Corned Beef Two Ways - Soup and Sandwich

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   Twice a year (New Year's and St. Pat's Day) we religiously buy a corned beef brisket and try to follow tradition. However, sometimes you just have to step outside of the box and try something new. So that's what we did recently, I cooked the corned beef and then made two different meals out of it. 

   By slicing the beef in half I was able to make a corned beef and cabbage soup for one meal. (It's great with a grilled cheese sandwich.) For the other meal, I had plenty of meat to slice for Reuben sandwiches, all out of one pot of cooked meat. 
   I really like being able to cook something and get multiple meals to use throughout the week. This isn't difficult, the meat slices easily and the flavor is nice and mellow.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
1 corned beef brisket and spices
8-10 baby carrots (or 2 whole cut in chunks)
1/2 small onion, diced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup beer
3 cups water
1 T. parsley
2 bay leaves

add later -
1/2 small cabbage, sliced into thin strips
1 potato, cubed
sprinkle of Kosher salt and black pepper

Place carrots, peppers, garlic and onion in bottom of slow cooker. Top with corned beef brisket. Sprinkle meat with seasoning packet that comes with it. Pour in beer and water around meat to almost cover meat. Add bay leaves and parsley. Cook on high 4-5 hours.

Remove brisket and let cool. Cut meat in half. Save half in refrigerator for Reuben sandwiches later in the week. Slice remaining brisket into thin 1-inch strips and return to slowcooker. Add potatoes and cabbage to slowcooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then stir to mix well and cook for 1 hour more. Serves 4-6.

Reuben Sandwiches
1/2 corned beef brisket, cooked as directed above
slices of light Rye bread
slices of Swiss cheese
Thousand Island dressing
1/2 can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

A corned beef sandwich from Katz's Delicatessen, New York, New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After cooking corned beef chill meat for a few hours. Slice into thin strips. Heat slightly in microwave (45 seconds). 

Build sandwiches by spreading salad dressing on bread, adding a layer of beef, then sauerkraut and topping with cheese. 

Warm in 350 oven for about 5 minutes to melt cheese and crisp bread. Makes 3-4 sandwiches.

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