Luck of the Irish?

It's always fascinating how traditions started... so do you know why Corned Beef is a traditional St. Patrick's Day fare?

You do realize that other cultures cure beef, right? Philippines, the Carribbean, Jewish... but the industrial production of it began in the Industrial Revolution (17th-19th C) and it was the non perishable Irish corned beef that was eaten by the British fleets and North American military more than the the Irish due to its cost. It was traded to the French for consumption by its colonists and slave laborers in the Caribbean sugar plantations. Ireland's coastal cities became wealthy due their curing and packing industries. The foreign demand forced the Irish to use prime land for cattle grazing and the usage of less fertile soil and a dependency on the potato crop. (Remember the potato famine???) 

Living out in dairyland I have seen how hard cows are on land and can certainly appreciate the Irish's contribution to our gastronomic pleasure ... 

We certainly consume a lot of corned beef  on St. Patrick's Day, don't we? 

My book group was treated to a Reuben casserole by our month's hostess that was super yummy so I thought I'd share the recipe in case you have any leftovers.

Here tis:

Reuben Crescent Bake


Ingredients: 

Original recipe makes 4 servings

 3/4 c sauerkraut, drained & squeezed dry
 1/3 c Thousand Island salad dressing
 1 (8 oz) tube refrigerated crescent rolls ( Pillsbury®)
 3/4 lb thin-sliced cooked corned beef
 8 slices Swiss cheese
 1 beaten egg white

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
Mix together sauerkraut and Thousand Island salad dressing in  bowl. 
Unroll crescent roll dough,  cut in half; place one half of the dough onto floured work surface, pinch perforations of dough closed to make 1 sheet.
Roll dough sheet out to about 12 inches square, and fit the dough into the prepared baking sheet.
Pinch perforations closed on 2nd dough half ; roll out to about 9" square.
Set aside.
Prebake  dough crust in baking dish in preheated oven until lightly browned, (8 to 10 min).
Remove from oven.
Place 4 slices of cheese into bottom of  crust; top with corned beef.
Spread sauerkraut mixture on top of beef.
Lay 4 remaining Swiss cheese slices on top of sauerkraut.
Lay 2nd sheet of crescent roll dough onto filled baking sheet, press  top crust down onto the edges of the dish to seal.
Brush with beaten egg white.
Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and crust golden brown,
(15 to 20 min )
Let stand about 5 minutes before slicing.