A St. Patrick’s Day staple, corned beef and cabbage is a delicious way to celebrate the holiday and introduce your little one to the kitchen. All of the ingredients can be prepared the night before, making for a painless cooking experience on March 17. He’ll help you put everything into the slow cooker just before heading off to school in the morning, and the entire family will come home to a hot, hearty Irish-inspired meal at dinner time.

What You Need:

• 4 lb. corned beef
• 6-quart or larger slow cooker
• Slow cooker liner (optional but highly recommended)
• 12 boiling onions, trimmed and peeled
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 8-10 baby potatoes, quartered
• 1 small head green cabbage
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon dill seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons apple juice

What You Do:

1. Have your child place the corned beef into the slow cooker. Using a slow cooker liner makes cleanup a breeze; if using one, insert it into the cooker ahead of time.
2. Add the baby carrots, potatoes, and onions to the slow cooker.
3. If you prefer to use the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef, that’s fine. But if you want to use your own seasonings, have him toss in the bay leaves, allspice berries, whole cloves, mustard seeds, dill seeds, and cinnamon.
4. Fill the slow cooker with just enough cold water to cover the corned beef.
5. Ask him to add the apple juice, and cover the slow cooker. Cook on low for approximately 10 hours.
6. When there is an hour and 15 minutes of cooking left, have him help you shred the cabbage and add it to the slow cooker. Continue cooking until the meat is tender when a fork is inserted into it.
7. Remove the bay leaves, cloves, and allspice berries before serving.
8. Serve piping hot. It’s delicious over rice, or served alongside potatoes.

Note: If your family finds corned beef too salty, rinse it and put it into a pot covered with water and bring to a boil. Discard the water, and then continue with the above corned beef recipe.