WEEK NIGHT WONDER - REUBEN CASSEROLE

So one of my favorite ways to cook is to try familiar, delicious, tried-and-true flavor combos and use them in an unexpected new way.   Like the Taco Soup or Stuffed Pepper Burgers I made recently.  Um, *YUM*!

Well, we LOVE Reubens.  But sometimes I'm not especially in the mood for a sandwich for dinner, you know?  Well, enter Reuben Casserole.  All the flavors (and more) of a Reuben, in a hot, creamy, satisfying comfort-food-at-its-finest casserole.

There are a lot of variations of this (apparently it was not an original idea!)  But I combined several recipes that I found online to create my version of this casserole.  We were very happy with the way it turned out. It was delicious.  It was also fast, easy, and fun.  PERFECT for a busy weeknight supper.

REUBEN CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (give or take!) mashed potatoes.  (Leftovers from your Sunday supper work great here!)
1 pound high-quality deli corned beef, sliced and then cut into1" slivers.
1 pound Swiss cheese (I like mild Alpine Lace, but use your favorite Swiss), sliced.
1 bag sauerkraut, drained
1 (8oz) jar Thousand Island dressing
1/2 c chopped fresh sweet onions
4 or 5 slices of lightly toasted, buttered Jewish rye bread, cubed.
1 cup sharp grated cheddar for topping

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Layer the sauerkraut in the bottom of the dish.  Pour the Thousand Island dressing evenly over the sauerkraut.
Layer the corned beef next.  Layer the cheese slices.  Layer the mashed potatoes.  Top with onions and rye bread cubes.  Cover with foil and bake for approx.30 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top, and return to oven (uncovered) for about 10 more minutes.

Let stand outside the oven for 5-10 minutes, then serve.   ENJOY!

PS:  Honestly, I'm not exactly sure how mashed potatoes made it into a Reuben Casserole, but several of the recipes I found did indeed call for that.  And since we LOVE mashed potatoes, I added them.  Ditto with the chopped onions... not really a traditional Reuben *thang*, but does add a nice crunch and flavor to the topping.