Corned Beef Hash

I don't know about you, but I always find myself with leftover corned beef after Saint Patrick's Day.  I had originally planned on making Reuben sandwiches with the leftovers, but I'm in a breakfast for dinner kind of mood.  Try using your leftover corned beef in this delicious hash with some parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a splash (or two) of Jameson and topping it with a sunny-side up egg.  Yum!

Reuben Sandwiches with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Is it really the middle of March already?!  With Saint Patrick's Day not very far away, I decided to whip up one of my favorite hot sandwiches for dinner, the Reuben sandwich.  Prepare your taste buds for a ride... there are so many wonderful flavors packed into this little sandwich!  

Reuben Wraps

Do you have corned beef and cabbage leftover from Saint Patrick's Day?  Last year, I utilized the leftovers to make rosemary corned beef and carrot pasta but this year, I decided to make Reuben wraps.  It's hard to resist the combination of creamy thousand island dressing and tangy, crunchy sauerkraut with savory corned beef and Swiss cheese.  

St. Patty's Pistachio Pudding Shots

My sister-in-law, Beth, recently introduced me to pudding shots.  I loved the concept and immediately knew that I would be making them for Saint Patrick's Day.  I decided to use pistachio pudding because it is obviously green but also because it has a nice almost minty flavor to it.  These are so tasty -- it's hard to have just one!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Reuben Potato Skins

This isn't a recipe as much as it is an idea for your leftover corned beef.  My husband and I made these Reuben potato skins last night and they were delicious!  Have a happy and safe Saint Patrick's Day! 

Ingredients:

• Russet potatoes, the number depends on how much leftover corned beef you have
• Leftover corned beef, chopped or shredded  
• Sauerkraut 
• Swiss cheese 
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste 

Thousand Island Dressing:

• 1/4 c mayonnaise 
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 kosher dill pickle, minced

Directions:

Prepare the potato skins.  Rinse and scrub the potatoes thoroughly and pierce a few times with the tines of a fork.  Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour (sometimes I nuke them in the microwave if I'm low on time).  Remove the potatoes and allow to cool before handling.  Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each potato in half using a sharp knife.  Carefully scoop out the pulp of the potato, leaving about 1/4 inch of the pulp intact.  Brush the outside of the potato skins with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.  

Preheat the broiler.  

Evenly distribute the leftover corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on top of each potato skin.  Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.  Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup and minced pickle in a small bowl and drizzle evenly over the potatoes.  

Broil the potato skins until the cheese melts and the skins are crispy, about 5 minutes.  

Enjoy!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots

Every year around Saint Patrick's Day, I serve corned beef and cabbage to my family.  My husband and daughter enjoy the beef, carrots and potatoes the most but I find myself enjoying the cabbage more than anything because it has almost a buttery taste and soaks up all of the other flavors in the dish.  If you find that the cabbage is a little too bitter for your liking, you can add some brown sugar to the broth one tablespoon at a time, to taste.  If you are not fond of cabbage in general, you can certainly boil it separately or even omit it entirely.

Serve this with horseradish or Dijon and crusty bread.  Don't forget to use the leftovers for corned beef hash or Reuben sandwiches.

Homemade Irish Potato Candy

The actual name of this confection is two-thirds a lie.  Irish Potato Candy is neither Irish nor does it contain potato.  However, it is a traditional Philadelphia candy that is very popular around Saint Patrick's Day.  It consists of butter, cream cheese, vanilla and coconut.  This mixture is then rolled in cinnamon, which makes it look just like a miniature potato. 

Ingredients:

Yields 5 dozen
Adapted from Allrecipes

• 1/4 c salted butter, softened 
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 4 c confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2 c flaked coconut 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sugar 

Directions:
 
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese, until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla and then the confectioners' sugar a little at a time.  Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.

Stir in the coconut.  Roll the dough into small potato shapes.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.  Roll the potato candies in the cinnamon-sugar to evenly coat.

Lie the candies on parchment paper and allow to chill for 1 hour, until set.

Enjoy!

Irish Coffee

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  Here is a drink to celebrate.  To all of those who will be going out tonight, have fun but please remember to be responsible.  Cheers!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz strong-brewed coffee 
• 1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp brown sugar, or to taste 
• Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling 
• 1/3 c heavy whipping cream 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1 tbsp sugar 
• Option:  Green food coloring

Directions:

Pour the coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar into a glass or mug and stir.

Combine the heavy cream, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl.  Whisk until stiff peaks form.  Float the whipped cream on top of the coffee.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Swirl some of the green food coloring with a toothpick around in the whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Corned Beef and Carrot Pasta

One year ago:  PA Dutch Chicken Pot Pie Noodle Soup   

First of all, I wanted to say that my heart is so heavy because of what is going on in Japan.  We sit comfortably in our warm homes having dinner with our families and those we love when there are people out there tonight who are deprived of so many things and hurting in so many unimaginable ways.  My prayers go out to the people of Japan and all those affected by this tragedy.  

When I was growing up, I never once had corned beef.  It was just something that my mother never made.  My husband is mostly Irish, so I was very excited to cook it for the first time for him last year.  It turned out to be delicious and I knew that I would be making every year around Saint Patrick's Day.  Afterward, there were just enough leftovers to make Reuben sandwiches.  Well, it's Saint Patrick's Day in a few days, so I slow cooked the corned beef and cabbage.  YUM!  Once again, I found myself with leftovers.  This time, I wanted to use the corned beef in a warm pasta dish, so I sauteed it with some vegetables and rosemary and tossed it in with pasta.  This is fast, tasty and a perfect way to use up the last bit of that corned beef. You can saute any vegetables you like in this, so use up whatever you have in the fridge.

What are some of the dishes or drinks you will be making for Saint Patrick's Day?    


Ingredients:
Printable Recipe

• Leftover corned beef, cubed (I had about 1/2 lb leftover)
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, removed from stem
• 1/4 c shredded cheese (I used a combo of Asiago, Parmesan and Romano)
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• (Optional) 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 oz pasta

Directions


Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, until al dente.  

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and carrots and saute until crisp tender.  Add the corned beef and rosemary, cooking until the corned beef is heated through.  Stir in the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted.  

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and stir it into the corned beef mixture.  Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. 

Enjoy!