Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day!

We're interrupting our scheduled "Reading Week" to remind you to keep an eye out in the upcoming ads for your St. Patty's day meal ingredients. For many St. Patrick's days as a kid, I remember my mom making corned beef and cabbage. While there is some controversy about just how traditionally Irish the dish is, there is no doubt that the dish has definitely become associated with Ireland and March 17th. Although I'm not Irish (save for a couple of distant ancestors), I do have a special place in my heart for Ireland (come back around St. Patty's day to hear why)!

If you're thinking about making a fun and Irish-inspired dish, you can try this recipe my mom used--with my addition of the "perfect pint"!

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage 
Ingredients:

- 3-4lbs corned beef brisket*

 - 6 potatoes (peeled & quartered)

 - 4-6 medium carrots (peeled & cut into 3-4 pieces)

 - 1 medium onion (cut into 4-8 wedges)

 - 1 head cabbage (cut into 6-8 wedges)

 - 1 (12oz) bottle of Guinness

 - 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

 - 1 bay leaf

 - 2 T brown sugar + dash of cloves mixed on meat

Directions:
 - lightly coat the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray
 - wash, peel, and cut vegetables
 - place potatoes, onion, and carrots into crock pot
 - rinse meat and rub brown sugar & clove mixture onto meat
 - place meat in crock pot on top of vegetables
 - add garlic and bay leaf
 - pour bottle of Guinness over all ingredients (if you prefer to not use the Guinness, you can substitute for 1-1.5C water)

 - cook on low 8-10 hours (or until meat is fork tender)

 - 30 minutes - 1 hour before cooking time ends, add cabbage wedges

 - continue cooking until meat is done and cabbage is "crisp tender"

 - remove bay leaf before serving

Not only should the taste be good, but it's so easy to do! You can put this on before work, and have a fun St. Patrick's Day dinner (almost) all ready to go when you get home!

*Smart & Final will have First Street Corned Beef Brisket on sale @ $2.59 PER LB next week.

Are YOU planning making anything fun for St. Patrick's Day?