Slow-cooker Corned Beef Brisket

Happy March!!  Here is one I can never get enough of...CORNED BEEF!  I know, cooking corned beef in a slow-cooker is stupid easy, but I am always looking back and wondering "what did I do last time?"  And, we already did hard boiled eggs, so the bar is pretty low around here.

Slow-cooker Corned Beef Brisket

Ingredients

1 corned beef brisket (as big as your slow-cooker will fit, about 3 lbs for mine)
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1-2 inch sections
4 carrots (depending on size), cut into 1-2 inch sections
1 onion, quartered
1 sweet potato or yam (or more if you have the room), cut into 1-2 inch sections
1 small head of cabbage (optional), quartered
scant 1 Tbsp fresh or dried thyme
Water

Directions

Into your slow cooker, place all the vegetables and the thyme.

Wash, dry, and trim your corned beef if necessary.  Place your corned beef on top of the vegetables with the FAT SIDE UP, rubbing the spice packet on both sides of the meat once it is in the slow-cooker.  Add enough water to almost cover the meat (about 4 to 6 cups).

Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 4 1/4 hours (or 8 1/2 hours on low).

When done, remove the corned beef to a platter and slice as desired.  Place the vegetables around the meat on the platter for consumption and decoration or in a dish to the side.

Notes
Your slow-cooker will likely be jam-packed.  My husband hates the smell of cooking cabbage so I typically will omit the cabbage, since I don't have the room for it anyway.  The potatoes/yams make a great addition because they soak up the yummy corned beef flavor.

This recipe usually provides about 6-8 adult portions.

The amounts, cooking times, and yielded number of portions will really depend on the size and efficiency of your slow-cooker, and your elevation (add more cooking time if you are above 3000 ft, about 20 minutes per 1000 ft above 3000 ft).

Any questions or suggestions?  Feel free to add them to the comments!

Enjoy!!