Jiggs Dinner

Name: Jiggs Dinner
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 2 Lbs Beef; 1 cup Yellow Split Peas; 1 head Cabbage; 6 Carrots; 1 large Turnips; 8 Potatoes; 3 tablespoons Butter; To taste Black Pepper

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Beef recipe with Canadian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 52 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Step-by-step instructions

The night before, break salt beef into big chunks and soak in water overnight, at least 8-10 hours. Put split peas into a bowl and cover with water to soak overnight.
Drain the salt beef and place it into a large stockpot. Cover with fresh water, at least 6-7 litres. Place the split peas into a pease pudding canvas bag or triple layer of cheesecloth and tie, making sure to leave room for peas to expand inside the bag.
Put the bag inside the pot, tying the strings to the outside handle so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot with the salt beef. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Remove the peas pudding bag and empty contents into a bowl, mixing with butter and pepper for taste. Set aside.
Add your cabbage to the pot and boil for 20 more minutes. Then add turnip, carrots and potatoes then boil for 20 more, or until vegetables are tender.
Remove salt beef and vegetables from the pot and put them on a platter.
Use the cooking liquid in two ways; as a pot liquor which some people like to drink or reduce it to make a jus or gravy to pour over the meal.

Why this works on a weeknight

Jiggs Dinner genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Jiggs Dinner actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Beef Canadian ⚡ 30-Min Dinner