Reuben Nachos
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Thick-cut potato chips with corned beef, tangy Frank’s Kraut drizzled with Thousand Island dressing, and topped with a Swiss cheese sauce make these Reuben Nachos irresistibly addictive. Perfect for any time, but make the best St. Patrick’s Day appetizer on earth!
When March kicks off, that means it’s time for Reuben Madness! What’s Reuben Madness? Well, it’s a month-long event that is hosted by my friends at Frank’s Kraut, combining March Madness and love for all things Reuben. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of launching the event with new recipes, and let me tell you, anytime I get to play around with the ingredients in a Reuben Sandwich, I am excited!
Thank you to Frank’s Kraut for sponsoring this post. Know that the opinions in this post and the love for their sauerkraut are all my own. Please support the brands that make An Affair from the Heart possible.
Reuben Nachos
Often referred to as Irish Nachos made with potatoes, these Reuben Nachos are prepared on potato chips instead of tortilla chips. The ultimate twist of a classic snack, these nachos feature warm corned beef, Thousand Island dressing, Frank’s kraut, and a savory Swiss cheese sauce instead of your typical nacho toppings. But, hey if you love sour cream on your nachos feel free to add it.
Reuben Nachos
The perfect snack and fun appetizer to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, along with some green beer of course, but great any day really, these nachos come together in just a few minutes but will likely disappear faster than the time it takes to make them. We like to eat them on game days, at family get-togethers or I’ve also been known to bring them to a potluck. They are the perfect way to use up leftover corned beef.
The idea for these Reuben Potato Chip Nachos was born from the irresistible Swiss Cheese sauce on my Reuben Meatloaf. You also need to give my Reuben Sheet Pan Totchos a try, baked with tater tots and all things Reuben.
Reuben Nachos
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a little obsessed with Reuben flavors and completely enamored with Frank’s Kraut. You can see all the kraut-inspired recipes on my website, I use sauerkraut in loads of recipes. It tastes great and has loads of health benefits.
If you aren’t quite sure what Reuben sandwiches are all about, they are made with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing and usually served on rye bread.
Ingredients for Reuben Potato Chip Nachos
For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.
For the Nachos:
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Potato chips – Thick cuts are best. I get mine from the grocer’s deli, they make them homemade. Another option would be Kettle Chips. You want a sturdy chip to hold up to the sauce and not get soggy.
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Deli corned beef – Use thick slices here too, chopped and warmed. Or use leftover shredded corned beef.
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Frank’s Kraut – Use Frank’s Kraut, drained, chopped and warmed.
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Thousand Island Dressing – Store-bought or combine dressing ingredients in this homemade Thousand Island recipe.
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Scallions – Also known as green onions, chopped can be used to garnish nachos.
To Make the Swiss Cheese Sauce:
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Butter – Salted or unsalted butter are both good options for the sauce.
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Flour – All-purpose flour helps thicken up the sauce.
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Milk – Any milk will help create the cheese sauce.
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Swiss cheese – Swiss cheese is the flavor of choice for Reuben Nachos.
How to make Reuben Nachos
First, place the potato chips on a sheet pan in an even layer. I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup!
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a roux. Whisk in milk. After about 2 minutes, stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts.
Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the potato chips.
Top with corned beef,
and Frank’s Kraut.
Finally, sprinkle with scallions and drizzle with Thousand Island dressing. Serve hot.
Leftover Reuben nachos can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat place on a cookie sheet and warm in the oven. I do not recommend freezing these Reuben nachos.
Love it? Pin it!
If you love this recipe for Reuben nachos, make sure you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!
What is a traditional Reuben made of?
If you’re not sure what a Reuben is, it’s a sandwich made of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island Dressing on grilled rye bread. You’ll need to try my Traditional Reuben Sandwich then you will see where I got my love for Reubenizing all things!
Want to know more about this delicious type of sandwich? My post, Everything About the Reuben Sandwich & How to Reubenize Everything, will teach you everything you need to know about this sandwich, and how to go about Reubenizing all of your favorite recipes.
Did you know that my Reuben Sandwich and more of my Reubenized recipes were featured in Nebraska Life Magazine?
FAQs about Reubens
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What goes with Reuben sandwiches? Anything goes with a Reuben sandwich but I especially like cole slaw, French fries, onion strings, baked potato or a salad.
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Why is a Reuben sandwich called a Reuben? A Reuben sandwich is called a Reuben as it is named after the German immigrant who invented it; Reuben Kulakofsky.
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Is a Reuben normally corned beef or pastrami? A Reuben is typically made with corned beef but that doesn’t mean you can’t make one with pastrami.
Substitutions
Remember that when it comes to substituting recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!
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Change up the potato chips and use waffle fries or red potatoes instead. Cut the red potatoes, place potato slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet, and bake before you prepare the nachos.
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Use Russian dressing instead of Thousand Island dressing.
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Modify the cheese and try cheddar instead of Swiss.
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Give the nachos a sprinkle of caraway seeds to give that rye flavor of the traditional Reuben Sandwich.
Tips & Tricks
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Place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking tray before you begin so clean up is easier.
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If the nachos aren’t warm enough, place the sheet pan in a hot oven for 5-8 minutes.
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Dust the potatoes with rye breadcrumbs to get all of the flavors of a Reuben.
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Whisk the cheese sauce well so you don’t get any lumps. If you do end up with lumps you can run the sauce through the food processor to eliminate them.
My Lifetime Love Of Sauerkraut
With my Polish and German heritage, of course, I am passionate about kraut.
Kraut can be used in a variety of recipes, from soups to salads, and entrees to appetizers and even desserts! I have a ton of kraut recipes to check out. If you haven’t guessed, I am a big fan.
More Reuben Recipes to Love
Here are some more Reubenized recipes I made with Franks’ Kraut:
- Crock Pot Reuben Dip (pictured above)
- Turkey Reuben (aka The Rachel)
- Reuben Tortilla Pinwheels
- Reuben Burger
- Reuben Pot Pies
LOVE KRAUT LIKE WE DO?
Before we get to the recipe, I would like to offer up a HUGE thank you to Frank’s Kraut! Find oodles more sauerkraut recipes at FranksKraut.com You can see all of the goodness they share on social media, too: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Twitter.
These Reuben nachos take your favorite sandwich flavors and serve them up on top of thick-cut potato chips for a great twist on everyone’s favorite appetizer.
Reuben Nachos
Ingredients
- 16 ounces thick potato chips I get mine from the grocer’s deli, they make them homemade
- ¾ pound thick-cut deli corned beef chopped warmed
- ¾ cup Frank’s Kraut drained and chopped warmed
- 2 Tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons scallions
- For the Swiss Cheese Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Place the potato chips on a sheet pan.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a roux. Whisk in milk. After about 2 minutes, stir in the cheese.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the potato chips.
- Top with corned beef, Frank’s Kraut. Scallions and drizzle with Thousand Island dressing.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Love this Reuben Nachos recipe, never tried them before, so definitely will make this soon for movie night. We love all kinds of nachos. Looks tasty. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Who doesn’t love natchos? Great way to enjoy Natchos in a healthy way. Thank you for sharing
What an incredible idea! These were absolutely, lip-smackingly good
We always end up having leftover corned beef after St. Paddy’s Day, so I’m saving this recipe! These nachos look incredible!
This is such a fun take on nachos – I would never have thought to make reuben nachos! A great combination of tastes and textures my family loved.
These nachos are INCREDIBLE! My husband was impressed and nearly ate them all himself. I’ll make these again, thanks!
Such a brilliant idea – my friends love this so much!!! Thank you!
These nachos sound like heaven!! I am definitely going to give this a go tonight, thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂