Name: Toaster-Oven Reuben Strata
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 6 slices seeded rye bread , halved and toasted; 1 pound thinly sliced deli corned beef , chopped; 8 ounces Swiss cheese , shredded (2 cups); 3 large eggs; 1½ cups whole milk; ½ teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 8 ounces sauerkraut , rinsed and squeezed dry; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

We turned this classic sandwich into a gooey, crowdpleasing strata that you can bake all at once in your toaster oven and feed the whole gang simultaneously. It was important to us that our strata taste like the iconic sandwich. We used seeded rye bread as its base, which got us off to a good start with strong rye flavor. We also used a whole pound of corned beef, to mimic the towering sandwiches you expect from the delicatessen. Layering the strata with Swiss cheese and then bathing everything in a simple custard delivered a creamy texture that really hit home. You can’t have a Reuben without sauerkraut, but adding this zingy ingredient before baking muted its flavor. Instead, sprinkling it (along with some extra cheese) on top after baking kept its picklelike tang intact. Using the toaster’s broiler setting finished everything off and produced a brunch- worthy result that has all the comforting flavor of the original sandwich.

Before You Begin

You will need an 8-inch square broiler-safe baking dish or pan for this recipe.

Instructions

Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange half of bread in greased 8-inch square broiler-safe baking dish or pan. Sprinkle half of corned beef over bread, then top with ⅔ cup Swiss. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining corned beef, and ⅔ cup Swiss.

Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in bowl, then pour evenly over top. Gently press down on layers with spatula to saturate bread. Cover tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking.

Remove dish from oven, select highest broiler function, and heat broiler. Sprinkle sauerkraut over top of strata, then sprinkle with remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and spotty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer dish to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.