Corned Beef & Cabbage Grilled Cheese

I’m not Irish. Or maybe I am. Who really knows. But I never give up an opportunity to celebrate a holiday. So last year, when my husband asked me to make Corned Beef and Cabbage, I was all over it. His college roommate’s family had made it for him and he dug it. So there I was, venturing into the smelly world of cabbage and beef. But I loved it SO much, that I’m never going to go a year without making it again. Thus, the tradition was born.

I think all of the recipes you find online are pretty similar. Especially if you’re looking for a slow cooker recipe (which I recommend). So I’ll give you my recipe, as I do it… but you can really pick any of them and I think it’ll turn out pretty similar: rustic, hearty, salty goodness.

So I don’t know that I’ve blogged a grilled cheese yet that actually takes all day to prepare, but it’s actually quite easy since your slow cooker does most of the work. And holy crap, is it good.

Corned Beef and Cabbage (Part I of the Recipe)
3 lbs corned beef brisket (w/ seasoning)
1 lb baby potatoes
2 stalks of celery, cut into 2″ pieces
1/2 lb baby carrots
1 onion, cut into large wedges
1 head of cabbage, cut into wedges
water

Brace yourself, this is rough.

Put your washed potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add your celery, carrots and onion. Put your corned beef and accompanying seasoning on top. Cover with water, cook on low for 6 hours.

Add your cabbage. Cook on low for another 2 hours.

[See, that wasn’t so bad. And you should probably actually have some of it on it’s own before you make the grilled cheese. I bet you’re feeling weak from all that hard work.]

Corned Beef & Cabbage Grilled Cheese… soak up some of that green beer.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Grilled Cheese with Porter Irish Cheddar (Part II of the Recipe)
corned beef and cabbage (see recipe above)
rustic bread
Irish cheddar with porter (or stout!) — mine came from Trader Joe’s
butter
coarse salt

Cut thick slices of bread and layer slices of cheese across both sides. Then top with slices of corned beef and small pieces of cabbage. (You want it to be easy to eat, so make sure to chop it up a little so it doesn’t slurp out onto your face.)

Close up the sandwich and butter the top of the bread generously. Top with a small sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Place butter-side-down in a preheated skillet (medium heat).

Using a press, compress your sandwich while it cooks. After 3-4 minuets, or until your bread is starting to brown (all stovetop temperatures are different).

At that point, butter the other side of your bread, and sprinkle with some sea salt. Flip the sandwich and compress more if needed. Cook until brown and crispy on the other side.

Remove from stovetop and let set for a minute or two before cutting (or just diving in). The cheese will be super melty.

Serve with some of those crock pot potatoes and a Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale for a ridiculously awesome St Patricky meal.