Sooo to be traditionally Irish, you’d have to be eating BACON and cabbage on this festive day…news to you? Back in the day in Ireland, bacon was one of the cheaper cuts of meat which is why it was eaten often. Once Irish immigrants came to America, they found that bacon was hard to come by at a low price, so they turned to brisket cuts of beef. Ok so history lesson out of the way; here’s your no hassle, set it and forget it recipe to bring the luck of the Irish home for dinner!

INGREDIENTS (*Note: my slow cooker is  a 6 qt…if you’re using a smaller unit, you will need to adjust your portions*)

• 1 bag of small red potatoes (24oz) washed and left whole
• 1 small head of cabbage cut in half, then into 1/2 inch slices (keep root in place)
• 1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 
• 16 oz of beef broth
• 1/2  cup water
• 1/2 cup beer (whatever kind you have, I’ve used both light and dark to wonderful results)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (can sub white wine)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 pounds corned beef with spice packet

INSTRUCTIONS

1. USE A LINER!!! You’ll thank me later!
2.  Place potatoes and cut carrots in the base of the crockpot. Layer sliced cabbage on top evenly.
3. Add broth, water, cider vinegar, minced garlic, bay leaf, sugar, and black pepper on top of vegetables.
4. Add the corned beef, fattier side up on top of cabbage slices. Rub the spice packet into the top of the meat.
5. Cook on low for 9 hours….don’t cheat by cooking on high for less time, this baby benefits from low and slow.
6. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Ok so I just set mine up, so let’s all check back in here in 9 hours so the boiled dinner feast can begin!!!

Ok so how did everyone’s turn out?? Mine was a raging success, proven by the extreme lack of leftovers! Wishing you all a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

*Note: if you are using a smaller than 6 qt crock pot, the amount of food and liquids will likely be too much for the smaller space! You can choose to boil your carrots, potatoes, and cabbage separately on the stove top. I did this additionally so we would have EXTRA potatoes and carrots. Add a box of beef broth (32oz) to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add your vegetables and boil (covered) for as long as it takes to cook through. Potatoes will like take longer, mine took about 25 minutes on high heat.