Give Your Reuben Sandwich A Unique Twist With This Bread Swap

Sandwiches have been around for centuries – the 18th century, to be exact, ever since John Montagu, the 4^th Earl of Sandwich, had the first sandwich. He's said to have requested it so he could enjoy a handheld meal while he played cards. While this history comes with its share of scandal, the Reuben, a mouthwatering concoction traditionally made from layers of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing on rye or pumpernickel bread, shares a similar origin. According to popular theories, it was first conceived in 1928 by a hotel chef who needed something to serve a guest who, like the Earl of Sandwich, wanted something delicious to eat while he played poker.

Throughout the years the Reuben has changed, with creative renditions popping up everywhere. These days you can find vegan and vegetarian versions, Reubens made with turkey, and even a fish version. But if you really want to think outside the box, switch out the bread and use a tortilla instead. You'll get the same incredible flavor profile that traditional Reuben ingredients create (in the case of a Reuben, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts), plus you'll be able to enjoy a sandwich that is a lot less messy when it's wrapped in an edible hand-held container. You'll undoubtedly miss the flavor the rye bread brings to your sandwich, but tortillas come in a variety of flavors (flour, white corn, yellow corn, blue corn, and herb) so you can introduce all new flavor twists to your Reuben.

Once you've committed to wrapping your Reuben in a tortilla, you have a whole new host of options that can put a unique spin on a classic sandwich. To start with, there's the meat. There's no doubt that you'll have an easy time sourcing your corned beef if St. Patrick's Day is on the horizon, but if not, you can try this fabulous recipe for a deli-worthy Reuben that involves making your own meat from scratch. Next, you can take that tortilla-wrapped Reuben and grill it, giving it a nice golden-brown color and a satisfying crunch for every bite. Whether you wrap it tight and grill the whole thing for a handheld pocket of goodness or layer your ingredients in your tortilla, you'll get an epic cheese pull in every bite as the heat from the grill does its thing with the Swiss cheese inside.

Really creative Reuben recipes go far beyond the sandwich and turn it into a unique creation like a Reuben dip — and don't worry, tortillas can still save the day for a flavorful twist. Simply cut those tortillas into triangles and bake them or deep fry them into a crispy, crunchy chip that will be strong enough to hold up to the responsibility of capturing a mouthful with each dip. But if you need to feed a crowd with the mouthwatering flavors of a Reuben with a twist, go for a casserole. All you'll want to do is switch out your bread component for your favorite tortillas and you'll bring a whole new level of flavor to this already unique crowd pleaser.