Corned beef and cabbage egg rolls

A fusion food twist on a St. Patrick's Day favorite.

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner … hands-down my favorite holiday for eating corned beef, wearing green, and celebrating my Irish heritage.

Having already shared some delicious recipes for traditional corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, and shepherd’s pie with you, I wracked my brain for some interesting twist on a corned beef and cabbage meal. And I’ve got just the thing … corned beef and cabbage egg rolls!

My Irish ancestors are probably rolling over in their graves. But this is quite possibly fusion cooking at its best. A simple filling of leftover corned beef, sauteed with very thinly sliced cabbage and carrot, gets rolled up in egg roll wraps and fried until crispy! Dip them in Thousand Island dressing or your favorite mustard for a fantastic day-after St. Patty’s Day treat!

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls
Makes 4 Egg Rolls 

 1 cup leftover corned beef, chopped
2 cups cabbage and carrots, very thinly sliced (prepackaged cole slaw mix works well)
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
4-8 egg roll wraps (My grocery store sells them in the refrigerated produce section.)
Thousand Island dressing or mustard, for dipping

To prepare the filling: Heat about 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the corned beef, cabbage, and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To assemble the egg rolls: Arrange an egg roll wrap with one of the points facing you. (If desired, you can layer two egg roll wraps, for a chewier egg roll.) Place a mound of the corned beef filling in the center of the wrap. Grab the point closest to you and wrap it up and around the filling. Then, grab each of the side points and fold them in towards the center. Brush the points with a bit of water to help them stick. Brush the top point with a little water, then continue rolling up towards the top point.

To cook: Heat about 1/2″-3/4″ vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Give it a few minutes to get good and hot. Carefully place a few of the egg rolls into the hot oil. They should sizzle when placed in the oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes on all sides, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel before serving.