Who said you can’t have corned beef & cabbage any time you want? And my way, Kelly’s Corned Beef & Cabbage, just made a corned beef lover out of my hubby! He always swore he hated it, until I finally talked him into it.

He loved it so much, that he had some of the leftovers for breakfast!

I think it’s partially due to the way I enjoy making it. I don’t make it the traditional way of just slicing the corned beef and serving it with boiled cabbage and red potatoes.

That’s just too boring for me!

I like to make mine by adding my cooked corned beef to a pot of specially seasoned cabbage, sweet baby carrots, and onions in a rich gravy, and then ladling the whole mess over homemade mashed potatoes!

It’s just so much more flavorful this way! It also helps to make, and keep, the corned beef juicy and tender, rather than tough, stringy and dry like most that I’ve had!

I SO wish that you could smell this! My whole entire house always smells amazing when I make this, and never like stinky ol’ cabbage – – just plain wonderful!!

The only trick to this, is to not have too much liquid when you go to thicken the broth into a gravy, or you’ll be using a whole box of cornstarch!

I simply ladle most of it into a glass measuring pitcher to save it for another use (or to have in case I need to add some back in) before thickening, and it works beautifully.

Plus, you can always then cool and freeze that heavenly broth for a pot of soup or to cook noodles in later!

You can use it straight up, or freeze into small jars and use just some mixed with chicken or beef broth!

I don’t do anything fancy to this, as I most enjoy it kept simple and pure. But I do add a teaspoon of whole caraway seeds to the pot, and that really makes the flavor extra special!!

The cabbage never turns out bitter, either.

I add just a little dark brown sugar and some butter when cooking the vegetables, and along with the baby carrots, it adds just enough sugar that it’s not sweet, but takes away any bitterness.

And when this pot of deliciousness is ladled over my Best Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes…believe me. It’s better than a pot ‘o gold!

Everything blends together so beautifully, that you literally have to tell yourself to slow down and not INHALE the whole plate at warp speed!

Buttered rye bread or rolls, or toasted bread goes wonderfully on the side for sopping any extra gravy, too!!

So if you’re looking for a DELICIOUS Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe, that’s a little different, and a little better than the rest, the luck o’ the Irish is smilin’ down on you today, and that is GOOD luck, not bad!

Ok, I’m Scotch-Irish mostly, and this dish isn’t even traditionally Irish…but it’s fun and delicious anyway!

So, just enjoy this hearty fall and winter meal ANY time of year! No need to wait until March to enjoy! (I hate “food rules”, they’re so silly!)

Sláinte! And have a wonderful day!

Kelly's Corned Beef & Cabbage

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Ingredients

Pot One:

• 1 (4 lb.) corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
• water to cover

Pot Two:

• one cup broth from brisket pot
• 4 Tbl. butter, cut up
• 2 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1 Tbl. dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. whole caraway seeds
• 1 tsp. regular salt (to start, may need more later)
• 1/2 tsp. regular black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 large onion, chopped into large bite-sized pieces
• 1 (12 oz.) bag sweet baby carrots
• 1 small head cabbage, outer leaves & core removed, chopped into chunky pieces (about 2" x 3")
• water to just BARELY cover after pressing down
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream*
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup cornstarch*
• my Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes (double or triple batch)
• buttered rye bread, optional, on the side for sopping

Instructions

Pot One: Place corned beef brisket (rinsed with cold water if packed in gel), into medium stock pot. Sprinkle with seasoning packet. Add water to cover by at least 2 inches. Place on lid, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until tender. Remove pot from heat and set aside with lid tilted.

In Pot Two:

Add one cup of broth from pot one into pot two. (Any more and it might end up greasy.) Add rest of ingredients up to, and including cabbage. Add water to cover. But add slowly, pressing down to compact. Cabbage with release water as it cooks and you don't want to end up with too much liquid for best flavor later. Tuck in bay leaf, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir, press veggies back down into water submerging, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes until tender.

While veggies are simmering, remove brisket to a cutting board. Slice into narrow strips against the grain, slice strips into bite-sized chunks, and toss into a bowl. Ladle a little broth over the top to keep moist, cover, and set aside.

When veggies are done, check pot for how much liquid is in there. You don't want too much or you'll never be able to thicken it. If it looks like a loose, watered down soup, you've got WAY too much liquid. Simply just ladle it out until there's just enough that you can thicken and have it be mostly veggies in a gravy to coat when we thicken, if that makes sense. (*Ladle the broth into a glass measuring cup, though, and reserve just in case you make it too thick. You can always add some back in. *I do ladle out most of the liquid, though.)

To Thicken: In glass or measuring pitcher, stir together heavy cream and cornstarch until well mixed. Add to simmering pot, stir, and cook at a low simmer for 1 - 2 minutes until thickened to a gravy. Season with more salt and pepper as needed to taste. *Only add as much as you need to thicken. This depends on how much liquid you have in the pot.

Serve ladled over my Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes, with buttered rye bread on the side for sopping. Enjoy!

Notes

*After reheating the next day, if it's too thick, add a splash or two of milk and more salt & pepper. If too thin, bring just to a simmer and add another slurry of milk & cornstarch and preseason. But don't adjust either way until it's fully reheated! It will thin out after it's hot again.