Happy St. Patrick’s Day + Some Grubbin’

I grew up with my Mom making corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. I get that it is an American tradition and that there are Irish people laughing at us on this day… but it was my family tradition and I loved it. Dan is not a fan of corned beef. No biggie, I decided to create my own tradition several years back. Corned beef sandwiches – he gets turkey. This year I switched it up a bit.

I was looking online for turkey panini recipes andI found a couple for corned beef – mostly on rye bread with a Reuben flare. I did not want to be buying two kinds of bread, etc. and I’m not a fan of sauerkraut or Swiss cheese.  I found a recipe a few years back for a corned beef sandwich and then this year I found another online for a Corned Beef, Apple, Brie Panini with Whisky Glazed Onion Mayo – SIGN ME UP!  Again, the recipe called for a different kind of bread. I decided to follow the recipe, but used the baguettes I already had and better whisky ;).

The Panini Ingredients:
1 Baguette
1/4 Pound Deli Sliced Corned Beef
Sliced Brie Cheese – they suggested goat brie, I only had regular brie
1/2 Granny Smith Apple – thinly sliced – some for the sandwich, some eaten as a snack while making the sandwich

Whisky Glazed Onion Mayo Ingredients:
1.5 Cups Yellow Onion – thinly sliced into half moon shapes
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar – I used a heaping teaspoon
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Ounce Maker’s Mark Whisky – they used 2 ounces of Jack Daniels
1 Cup Good Quality Mayo – I just used good ol’ Best Foods.

Whisky Glazed Onion Mayo Directions:
Preheat pan to medium/high heat. Melt butter and then add onions, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Cook onions until they shrink to half their size. When the pan is almost dry…

… add the whisky and reduce heat to low. Cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Let me just say that I will be making these onions for everything – burgers, steaks…OMG, they were screamin’ good!

Once the onions have cooled a bit – rough chop and then add them to the mayo.

The recipe said you could store the mayo in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Panini Prep:

Thinly slice your granny smith apple and brie cheese.

Slice your baguette and start building your sandwich.

I put the brie on one side and the whisky glazed mayo on the other side of the bread. I then layered my apples and corned beef on the mayo side. I ground some pepper on top of everything, closed it up and then cooked it on my wannabe panini press…

My George Foreman Grill came through like a champ. I set it for 5 minutes, but the sandwich was done in 4. Just apply slight pressure, if you push too hard, everything will ooze out the sides and you will have melted cheese everywhere. Been there, done that.

Is that not the most beautiful sandwich? Perfectly crisped/grilled and ready to eat. If you don’t eat meat, this sandwich would taste good as a gourmet grilled cheese – just leave out the corned beef. The cheese, apple, whisky onion combo would be excellent by itself.

I liked it so much, I will be having it AGAIN tonight – on St. Patrick’s Day. This would be the perfect meal for leftover corned beef. If you’ve got your crock-pot going today, make sure you set some corned beef aside to give this a try. I picked up some purple and green cabbage, I plan on making a slaw for tonight as well.

I could not stop at the sandwich alone… had to make a festive dessert as well.

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes (box mix) with a mint frosting (regular butter cream recipe with mint extract and food coloring added)

The plan is to bring them to work… that is if they make it out of the house.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Foodiddy household… What are your plans for today/tonight? Any St. Patrick’s Day traditions in your family?