A traditional reuben sandwich with a little heat, these Spicy Reubens have a zesty sauce made from mayonnaise, chili sauce, horseradish, and cayenne pepper.

The Reuben Sandwich. It’s my very favorite sandwich ever.  I order it practically every chance I get. Scroll down for more takes on the classic sandwich.

It’s pure comfort food between 2 slices of nicely buttered rye (or pumpernickel) bread. Layers of sliced corned beef, tangy sauerkraut,  melted swiss cheese, and the best part – the sauce. Typically I like a thousand island-style sauce with some sweetness on my reubens.  But sometimes I like to spice it up.

Spicy Sauce

I make this spicy sauce by combining mayonnaise with chili sauce instead of the ketchup I would normally use. Chili sauce already has a nice zip to it and then I spice it up even more by adding a big spoonful of horseradish and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Some sweet pepper relish balances the heat some so the sauce isn’t too one dimensional.
The sauerkraut always threw me for a loop, but the Reuben sandwich has American origins and has been a popular sandwich in this country for nearly 100 years. And although I think a traditional reuben is a masterpiece that can’t be improved upon, I do like to see creative twists on reuben sandwiches. A Cuban Reuben with roast pork and ham, while maybe not quite as delicious as the original, is still a sandwich I’ll choose over many others....