30 Minute Saint Patrick's Day Dinner

I'm on my way home when it occurs to me that we hadn't discussed anything for dinner tonight--St. Paddy's Day! Why not surprise my wife and bring home the fixings for a dinner to celebrate the holiday? A quick up and down the aisles and I had the ingredients.


1 pound of good quality sliced corned beef for sandwiches (found in your deli)
1 head of cabbage, cut into wedges
6 small red potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks
3 slices of bacon
butter
salt and pepper

Fill a pot with water up to the bottom of a steamer and turn on high. When water is boiling place cabbage wedges into the bottom of the steamer. Sprinkle with salt. In another pot place potato chunks and boil until cooked. Slice the bacon thinly and sprinkle onto a baking sheet. Cook in a preheated 375 degree oven until browned and crisp. When the bacon is done, set aside saving drippings.

When the cabbage wedges are nearly cooked through, place the slices of corned beef over the top of the cabbage and allow the contents to steam until the cabbage is done.

Drain the potatoes, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Plate up the cabbage wedges, top with butter, salt and pepper. Arrange boiled potatoes on plate. Salt, pepper and butter to taste. Add a portion of corned beef. Sprinkle bacon over the cabbage and potatoes. Serve immediately.

All that activity took me almost exactly 30 minutes. Whew! Oh, and what did I do with the bacon grease? Well, I decided to do nothing, but you could pour it over the cabbage and potatoes. You could also roast the cabbage wedges in the drippings instead of steaming them. It is a yummy alternative but one that would, of course, add lots of extra calories and fat to the meal. It would also add to the preparation time.

I found the use of good quality pre-cooked corned beef not only saved a lot of time but it was also far less salty than the boiled corned beef briskets I usually purchase and boil for an hour or more. Plus I only bought enough for what I needed instead of a 3-4 pound brisket that is way more beef than I need.
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