Reuben Stuffed Meatballs

Reuben Stuffed Meatballs

Reuben Stuffed Meatballs are the spin-off of the Reuben sandwich and a Reuben burger that I will be posting soon. The Reuben – probably my all-time favorite sandwich, is comprised of thinly sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island (or Russian) dressing on grilled Rye bread. There are, of course, variations like the Rachael which is made with turkey instead of corned beef, but we’ll get into those in another post.

The last time I ordered a Reuben, I asked for Thousand Island dressing and the waiter said “Ma’am, we have Russian – they’re one in the same”.

What? UmNo they are not. 

My husband – “Yes, they are Lady.” (Lady is what he affectionately calls me if you didn’t already know).

Being very hungry, I did not have the energy to argue with these two. I decided I would just prove him wrong with my BFF Google when we get home…????

To me, Thousand Island is basically a mix of mayo, ketchup and pickles – give or take a thing or two. Russian dressing is less mayo, and sans pickles. Anybody disagree with me? The lack of pickles, in my opinion, officially makes these two different. I love to mix mayo and ketchup to dip my french fries in, but would I if pickles were in it? Probably, but that’s not the point here. I want real Thousand Island with my Reuben.

These meatballs came from an idea that literally came to me one day while I was at work, starving and craving a good Reuben. I got home and made a little meatball version that I thought was kinda unique, and gives me another appetizer recipe in my arsenal.

Reuben Stuffed Meatballs

Reuben Stuffed Meatballs

 

1 pound ground round

1/4 pound corned beef, chopped up pretty fine (I used the thin sliced corned beef found in the deli, or you could use pre-packaged…freshly made would be even better!)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 egg

4 oz Swiss cheese, shredded or just chopped into little bits

1 cup sauerkraut

Thousand Island dressing

Combine the ground round, corned beef, worcestershire, onion powder, salt and egg just enough to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly. You don’t want to over handle this. Ground meats don’t need to be messed with too much or they turn into rebellious teenagers and won’t cooperate.

Then you’ll have to ground them and take away their ipods and cell phones.

Wait, what?

Sorry, I have a house full of teenagers right now- mine and their friends. Is it time for school to start back yet??

Yes, please.

Anyway, just mash it and flip it around just enough to get it ready to be made into pretty little meatballs so they stay nice and formed while they’re baking.

Start by getting about a tablespoon full of meat mixture and mashing with your palms to make a flat circle. Just go ahead and make a bunch of these and lay them on your work area, so you can get to the easy part. Sprinkle a little cheese in the middle, followed by a little sauerkraut. Put another circle on top, and pinch the edges to seal and make one meatball. I gently rolled them around in my hands to get a meatball form.

It may take a few to get it right; but you’ll find the method that works best for you.

Put them on a baking sheet lined with foil and freeze for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. You can bake these right on the baking sheet, but I used my metallic meatball pan I got from Amazon – if you want one of your very own click here.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, give or take a few.

Move to a serving dish and dip in thousand island.

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Or Russian, if that’s your thing.

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I won’t judge.

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I’m thinking putting these on slider buns would be a great idea…

xoxo

~Dixie Chik~

Author

  • Shea Goldstein

    Shea Goldstein is the voice behind Dixie Chik Cooks. She's a recipe developer and brand ambassador. She has been published in several media outlets such as Redbook, Parade, Food Blogger Magazine and more. Shea is a Southern Belle Who's Thinking About What's For Dinner While Eating Lunch.

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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Tanya Schroeder

    This is brilliant! I love Ruebens! Oh, I bet these tasted so goo! I really wish you could send them to me!

  2. Wowwww!!!! Its mouthwatering and I feel like picking up one and eat. 😀 Nothing is needed, it can go easily for me like a snack too.

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