Reuben Pizza

My favorite sandwich in the entire world is probably the Reuben, followed closely by the Cuban sandwich. Reubens are found on many, many menus and range from the totally divine, like from The Coopers Tavern in Madison, to almost unpalatable, like the one I had at Central Express in Westby last weekend (to be fair, the visit to Central Express was redeemed by the sumptuous deep-fried cheese curds from the Westby Creamery we had as an appetizer). After I made Chorizo Pizza last week, I was in need of another creative pizza recipe to use up the remaining pizza crust. And yes, I do feel bad about not making my own pizza crust, but I'm a working woman who just doesn't have time on weeknights. I let the idea float around in my head for a bit and suddenly it came to me-Reuben pizza.

This pizza is only going to be as good as your ingredients, particularly the meat and cheese, both of which I picked up at the Dane County Farmers' Market. It is definitely worth your while to invest a bit in the dressing, kraut, meat, and cheese if you want this pizza to be a success. Just as with the Reuben sandwich, this pizza can be delicious or disappointing.

Reuben Pizza

1 12-inch whole wheat pizza crust
1/2 c. Thousand Island dressing (homemade or store-bought, I used Whole Foods 365 dressing)
3/4 c. sauerkraut, drained
2 oz. corned beef (I used smoked, cured beef from D&G Custom Meat Processing), cut into small pieces
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese (I used baby Swiss from Forgotten Valley Cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread dressing on crust and sprinkle sauerkraut evenly over crust. Distribute corned beef evenly on pizza and top with shredded Swiss.

2. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Cut into 8 pieces.