Most people asking about the best cheese for a Reuben if they don’t love Swiss are not trying to reinvent the sandwich. They just want the melty layer to do its job without the flavor or the rubbery bite. Sharp cheddar, muenster and gouda are the three that work most often for me, and each one fails in a different direction, which is the real story here.
Swiss earns its spot on a Reuben for three specific reasons: it melts smooth, it stays quiet enough not to fight the corned beef, and it adds a little nuttiness against all that salt and acid. Any swap has to do all three, or the sandwich goes wrong. A cheese that melts beautifully but tastes like a cheese board will bury the meat. One that is too sharp fights the sauerkraut. One that is too mild reads as a slice of nothing.
If you are building this at home, the order of operations matters as much as the cheese. Warm the meat first, press the sauerkraut dry in a towel, and melt the cheese rather than merely warming it. A cold slice of any cheese is not a Reuben, and that is close to universal agreement in the sandwich forums I read before ranking these.
Table of Contents
- Best Cheese for a Reuben if You Don’t Love Swiss at a Glance
- 1. Sharp Cheddar for a Reuben
- 2. Smoked Cheddar for a Reuben
- 3. Provolone for a Reuben
- 4. Mozzarella for a Reuben
- 5. Gouda for a Reuben
- 6. Edam for a Reuben
- 7. Muenster for a Reuben
- 8. Monterey Jack for a Reuben
- 9. Colby for a Reuben
- 10. Fontina for a Reuben
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Best Cheese for a Reuben if You Don’t Love Swiss at a Glance
Here is the short version. The ranking below runs from boldest to mildest, so if you want flavor with backbone, start at the top. If you want Swiss’s gentleness without Swiss’s rubber, go toward the bottom.
| Cheese | Flavor | Melt | Texture | Tang | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp cheddar | Bold, buttery, aged | Good on medium heat | Firm then creamy | Low | Big flavor Reubens |
| Smoked cheddar | Smoky, savory | Good on medium heat | Firm then creamy | Low | Pastrami and griddle builds |
| Provolone | Mild, clean, faintly sweet | Excellent | Supple, stretchy | Mild | Letting the meat lead |
| Mozzarella | Very mild, milky | Excellent but wet | Soft, stretchy | None | Vegetarian and mild builds |
| Gouda | Buttery, mild sweetness | Excellent | Creamy, semi-soft | Low | A balanced everyday pick |
| Edam | Mild, slightly nutty, salty | Reliable | Firm, sliceable | Low | Neutral swap, easy to find |
| Muenster | Mild, tangy, faintly funky | Quick and clean | Soft, creamy | Gentle | Closest match to Swiss |
| Monterey Jack | Mild, buttery | Best in class | Soft, smooth | None | Maximum melt, zero fight |
| Colby | Mild, faintly sweet, light | Smooth | Soft, creamy | Very low | Kid-friendly, low tang |
| Fontina | Earthy, nutty, rich | Rich, glossy | Soft, runny | Low | Decadent, upgraded Reubens |
1. Sharp Cheddar for a Reuben
Sharp cheddar is the most versatile starting choice, and the most common piece of bad advice in Reuben conversations is that cheddar does not belong. It does. What it is bad at is being cooked too hot, which is where most disappointing cheddar Reubens come from.
How to melt sharp cheddar without making it oily
Cheddar has a high fat content and less water than Swiss, so aggressive heat pushes the fat out of the curds before the proteins bond. Cook it on medium heat, give it a lid, and do not walk away.
Two thin slices is the right amount for a normal sandwich. Any more and the cheese becomes the meal. I grate it rather than slice it when I want maximum coverage, because shredded cheese contacts the hot pan in more places and melts faster and more evenly.
Sharp Cheddar for a Reuben: Verdict
Best when: you want the cheese to be a character, not a background layer. Sharp cheddar is the most confident answer to the question of the best cheese for a Reuben if you don’t love Swiss, especially with pastrami, where the extra punch is welcome.
2. Smoked Cheddar for a Reuben
Smoked cheddar does something no other swap on this list does: it adds a second flavor layer that echoes the meat. Corned beef is already deep and peppery, and a little smoke on top of that builds a sandwich that tastes deliberate rather than assembled.
Use the same portioning as sharp cheddar, two thin slices or a modest handful of grated. Melt it slowly and watch for oil. Smoked cheddar often runs a little fattier than plain, and a greasy puddle on the griddle is the fastest way to turn the bread to leather.
One thing to avoid: double-smoking. If the sauerkraut is heavily seasoned or you are using a peppery pastrami, plain sharp cheddar is the smarter pick, because smoke on top of heat can make a sandwich taste flat rather than layered.
3. Provolone for a Reuben
Provolone is the answer when the objection to Swiss is flavor itself, not texture. It is mild, faintly sweet, and it melts into a smooth, pliable layer that hugs the corned beef instead of sitting on top of it.
Sharp provolone brings a little tang that works nicely against the sauerkraut. Mild provolone is the safer pick if you are feeding someone who is not sure they want cheese flavor in the sandwich at all. Both melt well, and both handle a panini press without turning rubbery.
Provolone also shows up constantly in real-world builds, from deli counters to home kitchens, which makes it a safe recommendation for a first substitution.
4. Mozzarella for a Reuben
Mozzarella is the most underrated option here, and it is the cheese I see used in meatless versions built around seitan pastrami. Its melt is stretchy and creamy with almost no tang, so it contributes texture rather than flavor.
The catch is water. Low-moisture mozzarella is essential, and even then you should drain it. Pat the slices between paper towels for a few minutes before they go anywhere near the pan, and skip pre-shredded bagged cheese, which absorbs a lot of oil and releases a surprising amount of liquid.
Used right, mozzarella makes a Reuben that is about texture. Used carelessly, it makes a soggy one, and sogginess ruins the rye crust faster than any flavor mistake.
5. Gouda for a Reuben
Gouda is my default when I am cooking for people who say they do not like cheese much. It is buttery and mildly sweet, it melts cleanly, and it has enough body to survive a hot griddle without splitting or oiling.
Young gouda is mild, creamy, and close to neutral. Aged gouda develops a deeper caramel and nutty flavor with more tang, and it is a genuinely good choice if you want a bolder build that still reads as balanced. Very aged versions can turn too assertive next to heavily seasoned meat, so I stop at the middle-aged stage.
Gouda is also easy to source, which matters when the sandwich is the point rather than the cheese hunt.
6. Edam for a Reuben
Edam is the quiet workhorse of the list. It is a semi-hard cheese with a mild, slightly nutty flavor, a clean melt, and enough salt of its own to stand on its own. It is a popular pick on plant-based pastrami builds, where there is no corned beef to carry the sandwich.
The flavor is mild enough that nobody will argue with it, which is exactly why it works for picky eaters and for a meatless version. The trade-off is that it is not exciting. It is a safe, tidy substitute rather than a destination.
Slice it thin, since edam is firm enough to stay a distinct layer, and melt it until the edges just soften. Past that point it dries out.
7. Muenster for a Reuben
Muenster is the closest non-Swiss match for the specific complaint that anti-Swiss readers usually have. It is mild, soft, quick to melt, and it has a gentle tang that reads as Swiss-adjacent without the rubbery chew.
This is the cheese I recommend to someone who says they do not like the texture of grilled Swiss more than they dislike the flavor. Muenster turns creamy almost immediately, and a thin slice disappears into the sandwich rather than sitting in it.
Its slightly fermented aroma is the one thing people notice. If that bothers a finicky eater, young gouda is the gentler alternative, but for most people the tang is a bonus rather than a problem.
8. Monterey Jack for a Reuben
Monterey Jack has the best melt of any cheese on this list. It turns soft, then liquid, then creamy with almost no resistance, which makes it the safest choice for a first attempt at a Reuben.
It also has almost no flavor of its own, which is exactly what you want if the goal is to taste corned beef. Pepper jack is the same cheese with a cracked-pepper addition, and it is my pick when I want a non-Swiss option with a bit of edge. The pepper is mild enough not to compete with the sauerkraut.
Low-fat Monterey Jack exists and it is not worth it here. Use the full-fat version, or the melt will be thin and the sandwich will taste lean.
9. Colby for a Reuben
Colby is mild, faintly sweet, and one of the smoothest melting cheeses available. It sits in the middle of the sharpness spectrum, closer to mozzarella than to aged cheddar, and it does not fight the sauerkraut or the dressing.
That restraint is the point and also the limitation. Colby is an excellent choice for a sandwich meant to be shared with someone cautious, and a poor choice if you want the cheese layer to be noticed. If the corned beef is heavily seasoned, a cheese with some character, like sharp cheddar or fontina, is a better balance.
Melt it slowly. Colby goes from soft to rubbery quickly once the water leaves.
10. Fontina for a Reuben
Fontina is where a Reuben gets a little decadent. The flavor is earthy and nutty, the melt is rich and glossy, and the texture turns almost sauce-like under heat, which spreads across the bread instead of pooling in a layer.
It is a strong pairing with pastrami, where the two deep flavors can carry each other, and with a slightly sharp dressing rather than a mild one. It is a weaker pairing with very lightly seasoned meat, where the cheese can taste like the loudest thing in the sandwich.
Fontina melts fast, so give it less time than cheddar and keep it away from the panini press edge, where direct heat can scorch it before the middle softens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheese for a Reuben if I don’t like Swiss?
Sharp cheddar is the most versatile starting choice because it melts well and adds bold flavor. Muenster is a milder option with gentle tang and a texture much closer to Swiss, while gouda or provolone gives the sandwich a softer, nuttier layer that stays out of the way. Choose based on how much flavor you want in the cheese rather than how much you dislike Swiss.
Can I use cheddar instead of Swiss on a Reuben?
Yes. Sharp cheddar is one of the easiest alternatives because its savory flavor pairs well with corned beef and its melt turns creamy on warm rye. Use a modest amount, two thin slices or a small handful of grated, so the cheese does not overwhelm the meat. Medium heat with a lid keeps it from separating and going oily.
What cheese melts best on a Reuben sandwich?
Provolone, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby, and edam generally melt smoothly and evenly. Sharp cheddar and fontina also work well but benefit from lower heat because they can become oily or tough. Whatever you choose, the cheese should be melted rather than merely warmed, and pressed against the hot pan briefly so the edges soften without drying out.
Which non-Swiss cheese has a mild flavor similar to Swiss?
Muenster is usually the closest match for readers who dislike Swiss but still want a mild tang and soft, creamy texture. Mozzarella and Monterey Jack are even milder, while provolone offers a slightly sharper, cleaner note without the rubbery bite. Gouda sits in between, adding a faint sweetness and buttery body.
Should I use sliced or shredded cheese on a Reuben?
Sliced is the traditional choice and it keeps the layer even, but grated cheese melts faster and covers more surface area on a griddle. Shred your own if you can, since pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that affect the melt. Two thin slices is the usual amount; more cheese overwhelms the corned beef and softens the bread.
Conclusion
Start with sharp cheddar if you want the cheese to have presence, gouda if you want a balanced everyday build that everyone will accept, and muenster if the real problem is the rubbery bite of grilled Swiss. Provolone and Monterey Jack are the safe middle ground, and fontina is the one to reach for when you want the sandwich to feel like an occasion.
Whichever you pick, melt it properly, keep it to two thin slices, and let the corned beef and sauerkraut stay in charge. The best cheese for a Reuben if you don’t love Swiss is simply the one that melts cleanly and knows its place.