Corned Beef Recipe Ideas for Saint Patrick's Day - Low Carb

I haven't decided yet what I'm going to make for St. Patrick's Day. I'm not a huge fan of corned beef, but I don't mind having it once in awhile. Are you one of those folks that loves corned beef or one who can't stand it? Or, maybe you're like me, and can take it or leave it, but enjoy it on occasion in small doses. Regardless of what side of the corned beef fence you are on, I decided to go back through the years to see some of the various ways I have prepared it for St. Patrick's Day.

One of the easiest ways I like to use corned beef is to make a simple "sandwich" using quality deli-style corned beef (like Boars Head). I get it sliced thinly and also pick up some thinly sliced Swiss cheese, and add some Bubbie's sauerkraut  (which also adds a healthy dose of fermented food) to make a low carb version of a reuben sandwich. I like using my grain free quesadillas for these. In order to keep it super simple, you can make them as roll-ups without any bread. I like to use my grain free quesadillas to make "Reuben-dillas". You can check these out here:  Reuben-dillas

Or...if you are looking for a more traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage, check out this recipe that I did in my crock pot (I cooked the cabbage separately on the stove). You can find the easy recipe for it here:  Corned Beef & Cabbage

And lastly...if you are looking for a way to use up extra corned beef or just want something a bit different and non-traditional, you might like this Brussels Sprouts & Corned Beef Hash Topped w/ a Poached Egg. Check out my easy directions here:  Brussels Sprouts & Corned Beef Hash
Enjoy!

       

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan - Easy Low Carb

This evening we had Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan that I served over my Rich Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. It turned out great. I actually cooked it overnight last night in my smaller 4-quart crock pot and then dumped it into a casserole dish this morning and let it cool off a bit before popping it in the fridge so I could reheat it when I got home this evening. When I got home, I placed my casserole dish into the microwave and heated it for about 10 minutes until it was hot. While that was heating, I made my Rich Parmesan Cauliflower Mash to serve the Chicken Parmesan over (I first made a well in the center and then filled it). After the Chicken Parmesan was heated through, I topped it with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and then ran it under the broiler for a few minutes until browned and bubbly. Of course, if you were cooking this in the crock pot during the day, you would simply transfer it to a casserole, top it with the mozzarella and run it under the broiler with no reheating necessary. I snapped a few photos and included the easy peasy recipe below. Enjoy!

Parmesan stirred in and waiting to be topped with mozzarella

Ready to run under the broiler until bubbly

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 diced bell pepper
2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 cups pasta sauce (I used DelGrosso's Fireworks Sauce)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (or substitute regular mozzarella)

Directions:

Place diced bell pepper in bottom of crock pot. Top with chicken breast and pour pasta sauce on top. Cover crock pot and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours (I like to cook it on high for the first hour and then reduce to low). When done cooking, stir in Parmesan cheese and transfer to a shallow casserole dish.

Preheat broiler. Top with sliced mozzarella and broil until lightly browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Serve over zoodles or cauliflower mash, if desired.

            

Corned Beef & Cabbage - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had corned beef and cabbage for dinner this evening. I actually placed my corned beef brisket in my crock pot last night around 6:00 p.m. and cooked it until 6:00 a.m. this morning. I removed the brisket to a platter so it could cool off and removed the vegetables (carrots and red potatoes) to a separate bowl to cool and then kept the broth separate (I cooked the cabbage separately). Corned beef slices so beautifully when cold and then you can either reheat it lightly in a little water or some of the cooking juices.

When I started cooking it yesterday, I cut up 3 carrots and 4 small red potatoes (the potatoes were for hubby) and placed them in the bottom of my crock pot and then placed the brisket on top and sprinkled on the seasoning and added about 2 cups of water and covered it and let it cook on high for the first couple of hours and then on low for about 10 more hours overnight. I cooked the cabbage separately this evening and simply quartered a small head of savoy cabbage and cooked it in about an inch or so of water for about 15 minutes so it didn't become water logged. Generally speaking, I am not a big corned beef fan; I can take it or leave it, but I used to make it regularly when my kids were younger every year for St. Patrick's Day. Hubby likes it, so I decided to make one this year. I bought one that was too big though so I will probably freeze some or use it for other things. I tend to frequently still cook as if I have a full house sometimes. I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

      

Easy Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken - Low Carb

This evening we had Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken for dinner. It was so simple to make. I actually placed it in my crock pot last night and cooked it overnight and then allowed it to cool off and popped it in the fridge before going to work this morning. I simply reheated it for dinner this evening. The chicken was melt in your mouth tender. I used boneless skinless thighs but you could substitute boneless breasts if you prefer. You could also use bone-in chicken pieces. There are only 5 ingredients in this quick and easy meal. It is tender, moist and flavorful. It would be great served over zoodles but is also good served as is in shallow bowls topped with a bit of grated cheese and fresh parsley. I find the sun-dried tomato pesto in my local grocery store. I really liked Mezzetta's, but there are other good brands, too. I use oven roasted tomatoes packed in oil that I find at Costco; I like using those instead of canned tomatoes because they don't make the dish so juicy and are more concentrated in flavor. You could easily substitute sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil instead if preferred, but I'd reduce the amount by about half since they are more intense in flavor. I snapped a few photos below as well as included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

It's as easy as layering the ingredients in the crock pot like this

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or boneless chicken breasts)
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
2 to 3 tablespoons capers
1 cup drained quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water or oil)
1/3 cup oven roasted tomatoes packed in oil (or 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes)
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Place chicken in bottom of a 5 to 6 quart crock pot. Spoon and spread pesto over top of chicken. Add capers, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Season with red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 

      

Simple Slow Cooker Pot Roast - Easy Low Carb

This evening we had the easiest Slow Cooker Pot Roast for dinner. I had intended to place a small 2-pound boneless chuck roast in my crock pot before going to work today...but got in a hurry and forgot to. So, rather than cook it all day long on low, I placed the roast in my crock pot at lunch time and cooked it for about 5 hours on high instead. 

I sliced a couple of carrots and half of a small onion and placed them in the bottom of my crock pot. I placed the roast on top of the carrots and onions, seasoned with salt and pepper, then topped the roast with about 1 cup of leftover pasta sauce (Del Grosso's Fireworks sauce) that I had leftover in the fridge. I added a bit of torn fresh flat leaf parsley and then covered it cooked on high for about 5 hours until I got home. It was cooked to perfection and the pasta sauce kept it very moist. I served the pot roast with the carrots and fresh brussels sprouts that I lightly steamed first, then browned in butter with some sliced hickory smoked mini beef sausages. It was a very simple meal to put together and perfect for this very cold winter night. I snapped a couple photos below. Enjoy!

Ready to begin slow cooking

Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Ribs - Easy Low Carb Comfort Food

We spent a tiring afternoon shopping today. We are slowly but surely getting there. I so love my crock pot(s). I have several different sizes. Before leaving the house today I put boneless beef short ribs in my crock pot to cook while we were shopping. I knew I wouldn't feel like doing any cooking when we got home and that most restaurants would also be packed with weary shoppers. When I have time, I prefer to brown the ribs quickly on both sides before placing in the crock pot, but I skipped that step today and placed them in there without doing that. They turned out great without browning ahead of time.

The only dinner preparation I had to do this evening was quickly saute some red cabbage that I sliced (I stir-fried it in my wok in a little coconut oil). I tossed it in a little butter and seasoned with salt and pepper before serving. It only takes about 5 or 6 minutes to become crisp-tender. While the cabbage cooked, I steamed some fresh broccoli florets in my microwave for about 4 minutes, and "Voila"...dinner was ready in about 15 minutes. Not just any old dinner either, but Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Short Ribs! They are so easy to make and I love the combination of flavors...they're slightly sweet, spicy and tangy. I already had some Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits already made that I added to our plates. We were eating a fantastic "comfort food" meal in no time at all. I love using my slow cooker/crock pot; especially when time is tight in the evenings. I snapped a quick photo of our dinner below. The recipe for the short ribs is here: Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Short Ribs.  Enjoy!

 

        

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - Low Carb Comfort Food

This evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner of Chicken Cacciatore that cooked all afternoon long in my smaller crock pot. I had intended to place it in my crock pot before heading to work this morning but forgot; so I placed it in the crock pot when I came home for lunch. It was so very simple to put together and so very good. I had every intention of serving the cacciatore over top of some zucchini noodles...but changed my mind and decided to serve it "as is" in shallow bowls...it was like a "cacciatore stew." 

When I came home for lunch this afternoon, I quickly sliced half of an onion, half of a green pepper and some of the marinated red piquillo peppers I had in the fridge (otherwise I would have also sliced up half of a fresh red bell pepper). I lightly sauteed the green bell pepper and onion while I placed 4 big boneless and skinless chicken thighs in the bottom of my crock pot. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and then spread 1/2 of a jar of Mezzetta's Artichoke Parmesan Marinara on top of the chicken. It's a nice super thick and chunky sauce filled with lots of diced artichokes. I layered the sauteed peppers and onions on top of the sauce layer, then covered it and set it on high to cook for about 5 hours. If I had started it in the morning, I would have cooked it on low for about 8 to 9 hours.

The chicken literally melted in your mouth yet stayed intact in nice pieces to serve and required only a fork to cut and eat. We topped it with shredded Parmesan cheese and enjoyed it "stew style." It was the perfect meal to warm us up on this frosty Georgia night. The evening news said that it was actually colder here this morning in Georgia than it was in Alaska. It was 25 degrees this morning and didn't get out of the low 40s. It was cold enough for me to wear my new snow boarding gloves while driving to work. LOL I snapped a few quick photos of my easy peasy meal this evening. It was so simple and basic but tasted amazing. We are getting read to watch a movie this evening (The Fault In Our Stars) and enjoy a cup of coffee and a piece of Chocolate Pecan Pie. There is nowhere else I would rather be on this cold Friday night than here at home with hubby and our bichon Spike and sun conure Squawkie. Enjoy!

   

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Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Short Ribs w/ Ancho-Cranberry Au Jus

Last night I put some beautiful boneless beef chuck short ribs in my crock pot before going to sleep. It was after midnight when I put them on to cook because I forgot to do it earlier as planned. I cooked them on low overnight and all day long today so they were super tender and moist. Honestly, this particular cut of beef I buy from Costco is some of the best I've had. I try to choose ribs that are very meaty and not too fatty. They turn out delicious every single time. I used my basic recipe for Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Short Ribs and then added cranberries and a bit more sweetener to change them up a bit and because I just absolutely love cranberries!

One of the seasonings used in the sauce is ground ancho chile powder. I also added a bit of chili-garlic sauce as well for a little extra kick. I don't make them super spicy but there is a spicy undertone that I balance with a little Swerve sweetener. As I was opening and closing the fridge the big bowl of washed fresh cranberries on the top shelf caught my eye. I wondered how adding some cranberries to the crock pot might add some extra zing to the sweet and spicy flavored juices. I decided there was only one way to find out and that was to go for it. I bumped up my sweetener by a couple tablespoons to balance the tartness of the cranberries and whisked it into the sauce before pouring it over the ribs. I measured out a rounded cup of cranberries and scattered them on top of the ribs before covering the crock pot. Then...I did a little happy dance. If this turned out good, it would be yet ANOTHER way to enjoy my beloved cranberries. 

Other than adding a little more sweetener to balance the tartness and bring out the cranberry flavor, the only thing I did differently was to boil down the juices on the stove top for about 15 minutes or so to reduce them by about 1/4. I pressed the cranberries that were floating on top to make sure they had all ruptured which incorporated them nicely into the "au jus." I added another couple tablespoons of Swerve as it was cooking down (one tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition) and then a pinch of sea salt. The ancho-cranberry au jus was absolutely delicious. The spicy-sweet-salty-tart flavor was perfectly balanced without either one of the flavors overpowering the other. They complemented each other beautifully. To go along with our short ribs, I thinly sliced half of a small head of cabbage and lightly steamed it with a couple tablespoons of water in the microwave for about 5 minutes just until wilted but still bright green. I drained it and tossed it in a skillet with some butter on medium-high heat for a few minutes and then seasoned it with a bit of sea salt. It was that simple! Did I mention that I also served our meal with a dollop of fresh cranberry sauce on the side? I mean, who says cranberry sauce is just for turkey? I could eat it morning, noon and night! This meal was amazingly simple and amazingly delicious. I am so glad I tossed those cranberries into the crock pot last night. If you love cranberries like I do...try it, you'll like it! Enjoy!

P.S. - New dessert recipe alert for tomorrow! You are going to love this one...stay tuned!!!

Beef Paprikash Stew - Slow Cooker Style

This evening we had Slow Cooker Beef Paprikash Stew for dinner. It was so easy to make and such a nice hearty, meaty stew that contained all the flavors of beef paprikash. I didn't brown my beef ahead of time, I just mixed everything together (except for the sour cream) in the crock pot and cooked it for about 12 hours. I stirred the sour cream in shortly before serving and then tasted the stew to adjust the seasoning. I served the stew with my Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits. I popped the biscuits back into a low heat oven (about 300 degrees) and turned off the heat and let them sit in the oven for about 10 minutes to get hot and toasty. They were awesome with the stew. I always love coming home to a meal cooked in my crock pot. I snapped a few photos for you to see below. The recipe for the stew is below and to get to my biscuit recipe, click on the biscuit link above. Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Beef Brisket & Broccoli Cheese Casserole (Wheat Belly Style)

We are officially more than half way through the week...Yay! This evening, we're having Slow Cooked Beef Brisket for dinner. Late last night (close to midnight), I placed a 2.25 pound beef brisket in my slow cooker to cook overnight. I sliced half of a medium onion and arranged 1/2 of the slices on the bottom of the crock pot and then placed the brisket on top. I poured about 1/2 cup of dry red wine (Pinot Noir) over the brisket and then seasoned it with sea salt, black pepper and ground ancho chile pepper (for smokiness). I placed the remaining onion slices on top, a couple of garlic cloves, a couple tablespoons of torn fresh flat leaf parsley and then scattered a little over 1 cup of fresh grape tomatoes around the brisket, covered it and cooked it overnight until noon time today. I cooled and refrigerated it when I came home for lunch and when I got home this evening, I simply dropped the crock back into the crock pot base and turned it on low and let it reheat for a couple of hours while I got some things done around the house, which included making a Broccoli Cheese Casserole from the Wheat Belly 30-Minute or Less Cookbook. It was a quick and delicious dinner since my crock pot did most of the cooking ahead of time. 

While the brisket was reheating, I decided to experiment a bit with a new chocolate dessert recipe that I'm planning to post tomorrow! I'm going to taste test it this evening before I post the recipe...but I think (and hope) it's going to be a good one! I'm excited! A couple of years ago, I made a similar type of recipe very early on in my Wheat Belly journey and was criticized and challenged so much from a "not very nice man" that it literally took me almost 2 years before I've attempted a recipe like this again! He hadn't even made it or tried it...but he tried to convince me and others that it wasn't Wheat Belly friendly...but it was (he just didn't have his facts straight). The only thing not friendly was HIM! ;-)  So, if it turns out good, I'll post it tomorrow...I'm definitely not looking for any controversy and certainly not over a recipe! I snapped a couple photos of this evening's meal below. Enjoy!

     

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs

Today was a busy day. It was bright and sunny but hot. We ran a number of errands and bought the last of our supplies for our tile installer to begin our kitchen backsplash installation early tomorrow morning. He will install the tile and seal it once tomorrow and then return Monday to do the grouting and seal it again. We had a hard time finding enough of our mosaic border but one of my sons was able to find it at a location near where he works across town so he picked it up a few days ago and brought it to us this afternoon. We are nearing the home stretch of the kitchen renovation and I am ready for it to be over. I'll just have a little painting to do after the tile work is done.

Yesterday I made Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs in the crock pot and cooked them overnight the night before. Rather than brown them in a pan on the stove before placing in the crock pot, I grilled them to brown them and give them some flavor. I refrigerated them when I came home for lunch yesterday so I just needed to reheat them for dinner this evening. For our veggie, I made a simple saute of onions, yellow summer squash, and fresh tomatoes on the stove in a large pan. I don't ever add water when I cook squash because I think it makes it squeaky when you chew it. I just saute it in a bit of olive oil and butter. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and then just topped it with shaved Parmesan cheese to melt on top before serving. I will use the leftover ribs to make shredded beef sandwiches with. I snapped a quick photo of my easy peasy dinner below. You can find the recipe here: Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Chuck Ribs. Enjoy!

     

Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs -- Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

Happy May Day! What a beautiful May Day it is, too. Our high today reached 70 degrees late in the afternoon. It is a gorgeous bright sunny day with a breeze blowing. I wish it could be like this every day of the year. To celebrate, hubby and I are going to resume our daily walking again that we had stopped for the last few months with the nasty weather and a little health scare thrown in. We are looking forward to getting back to it -- I always feel better and it's my favorite way to reduce stress. Last night, I made Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs in my slow cooker for dinner and that is what we are having again this evening since I fixed 3 pounds of them! I fell asleep last night before getting a chance to post them. Here is what I wrote about them and my description from the last time I made them back in January:

"Instead of making a tomato based barbecue sauce, I opted to go with a lighter sauce that has a touch of vinegar and hint of sweetness. It's sort of a twist on North Carolina style barbecue that uses a vinegar based thinner type sauce. Hubby lived in North Carolina for a few years and really developed a taste for that style and flavor. I didn't want to go too vinegary so I added a bit less. This was a very simple recipe to put together. I chose to brown the ribs well and caramelize them to add both color and flavor. Other than some seasonings and spices, the only other added ingredients (besides the ribs) were a bit of onion and the sauce ingredients. I wanted to add a bit of smokiness, so I used smoked paprika as well as ancho chile powder which has more of a smoky flavor than it does spicy like Chipotle. I wanted to use a bit of chili sauce to add to the stock along with the vinegar, but didn't have any so I improvised by mixing a few tablespoons of ketchup (with no HFCS) with a bit of Asian style chili-garlic sauce. I had originally considered using 1/4 cup of that (and no ketchup)...but after taking a tiny taste of it and realizing how hot and spicy it was, I decided to only use 1 tablespoon of it and mix it with a little ketchup for flavor and only a hint of spiciness. They turned out excellent...super tender and very rich tasting. I think you could easily add a few more tablespoons of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) without it being too much...but I liked them as is. I also added a little Swerve Sweetener for a bit of sweetness to balance the vinegar flavor."

Well, last night I used the exact same recipe when I made them and they turned out fantastic again. The only thing I did differently is remove the 2 cups of juice from the crock pot and poured it into a saucepan and reduced it by about 1/3 to concentrate it and make it more of a rich glaze-type consistency. It was awesome and I'm not much of a gravy or sauce person. Because it is so concentrated after reducing, a little goes a long way. I served yesterday's beef ribs with mashed cauliflower and my grain-free bread and butter. I snapped a few photos below. It was a delicious meal that we are going to enjoy again tonight. Here is a link that will take you to the recipe as well as a few additional photos I took back in January of the various "steps" ---> Boneless Beef Chuck Short Ribs (Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Style). Enjoy!

      

Grilled Cheese with Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup (Slow Cooker Style)

This evening we had "soup and sandwiches" for dinner; two of my favorites, grilled cheese and my Slow Cooker Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup. When I came home at lunch time today, I put the soup ingredients into my slow cooker and got that started (I forgot to do it in the morning before I left). When I got home this evening, I turned the crock pot temperature to high and let it cook on high for the last couple of hours -- it turned out great. I also made a quick batch of my Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns to use to make grilled cheese sandwiches with. I was excited to try the new flavor of sliced cheese I picked up this weekend -- Kraft's Smoky Chipotle White Cheddar Cheese w/ Chipotle Peppers. I thought it would be great in a grilled cheese sandwich and that it would go nicely with my soup since it's also spiced with ground chipotle chile pepper. The sandwich bun recipe makes 6 buns. I topped 3 of them with sesame seeds and left the other 3 plain. I used the plain buns to make the grilled cheese sandwiches. I simply cut them in half and turned the flat sliced inner side outward to use as the side that got grilled. I placed the cheese in the middle and brushed the outside with melted Kerrygold butter and grilled it in a nonstick pan until browned. It was my first ever "round grilled cheese sandwich" -- and you know what? It tastes EXACTLY the same as a square grilled cheese sandwich! LOL It went great along with the soup. I've got plenty of soup leftover to make several lunches for me this week. I snapped a few photos below of my delicious "soup and sandwich" dinner. I made one slight change to tonight's soup. Instead of adding the 14.5-ounce can of diced fire roasted tomatoes to it, I added a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes instead so it would be a little more "tomatoey."  Here's the link to the recipe for the soup: Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup. Here is the link to the recipe for my sandwich buns: Sesame Seed Sandwich Buns. Enjoy!

            

Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup -- Slow Cooker Style

This morning it was dark, chilly and raining out. I had thawed some diced beef cubes to make my Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup in my crock pot for dinner tonight, but when I woke up this morning, I wasn't particularly in the mood to prepare it before going to work. I convinced myself that I would be rewarded when I came home from work for the little bit of inconvenience this morning...so I pushed myself to make it. It only took me about 15 minutes to put it together and when I got home this evening I was so glad I went ahead and got it into the crock pot this morning. It smelled so good in the house when I got home from work this evening. While the sun finally made it out today, it remained chilly outside...and it was perfect soup weather. I usually use a 14.5 ounce can of diced fire roasted tomatoes in this soup, but couldn't find them quickly in my pantry this morning so I grabbed a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and figured it would just have a bit more "tomatoey" soup base. Well, I really liked the additional tomato consistency in the soup broth; it made it richer tasting. Either way you make it, it tastes good. I love the combination of flavors in this soup and it is so very easy to make and requires very few ingredients. I find the chipotle chile powder in my local grocery store and it adds a nice flavor to the soup. If you don't have it, you can substitute cayenne pepper or ancho chile powder, too. I served the soup with leftover Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits that I toasted lightly in the oven. I snapped a few photos for you to see below. Enjoy!