Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

8 red potatoes
1 lb. of baby carrots
1 medium onion
3-5 cups water
3 diced garlic cloves
2 and a half bay leaves
1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket (with or without spice packet, as you prefer)
1 small head of cabbage

Step 1:  Peel and quarter 8 red potatoes.

Step 2:  Place in bottom of large crockpot.

Step 3:  Add approximately 1 lb. of baby carrots to the crockpot.

Step 4:  Chop a medium onion into bite-size pieces and add to the crockpot.

Step 5:  Add 3 cups of water, 3 diced cloves of garlic, and 2 and a half bay leaves on top (I really don't need to add a picture of this, but I took one, so what the hell).  You can feel free to add the spice packet that comes with the corned beef - I chose not to because it included mustard seeds and the hubby is horribly allergic to them.  Plus, we both prefer a less-seasoned taste to our corned beef and cabbage.

Step 6:  Place the corned beef on top (I had to cut mine in half so it would fit).  Cover with another cup or so of water, so that the corned beef is about half-covered with liquid.  Cover the crockpot, and cook on low for approximately 2 and a half hours (total cook time will be approximately 8 hours).

Step 7:  At the 2 and a half hour mark, flip the corned beef over.  Do it again in another 3 hours, squishing things down a bit as you can.  The broth should be getting a more browny-brothy color at this point (like in the second picture below).

Step 8:  In another hour and 15 minutes, quarter a small cabbage, and squish it in there.  I had to scoop out some of the broth so things wouldn't overflow.  Turn the crockpot to high.  Another 30 minutes in, flip the cabbage over.  It should start looking less bright green (as in the second picture below).

Step 9:  Let the crockpot do its magic for another 30-45 minutes.

Step 10:  Take the meat out, trim the fat, and slice (totally forgot to snap a pic).  Serve with the veggies, and enjoy!  The hubby likes his without broth and without cabbage, and with butter mashed into the veggies.  I prefer mine with lots of broth, and I heart cabbage.  It was nom nom nom either way!

~Dorkopotamus (aka Katy)