Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner

This recipe makes enough corned beef dinner for a small crowd (or for 3 or 4 with some nice leftovers), so be sure to use a 6-quart slow cooker. If you own a smaller slow cooker, just boil the potatoes on the stove-top instead of slow cooking them.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small, red potatoes
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1/4 pound pearl onions, peeled (or frozen pearl onions, thawed)
• 1/2 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch ground allspice
• 4 pounds corned beef brisket, visible fat trimmed
• finely chopped parsley (optional), for garnish

Instructions

1. Layer the first 10 ingredients in the slow cooker crock, starting with the potatoes on the bottom and ending with the allspice. Place the corned beef on top of the vegetables, cutting it in half, if necessary, to fit in the crock.
2. Add enough water to the crock to come halfway up the corned beef. (The amount of liquid will actually increase as the vegetables and corned beef cook). Cover and cook 8 hours on LOW (or 4 hours on HIGH).
3. Transfer the corned beef to a platter and cover with foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into thin slices, against the grain. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Spoon some cooking juices over the corned beef slices and sprinkle parsley over all, if desired.