St. Patrick's Day: Corned Beef and Cabbage...

With St. Patrick's Day falling on a Wednesday this year, you can't cook all day then party all night! The way to get around this is by using a crock pot or a slow cooker!

There's some great recipes out there on the internet for Corned Beef and Cabbage, but this one from the food network sounds like it would be the best of them all!

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

2 stalks celery, halved

4 carrots

1 onion, cut in 4 wedges

4 to 6 red potatoes, quartered

1 4-pound corned beef brisket

12-ounce bottle stout or dark ale

1 tablespoon corned beef spices or pickling spices

1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

For serving: grainy mustard and horseradish sauce

Place celery, carrots, onion and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow-cooker. Rinse the corned beef brisket and place over vegetables. Add the bottle of stout, spices and enough water to just cover the meat. Cover and cook on low for eight to nine hours. Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high and cook cabbage until softened but still crispy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Slice brisket across the grain, serve with vegetables, mustard and horseradish sauce. Pass extra cooking liquid at the table.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup drained horseradish

dash hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Whip cream to soft peaks and then fold in sour cream and horseradish. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of hot sauce.