipe.
5
Reuben-Stuffed Chicken
As much as we’d like to, we can’t eat a Reuben sandwich for dinner every day. This stuffed chicken, though? That’s a whole other story. It’s filled with all our favorite ingredients—corned beef, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese—and is fancy enough to serve to dinner guests while still being easy enough to enjoy any night of the week.
Get the Reuben-Stuffed Chicken recipe.
6
Corned Beef & Cabbage Cheese Quesadillas
These quesadillas feature Swiss cheese, corned beef, and cabbage wrapped up in flour tortillas. Sauerkraut and stone-ground mustard are also taking center stage in a creamy dipping sauce to serve alongside the quesadillas. Taste buds, get ready!
Get the .
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7
Reuben Sandwich
Not only is this Reuben built on one of the best of all sandwich breads—rye, ofc!—but it balances the salty, cured corned beef with tart sauerkraut and mild, almost creamy melted Swiss. Don't even get us started on how amazing Russian dressing is.
Get the Reuben Sandwich recipe.
8
St. Patrick's Day Nachos
These use a base of crispy roasted potatoes instead of tortilla chips and are then topped with shredded corned beef and all of our favorite nacho toppings. Try drizzling a little Russian dressing over if you like your nachos extra messy (us too!).
Get the St. Patrick's Day Nachos recipe.
9
Reuben Bowls
Skip the carbs and make this easy one-skillet recipe with cabbage, corned beef, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. It has everything you love about the classic Reuben sandwich without the bread.
Get the Reuben Bowls recipe.
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10
Pickle Reubens
Here at Delish, we LOVE pickles. For our next trick, we’re replacing the bread on a Reuben sandwich with a pickle, turning the deli classic into a low-carb treat you can make any time.
Get the Pickle Reubens recipe.
11
Reuben Egg Rolls
Honestly, you can put anything in an egg roll and it'll be delicious—this Reuben-inspired version is no exception!
Get the Reuben Egg Rolls recipe.
12
Classic Corned Beef Sandwich
With corned beef, sauerkraut, and relish, what's not to love? We spread ours with a thick layer of mustard, but feel free to add or sub your favorite spread to make this your perfect sandwich.
Get the Classic Corned Beef Sandwich recipe.
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13
Reuben Nachos
Not feeling a Reuben sandwich or need to serve all the best ingredients from it—corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing—to a crowd? It's time to break out the bagel chips!
Get the Reuben Nachos recipe.
14
Reuben Squares
Is your ideal sandwich a perfect Reuben? Ours too. Corned beef, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese—what’s not to love? It’s why we made these melty crescent squares: They’re kind of like the giant grilled cheese version (complete with a toasty buttery top) that’s perfect for sharing.
Get the Reuben Squares recipe.
15
Baked Reuben Dip
When we started planning out this dip, we put most of our focus the corned beef and Swiss cheese. The dish did need a dash of tanginess from the 'kraut and Russian dressing, but it couldn't overwhelm the dip. The resulting cheesy, tangy spread might just be better than an actual Reuben sandwich!
Get the Baked Reuben Dip recipe.
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16
Reuben Mac & Cheese
Take your favorite Reuben sandwich and your favorite and what do you get? The ultimate creamy comfort food. Trust us: Once you top with Russian dressing, you might never go back.
Get the .
17
Reuben Egglets
Skip the rye bread and use a hard boil instead. These little egg sandwiches make the cutest party food, but are also great for a light work lunch or snack too.
Get the Reuben Egglets recipe.
18
Reuben Loaded Potatoes
We're gonna say it: Potatoes *might* be better than tortilla chips! Heads up, these are the perfect St. Patrick's Day party food, kind of like a heartier version of nachos.
Get the Reuben Loaded Potatoes recipe.
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19
Low-Carb Reuben Wraps
You heard it here first: Cabbage leaves are even better than romaine when it comes to lettuce wraps.
Get the Low-Carb Reuben Wraps recipe.
20
Reuben Beer Cheese Nachos
Are these the nachos—featuring beer cheese, corned beef, and sauerkraut—the most traditional? Definitely not. Are they delicious? DEFINITELY.
Get the Reuben Beer Cheese Nachos recipe.
Camille Lowder
Digital Food Producer
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
