Most of us cannot travel whenever we would like; however we can celebrate different cultures and locations as often as we choose. Creating an Irish-inspired meal on March 17th is an easy way to celebrate a different country.

This year I made Reuben sandwiches with Olykraut sauerkraut. Olykraut products (www.olykraut.com) are made in Olympia, Washington and come in a variety of flavors. I used their garlic sauerkraut as well as their sour pickles.

Reuben Ingredients

For the corned beef I mixed 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika and the pickling spice packet included with the corned beef. I rubbed the mixture into both sides of the corned beef. After rubbing the spices onto the meat, I wrapped the corned beef 4 times in aluminum foil and then placed the foil wrapped corned beef into a slow cooker for 8 hours on low (do not add any liquid to the slow cooker).

The corned beef came out moist and flavorful. I also made a homemade Russian dressing with 2 Tbsp finely diced onions, 1 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 tsp paprika and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

I placed sliced Swiss cheese, corned beef, sauerkraut and some Russian dressing onto 2 slices of toasted dark rye bread and accompanied the sandwiches with the sour pickles.

Finished Reuben

For dessert, I used a key lime cake mix to make a green bundt cake topped with key lime frosting (out of a can). I know a key lime cake isn’t Irish, but it certainly ticked the box for the green requirement that comes along with St. Patrick’s Day.

Green Bundt Cake