These meal-prep Reuben bowls take less than 20 minutes to make and are packed with flavor and 33 grams of protein for less than 400 calories!
It's giving egg roll in a bowl, just as fast, but so so so much better.
I couldn't be any more excited to share these meal prep bowls with you if I tried. When I tell you that Mr. Hungry and I were fighting about who got the last one, I'm not kidding. They were THAT good. Luckily, I made a double batch because I also made a one-pan skillet version of this meal for those of you who would rather have it for dinner and aren't into meal prep.
But, if you are into meal prep, you MUST make this next week for St. Patrick's Day! Technically, it would be more "traditional" if you used corned beef, but since we're traveling this year, I wasn't about to make my slow cooker corned beef and cabbage (although it's bomb.) So I opted to use just plain old deli cut pastrami (I asked for dinner cut.) And man, was it amazing.
Reubens are my absolute favorite sandwich of all time, so I really thought I would miss the bread, but actually, I totally didn't! I'm not 100% low carb, but I am finishing a four-week calorie deficit up (remember, you shouldn't be in a deficit longer than 12 weeks), and this meal was the perfect lunch to look forward to all week. I can't wait for you to try it!
How to Make Meal Prep Reuben Bowls
This will literally take you 20 minutes, and you'll have delicious meals to eat all week!
I had the deli cut dinner-style pastrami and then cubed it and browned it in a skillet. Then, in that same skillet, I cooked my cabbage. My problem with other Reuben bowl recipes is that there is NEVER enough cabbage to provide volume to keep me full. I found about 1.5 cups to be perfect for my meal prep containers. I did have to work in batches to cook all the cabbage. You kind of want to cook it enough that it's still crunchy but doesn't taste like salad.
Divide the cabbage between the bowls, and then start layering! I did sauerkraut, 4 ounces of pastrami in each bowl, thousand islands, and Swiss. You can put them in the fridge as is and microwave them when ready to eat, OR what I did was broil them for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese, top with another tablespoon of Thousand Island, and sprinkle with a few more caraway seeds. Store in airtight meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (leave off the dressing until after heating).
Super, super easy!
Swaps and Substitutions
How to Store and Serve Meal Prep Reuben Bowls
- Corned beef or pastrami (dinner cut), sliced or chopped: you can also use turkey pastrami. I bought some, and it was delicious, but it didn't give me pretty photos. You would save a few calories, though, as turkey pastrami is leaner.
- Shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix (tricolor cabbage mix) - don't skip!
- Caraway seeds - these are 100% optional for that classic rye bread flavor. And they are super good for digestive health! Caraway seeds are known to reduce bloating and gas that come along with eating cruciferous veggies like a whole bunch of cabbage.
- Salt and pepper - to taste, but cabbage is bland.
- Sauerkraut drained - you could sub pickles in a pinch, but a classic Reuben sandwich usually has sauerkraut.
- Swiss cheese - again, a classic Reuben sandwich ingredient, but feel free to omit or sub as desired. Provolone would be another choice!
- Thousand Island or Russian dressing - a must for this recipe. I don't typically make my own dressings; I just try to be mindful of portion size. Yes, Thousand Island is a higher-calorie/fat dressing, but it works in this recipe! With 2 tbsp, you are still only at 400 calories!
- 1 cup croutons (optional) - If you feel like you need a bready component, topping this with croutons might help satisfy the crunch!
Can You Freeze Reuben Bowls?
I know some people love to freeze things. The question is never "Can you?" because you can freeze anything. The question is, "Should you?" haha.
I've never frozen cabbage or pastrami, but I think it would hold up okay. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out. General freezer standards would say you can freeze it for up to 3 months after letting it completely cool and putting it in a freezer-safe container.
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Meal Prep Reuben Bowls
Equipment
- 4 Meal Prep Containers
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked corned beef or pastrami (dinner cut) sliced or chopped
- 6 cups shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix (tricolor cabbage mix)
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds optional, for that classic rye bread flavor
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
- 4 slices swiss
- ½ cup Thousand Island or Russian dressing
- 1 cup croutons optional - if not low carb
Instructions
- Saute the Pastrami (optional). In one tablespoon of oil, saute your pastrami or corn beef to brown it. Remove it from the pan and set aside.1 lb cooked corned beef or pastrami (dinner cut)
- Sauté the Cabbage. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded cabbage, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until slightly softened but still has some crunch.6 cups shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix (tricolor cabbage mix), 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Assemble the Bowls: Divide the cooked cabbage into four meal prep containers. Top each with pastrami or corn beef, about ¼ cup sauerkraut, 1 tablespoon thousand islands, and one slice Swiss cheese.1 cup sauerkraut, drained, 4 slices swiss, ½ cup Thousand Island or Russian dressing
- You can put them in the fridge as is and microwave them when ready to eat, OR what I did was broil them for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese, top with another tablespoon of Thousand Island, and sprinkle with a few more caraway seeds. Store in airtight meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (leave off the dressing until after heating).1 cup croutons
Notes
Nutrition
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