Dublin coddle is considered one of Ireland's national dishes. But like many of Ireland's great foods, it is rich in fat.

Traditionally made with both bacon and sausage to flavor a base of potatoes and onions, Dublin coddle is an insanely good one-dish meal. And it would be a great choice for St. Patrick's Day. Assuming, that is, we can find a way to work it into a healthy diet.

Turned out to be easier than we thought.

We start by opting for leaner meats that still pack tons of flavor, including Canadian bacon, which actually is closer than American bacon to rashers, the variety of pork used in Irish cooking. Canadian bacon and Irish rashers are made from the back loin of the pig rather than the fattier pork belly used for American-style bacon.

For the sausage, we switched to chicken sausage, which is high in flavor, but generally has far less fat and calories than traditional sausage.

The herbs and seasonings already serve the meal well, so we didn't mess around with those. But we did add a few extra vegetables because, hey, we could all use a few extra servings of those. And for a final punch of flavor, we added apples and apple cider.

Dublin coddle

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings: 6

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

6 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped

10 ounces chicken sausages (any variety), sliced into 1-inch-thick diagonal slices

2 large yellow onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 large russet potatoes, cut into thick slices

1 large sweet potato, cut into thick slices

2 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 apples, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup apple cider

1 cup chicken stock

Salt and ground black pepper

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the Canadian bacon and saute until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.

Add the sausage to the pan and brown the slices on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the sausage to the bowl of bacon. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, then saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Stir in the sage, thyme and parsley.

Add the russet and sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and reserved meat. Pour the apple cider and chicken stock over everything. Cover and set over medium-low heat. Cook until the vegetables and potatoes are very tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 340 calories; 90 calories from fat (26 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 5 g fiber; 670 mg sodium.