Saint Patrick's Day Leftovers

Ok-so we all like to be Irish for the day cooking giant slabs of corned beef, heads of cabbage and bags of potatoes. Unless you have an army to feed, you will likely have leftovers. My husband and I only put a small dent in our corned beef, so we have some serious work to do to clear out that fridge. While I am certainly capable of eating the same exact dinner, the ingredients of these leftovers lend themselves to some creative leftovers.


Last night to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, my husband and I indulged in Corned Beef Sandwiches on Rye. This was a simple and perfect use for all of the corned beef but what about all of the vegetables. I don't know about you but I may have overdone it with amount of carrots and potatoes I added to my crock pot corned beef and cabbage. Therefore, I have a large bowl of carrots and potatoes sitting in the fridge waiting for their sad road to the trashcan. Instead of just letting these fine, nutritious ingredients go to waste, why not make soup? Soup is easy to freeze, and carrots and potatoes are perfectly tasty ingredients for any soup. The vegetables are already seasoned and flavored from the corned beef, so a little food processor action and you have some soup for a rainy day. For those last bits of corned beef and cabbage leftovers, I say let's do brunch! Try a good old corned beef hash using the beef, potatoes and cabbage. Let's get right to it with Corned Beef on Rye.


Lizzy M.'s Corned Beef, Guinness Onions and Swiss on Rye

Extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia, yellow or white onion, cut in half once and then thinly sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Course ground mustard (Dijon will work fine too.)
1/2 bottle of Guinness
Leftover corned beef (use what you feel is needed for each sandwich)
Non-stick cooking spray
Rye bread
Swiss cheese, sliced thin (about 2 slices per sandwich)


Directions:

1. In a large saute pan, add a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium to high heat. Once heated through, add the sliced onions. Season the onions with a dash of salt and pepper and saute for about 3 minutes.


2. Next, add the mustard and Guinness to the pan and incorporate well with the onions. Saute for another 3-5 minutes.















3. Add the leftover corned beef directly to the onions. Break up the corned beef, so it is more shredded and string than the large pieces of beef. Allow the beef to cook in the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Cover the pan until you are ready to build your sandwiches.

4. On a flat top pan sprayed with some non-stick cooking spray, heat over medium to low heat. Add your slices of Rye bread for each sandwich. Once the bread is warm and toasty on each side, then add the Swiss cheese on one side.


5. With tongs, add as much of the corned beef and onion mixture on top of the cheese and Rye as you like. Close the sandwich with the other slice of Rye and allow for the cheese to melt over low heat for about 5 minutes. If you feel like you will bring the bottom of the sandwich waiting for the cheese to melt, then you can always pop it in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.


Enjoy these creative leftovers with a pickle and some Cole slaw or a simple salad.


Lizzy M.'s St. Paddy's Carrot and Potato Soup

Leftover over carrots and potatoes
1-2 cups milk
3-4 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt


Directions:

1. Take the leftover carrots and potatoes (if there are onions in there too, then keep them) and pour into a large food processor. Process until smooth.


2. In a large pot, heat over medium to low heat. Once simmering, add the milk and sour cream/yogurt and stir until well incorporated. Depending upon how much leftovers you have, will determine how much milk and sour cream/yogurt you will need. Use as much as you like until you reach the desired consistency.


Serve this soup alongside a salad and some crusty bread on a rainy spring evening or even for lunch. Also, you can freeze this soup to use for a later date. You can also just process the vegetables until smooth and freeze right away. When you are ready to eat the soup, just warm and add the milk and sour cream/yogurt.


Lizzy M.'s Corned Beef and Cabbage Hash with Eggs

Extra virgin olive oil
Leftover corned beef, roughly chopped
Leftover potatoes, roughly chopped (1 potato per person)
Non-stick cooking spray
Leftover cabbage, roughly chopped
Eggs (1 per person)


Directions:

1. In a large non-stick pan or skillet, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium to high heat. Add the leftover corned beef and break up while sauteing with a wooden spoon.


2. Add the potatoes to the pan and stir.


3. Next take a clean, large pan or pot and spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Turn the pan with the beef and potatoes on medium to low heat. Put the sprayed empty pot or pan on top of the corned beef and potatoes. Add a large can of tomatoes weigh down the pan or pot. This will push down the beef and potatoes making that crispy hash-like texture. Cook like this for about 5- 7 minutes or until the potatoes get golden brown and crispy on the bottom.


4. Once one side is cooked well, stir the ingredients and then add the heavy pot or pan again for another 5-7 minutes.


5. Add the chopped cabbage to the pan. Stir in well and heat through.


6. Move the hash in the pan to make room for the eggs. Add some non-stick spray if you are worried the eggs will stick. Add the eggs and a tiny dash of salt and pepper on the eggs. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with either a lid or a bit of aluminum foil. Let the eggs cook until they have reached the firmness you desire. I like my eggs sunny side up but cooked through to medium, so my eggs would probably take about 5 minutes. Adjust the time to your needs, and just use your eyes to see when the egg is done.


Serve a big portion of hash with the egg on top for a delicious weekend breakfast or brunch. This breakfast will keep you going all day long. Thank you St. Paddy's Day for giving me abundant leftovers, so I can continue to celebrate this holiday all week and weekend long. Try any of these leftover recipes to clear out your fridge. You should always try to use leftovers instead of wasting them. It is good for your budget and the environment to utilize the food that you make and buy. Remember you can always bring leftovers to a neighbor, especially your elderly neighbors. They would certainly be appreciative to not have to worry about cooking. So, think before you throw away.