Crockpot Corned Beef and Veggies

Anyone else in disbelief that it’s MARCH already? No? Just me then, huh? Okay. Well, it IS March and that means all sorts of things here. Spring, which means Spring Break, Daylight Savings Time (March 12th this year) and St. Patrick’s Day! I decided to try out the traditional Corned Beef, but in the Crockpot! Why have I never done this before? It turned out fork tender and was the easiest thing ever! It’s a hearty, comforting dish the whole family thoroughly enjoyed. All contained in my trusty slow cooker.

This recipe is really simple and easy to customize, especially if you’re feeding a large crowd. St. Patty’s Day is on a Friday this year so maybe you’re throwing a party. 😉 First in the Crockpot goes 2-4 cups of carrots (I used baby carrots) and roughly chopped onion. I bought a 3.5 pound corned beef for my family of four and it fed us for days! Place that on the carrots and set the spice mix (included with the meat) aside. Next, pour in 4 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of beer (use an extra cup of broth if you don’t wish to add any beer,) sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of peppercorns (or 1/2 tablespoon of ground black pepper,) 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic or lots of garlic cloves, and the spice mix from the corned beef package.

This is a dish that only gets better the longer you cook it so plan on 9-12 hours, depending on the size of the brisket. I started mine at 8am and let it cook on low for 8 hours. At 4 pm I added half a head of cabbage and about 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes. Like I said, easily customizable! You can add the veggies you love and as for the amount, well as long as they fit in your slow cooker, you’re good to go! The potatoes and cabbage should be as submerged in the cooking liquid as possible.

Another 2 hours on low and at 6pm, dinner was served! The corned beef was fork tender and the veggies were cooked to perfection.

We had so much leftovers, I was able to try corned beef hash for breakfast the next morning. I don’t know why I thought I didn’t like Corned Beef! Maybe it was the mere thought of cabbage as a kid. This recipe has totally redeemed this dish for me and I will be putting it on the menu way more often! Especially this St. Patrick’s Day!

Enjoy!