Love for Leftovers: Corned Beef

Brisket definitely yields a lot of prepared beef, and if you are in a small household like me, it might keep you eating corned beef for a while. I love leftovers and I know I'm not alone in this. Flavors seem to keep developing overnight in the refrigerator for some things and this is one of those cases. Not only do leftovers make for quick and easy meals, but it safe in your refrigerator for several days, and can also be frozen in airtight containers. Sometimes the exact meal is perfect enough to eat over and over, but sometimes you want something a bit different. Below you'll see some of the awesome things I use my corned beef for, and if you haven't read about my corned beef trial-run, you can do that here.

Breakfast/Brunch: Hash should always be a go-to! Traditional hash is prepared with potatoes, peppers, and onions; there are plenty of traditional hash recipes available online. But, what do you put in a low-carb hash? Not only was this simple but it tasted amazing. This was the first time I've used radishes outside of chopped in a salad. and they did not disappoint.

Hash:

1-2 servings of leftover corned beef

5 radishes washed and cut in half

1/4 cup chopped onion

Splash of oil or fat

S&P

Irish cheddar cheese sauce (see below)

Sautee onions and radishes in a splash of neutral oil or bacon fat on medium heat, adding salt and pepper. Once they begin to soften, add corned beef and sear. Eggs can be added in a number of ways, the easiest one is just to make a well in your mixture and cook your egg in the same pan. I did this fried/poach combined thing that, honestly, I've never tried before but it worked out well. I cracked the egg in a separate pan with a bit of oil, cooked for a min or two, added about 1/4 cup of water then covered it with a lid. Top with Irish cheddar cheese sauce and hot sauce if desired.

Lunch/Snacks: Who doesn't love nachos? From tortilla chips to tater tots and the low-carb friendly pork rinds, there are a number of nacho base options. I think we can all agree it's always about the toppings anyway, and you can use traditional nacho toppings like chives, jalapenos, and sour cream if you'd like. My craving this week was all about the beef and cheese, so this is what you see in the picture. I like the combination of meat chunks and shreds for textural differences.

Fried Chicken skins (warmed), sprinkled with salt. and caraway & celery seeds

Leftover corned beef chucks

Leftover corned beef shreds

Irish cheddar cheese sauce (see below)

Freshly grated cheddar

Ryewich: Let's not forget about the corned beef sandwich! While I made a #ryewich as my initial meal, most people might eat a plated meal with cabbage/slaw for their first dinner. I can eat corned beef sandwiches for days! I threw together this simple slaw ahead of time add added some swiss cheese. If you missed this amazing ryewich substitute from wheat bread, you can see it here.

Coleslaw:

2 cups of shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix

1 serving spoon of your favorite mayo (adjust amounts to your liking)

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp ground caraway seed

1/2 tsp sweetener

S&P

Mix well and store in the refrigerator. Making a few hours to a day ahead helps the flavor develop better as in any slaw recipe.

Irish Cheddar Cheese Sauce

1 block Irish cheddar cheese shredded

1/4 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp granulated onion

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1/8 tsp ground mustard seed (powder)

1/8 tsp cayenne

5-10 drops hot sauce

1/4 cup diet ginger ale

1/4 cup heavy cream

Warm ginger ale and cream with seasonings until a light simmer is reached. Add shredded cheddar cheese to the pot over medium heat. Mix and stir until creamy and thoroughly combined. Add salt after removing it from heat to your liking. The first time I made this, I basically made cheese curds because I added cold fluids and salt during the process.

ProTip: Irish Cheddar already has a sharpness to it, even without it being marked "sharp". If you find the cheese a bit too sharp, you can mix in any other cheese. Beer will lighten the sharpness, but I opted to remain wheat-free for this cheese. This recipe can always be adjusted to your liking. I always recommend tasting your food before assembling to see if it fits what you are craving at the moment. Add and subtract seasonings to your liking.