Reuben Bake

It really doesn't get much easier than this. No chopping, sauteing, or boiling. Essentially, I made a great big, delicious sandwich in a casserole dish. A couple of weeks ago we had family visiting for the weekend, so I made this apple and cream cheese dessert from My New 30. The yummy cream cheese and apple filling were sandwiched between two layers of refrigerated crescent rolls. It was so yummy and so easy to throw together that I started thinking, "What else might I do with crescent rolls?" I know that there are quite a few applications, both sweet and savory. I first hit up the Pillsbury site for inspiration. Lots of recipes there! I finally settled on this Reuben Bake, another winner from Taste of Home. Don't look at the calories, though.

Begin by pressing a whole tube of refrigerated crescent rolls into the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish.



Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.



Arrange half of the cheese over the crescent roll layer.



And all of the corned beef.



Now mix together a can of sauerkraut, drained and rinsed and the Thousand Island dressing. Spread over the beef. In case you're wondering why I neglected the end, that is the kid-friendly Reuben zone. I know at least one of my kids would "freak" at the presence of sauerkraut in her dinner.



More cheese....



Unroll another tube of crescent rolls on top. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds.



Then bake for 12-16 minutes until heated through.



That's it. Super easy...and cheesy. I had a slice, the girls split a slice, and I sent the whole pan off to work with my husband to share with his office the next day (he missed this dinner for a work meeting).



Here is the recipe straight from Taste of Home (I had their cookbooks on hand when preparing the meal plan this week, have you noticed?). I prepared it almost exactly as suggested, I just went a little lighter on the caraway seeds.

Reuben Crescent Bake


2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound sliced Swiss cheese
1-1/4 pounds sliced deli corned beef
1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2/3 cup Thousand Island salad dressing
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons caraway seeds

Unroll one tube of crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and
perforations. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake
at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Layer with half of the
cheese and all of the corned beef. Combine sauerkraut and salad dressing; spread
over beef. Top with remaining cheese. On a lightly floured surface, press or
roll second tube of crescent dough into a 13-in. x 9-in. rectangle, sealing seams
and perforations. Place over cheese. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with caraway
seeds. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until heated through and crust is golden
brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 servings.