(yes, this is a day early, but it’s to motivate you to go out tonight and buy your supplies so you can make this amazing meal tomorrow)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Many of us will pretend to have some Irish heritage this week and join in celebrations across the country. Whether you attend a parade or just go to work with a “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” button, you can have a festive tradition meal ready by the time you come home.
I did a little research online and found out that “corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal enjoyed by many on St. Patrick’s Day, but only half of it is truly Irish. Cabbage has long been a staple of the Irish diet, but it was traditionally served with Irish bacon, not corned beef. The corned beef was substituted for bacon by Irish immigrants to the Americas around the turn of the century who could not afford the real thing. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.” ( from www.religionfacts.com)
However it became traditional, this is one of my favorite spring meals. Also, if you have leftover corned beef, try making corned beef hash and poached eggs this weekend for a second great meal from this easy crock pot recipe.
1 2-3 lb. corned beef
1/2 head cabbage, wedged
1 onion, wedged
4 red potatoes, quartered
1 c. baby carrots
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. celery seed
salt and pepper
Place potatoes, carrots and onion in bottom of crock pot. If you have a trivet, you can use that to make it easier to lift the corned beef out when it is done cooking. Sprinkle seasonings on meat. Lay corned beef on veggies. Add about 1/2 c. water. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Add cabbage on top of meat and cook for another hour.
Enjoy your festivities (responsibly please)! 🙂
I made my own version today in the CrockPot! Yay for St. Patty’s Day!