Kraut in Kornflower Korning Ware - Reuben Casserole

There is nothing quite as tasty as a Reuben sandwich; that is, unless you throw all the ingredients in to a casserole dish.

This is one of my favorite casseroles because.... Well.... It contains Sauerkraut.  I love Sauerkraut.  I eat it directly from the jar all the time.  (Bubbies is my favorite)

Sauerkraut is some amazing stuff.  Some studies have shown that it can increase your digestive health, boost your circulation, protect your heart health, stimulate your immune system, strengthen your bones, reduce your overall cholesterol levels, eliminate inflammation, protect against certain cancer, and even improve your vision and skin health.  As if ALL that wasn't enough, it also has this amazing ability to make hot dogs edible.  (I hate hot dogs)

So don't cringe at the kraut, man. It's good for ya.

But, back to the casserole...  I am a Reuben purist; and by purist, I mean "absolutely NO 1000 Island dressing".  The proper dressing for a Reuben is "Russian".  It's a much zipper and flavorful dressing than that weird sweet pickley stuff.  That being said, there are several variations to the "Reuben", and they can all translate into this casserole.

The California Reuben - Substitute with Pastrami and French Dressing.

The Rachel - Substitute with Pastrami or Turkey.

The Georgia Reuben - Substitute with Pastrami and BBQ Sauce (no Dressing)

The Grouper - Substituting Grouper for the Corned Beef (not sure how I feel about fish & Sauerkraut)

The West Coast Reuben - No dressing, just Dijon mustard (never seen this one, and I am a west coaster)

The Montreal Reuben - Substitute Montreal-Style Smoked Meat

The Cuban Reuben - Substitute Pulled Pork & Yellow Mustard, add 1 cup chopped Pickles (no Dressing)

There is a veritable plethora of tasty variations for your dinner table.  So pick your favorite and give it a go.

Reuben Casserole

6 slices Light Rye Bread, divided (I used dark rye this time, don't do that)
18 oz Corned Beef, thinly sliced or shaved
24 oz Sauerkraut, Drained (I don't rinse, but you can if you like)
2 tsp Caraway Seeds
4 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded  (Emmental, Gruyere or combination of both)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup Russian dressing (you can use 1000 Island if you want)
1/4 cup Spicy Brown Mustard
3 large Eggs

Corning Ware A-21-B Roaster (or P-21-B or A-21-B-N)

Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease your A-21-B baking dish with butter.

Place 2 sliced of Rye Bread in food processor, pulse until you’ve got fine breadcrumbs and set aside.

Take the remaining 4 pieces of Rye bread and cut them into cubes and spread them in he bottom of your A-21-B.

Cover the Rye cubes with 1/2 of Corned Beef.

Top the Corned Beef with the Sauerkraut.

Sprinkle with half of Caraway Seeds and 2 cups of the shredded Cheese.

Cover with remaining Corned Beef, sprinkle with remaining Caraway Seeds

Then top with shredded Cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together Milk, Russian Dressing and Brown Mustard.

Add Eggs and whisk until combined.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole.

Sprinkle with the Rye breadcrumbs.

Place baking dish in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and the top is browned.

Remove from oven and serve hot.

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Rudimentary Roaster Report - Corning Ware Roasters

So many roasters, so little time.

In a world dominated by recipes that require the standard 13x9 (Pyrex) Baking Dish, I feel it's time to explore the menagerie of roasters/baking dishes in the Corning Ware world.  Their measurements are a little different, but the overall area of the dish works out pretty much the same...

A 13 x 9 baking dish gives you an area of 117 square inches of dish.  While a 12 1/4 x 10 (A-21-B) gives you an area of 122 square inches... a little more, but not enough to create a casserole catastrophe, by any means... So let's take a REALLY close look at ALL the Corning Ware Roasters, both P and A-series, for they all have different measurements leading to different square inch capacities.

These are the three P-series Baking/Roasting pans.  The P-332, P-21-B and P-76-B.

These are the three A-series Baking/Roasting pans.  The A-18, A-21-B and A-76-B (There is an A-21-B-N, but I will touch on that at the end)

While standard Corning Ware cooking dishes switched to the A-series in 1972, the new A-series roasters did not make their debut until 1976.  It should also be noted that the P-332 hung around until sometimes around 1982-84 before it was discontinued, which just happened to be about the time that the A-18 and A-76 were removed from the market as well.  The A-21 hung on until about 1986 when it got a makeover and became the A-21-B-N.

Here are the comparisons....

The P-332 (bottom) and the A-18-B (top)...

The P-332 is 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 (87sq). This is my "Go To" pan for a single batch of Lasagne

The A-18 is 10 x 8 1/2 (85sq).

The P-21-B (bottom) and the A-21-B (top)...

The P-21-B is 13 x 8 3/4 (114sq)  Which is slightly bowed out. (there is a reason for this, but I will cover that at the end)

The A-21-B is 12 1/4 x 10 (122sq)

The P-76-B (bottom) and the A-76-B (top).....

The P-76-B is 15.5 x 9.75 (151sq)

The A-76-B is 14 x 11.5 (161sq).  It's almost a square.

After 1986, the A-21-B was modified and became the A-21-B-N...  One of the major differences was the addition of handles at each end, instead of having the bent rim all the way around. The A-21-B-N is also significantly heavier than the A-21-B, as the glass is much thicker like the cookware.  The dimensions, however, are extremely similar, being 12 1/2 x 10 1/2 (131sq).  It's basically 1/4 inch longer and 1/2 inch wider than the A-21-B.

Now, lets get into the reason for the bowing in the P-21-B.

It was all because of this....   The P-19 Broiling Platter.

When using an electric oven (which produces a drier heat than a gas oven) you can place water in the P-21-B and sit the P-19 Broiling platter on top...

Thus increasing the humidity inside your electric oven and producing a much moister roast, or so the theory goes.

So there you have it... A massive crash course in Corning Ware Roasting/Baking Pans.

Where is your Corning Ware??
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