St. Patrick’s Day will be here soon, and we’ll be enjoying the day when “everyone is Irish”. Whether you want an Irish dinner or fun treats, let’s look at delicious food for the celebration. First let me say that other than using green icing on cakes, cookies, or cupcakes, I don’t believe coloring food makes it Irish. I once was in a cafeteria where they served green mashed potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day. It looked gross. Sorry that’s how I feel. An Irish priest and I had a discussion about Americans dyeing everything green for St. Patrick’s Day a few years ago. The first year he was in this country, he was invited to a home for dinner on the holiday. They had dyed the spaghetti green for the spaghetti and meatball dinner. He was polite but slightly confused and sad. To me taste is more important than color. Today we’ll look at some Irish meal favorites and American recipes with Irish ingredients, shapes, and even a green cupcake. Plenty of taste and flavor to celebrate the day.
I. Corned Beef and Cabbage
(Several years ago, I wrote that corn beef and cabbage is an American Irish food but not a typical dinner in Ireland. You can see that post for more history.) Let’s start with this American Irish favorite. All Recipes has a great traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe.
Photo All Recipes
II. Irish Soda Bread
This rich and tender rustic Irish quick bread from Good Housekeeping is best paired with corned beef and cabbage, beef stew, or any other hearty St. Patrick’s Day meal.
Photo Good Housekeeping
Over at Country Living, use your heart shaped cookie cutter to make a shamrock Irish quick bread.
Photo Country Living
III. Colcannon Irish Potatoes & Greens
For a traditional Irish dish, think Colcannon potatoes. Some people call it “Irish Soul Food”. It’s made from potatoes and greens, and there are many variations in the recipes. Kale or cabbage are most often used in partnership with green onions, shallots, or leeks. The Irish serve it often throughout the year. Pair it with lamb chops or pork and you have an Irish meal!
Photo Comfort Spring
IV. Irish Shepherd’s Pie
This traditional Irish meal was originally made with minced lamb and mashed potatoes, but today you can make Irish Shepherd’s Pie with leftover beef, lamb, or ground beef or turkey. The favorite vegetables added are onions, green peas, and carrots.
Photo Comfort Spring
V. Irish Stew
I don’t know why I’ve never written about lamb stew. I love it. Food Network has a great post including a video on making Irish Stew. The only difference between this recipe and mine is that I always add green peas.
Photo Food Network
VI. Guinness Beef Stew
I hear that this is a favorite in pubs in Ireland. This beef stew is slow-simmered with a bottle of Guinness until it’s perfectly rich and cozy and delicious, and will warm you up down to your bones. Check it out at Gimme Some Oven.
Photo Gimme Some Oven
VII. Irish Coffee
Celebrate the day with coffee with Irish whiskey and whipped cream. See Classic Irish Coffee for the recipe.
Photo Food Network
VIII. Shamrock Macaroons
Besides the green shamrock shape, Raspberry Cupcakes’ macaroons are stuffed with Bailey’s Chocolate Ganache!
Photo Raspberry Cupcakes
IX. Green Ombre Cake
I Am Baker made a stunning multi-layered green ombre cake. It’s amazing and would be the hit at a party.
Photo I Am Baker
X. Sweet Shamrock Cupcakes
Woman’s Day has complete instructions on making these sweet Shamrock cupcakes. Use a regular cupcake or muffin tin and crumpled tin foil and you have heart shaped cupcakes. (We need to remember this next February.) Place cupcakes together to form shamrocks and use pretzels for the stems. I really do think this is a sweet idea for a party table.
Photo Woman’s Day
XI. Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Since I am more into taste than color, these cupcakes sound amazing! Chocolate Stout Cupcakes from Will Cook For Smiles are deep, dark stout beer infused cupcakes, topped with chocolate whipped cream frosting, and a drizzle of stout glaze on top. It’s a beautiful chocolate treat for every chocolate lover.
Photo Will Cook For Smiles
XII. Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake With Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting
The finale is a dessert using one of my favorite things, Bailey’s Irish Cream. This is another amazing dessert from Love Swah, Chocolate Guinness Cake with Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting.
Photo Love Swah
I hope you enjoyed this little round-up of 12 recipes for St. Patrick’s Day. Have a fabulous week!
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Totally agree with you! I would not eat green mashed potato 🙁 I make a lot of shepherd’s pie for my family. it’s one of their favourites. #MMBC
Some of these look extra good! I might have to try that Irish soda quick bread!
(4th try). Great collection and narrative. I found some recipes I would like to try. Thanks for including mine!
I’m so sorry it took 4 tries to respond. I don’t know why. Your great recipe really inspired me to find others and do the round-up. Your recipes are always an inspiration to me. Thank you!
…soon everyone will be Irish for a day.
Eww! I don’t like the sound of the green mashed potatoes. lol
What great ideas. I do love Irish Stew and I love the sound of the Guinness Beef Stew! x
The colcannon potatoes sound like something me and hubby would both enjoy a lot! I also love the idea of chocolate stout cupcakes, and the Guinness cake looks and sounds really good too! x #MMBC
Great choices. I loved the ombre cake. It is so pretty. TFS and have a wonderful day.
A nice collection of recipes. I’m half Irish so I always celebrate St Patrick’s day! I am going to try Marilyn’s crock pot corned beef recipe this year. I agree that all food should not be served green for the holiday–it isn’t the color but the tradition and taste that matters.
Exactly – tradition and taste – not color!
I will certainly bookmark this. Corned beef and cabbage and soda bread are two of my favourite dishes/food.
Thanks so much for sharing!
-Soma
thanks for the kind words – have a great week!
These all look great. I have never understood the dying green thing.
me either
I do not like green eggs and ham,
I do not like them, Sam I Am.
Guinness beef stew sounds yummy but I don’t think I’d like green mashed potato (although maybe it would work if it was mashed with spinach).
#MMBC
unfortunately the ones in the cafeteria had no spinach only a weird green food coloring. For spinach and potatoes, I’ve made Colcannon with spinach as well as cabbage or other greens.
What a great roundup! Pinned!
We typically tend to make corned beef and cabbage even if it’s not really a true Irish dish… though we have a few Irish pubs around us and there is nothing I love better than their cottage pies.
I’m so excited you’ve been PINKED on Classy Flamingos! My birthday is also on St. Patrick’s Day so it is a win, win. Going to have to try a few of these recipes. Thanks for sharing. http://blog.poinsettiadr.com/2020/03/classy-flamingos-blog-party-92.html
thanks for the feature!!
I SO LOVE THIS!!!!!! When I saw this post, I shouted it out to my husband and we tried to figure out what was on the list before I looked at it (we are both Irish). So much fun! I so love the Green Ombre Cake!! So cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for compiling this!
Nina you made my day! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post. I always love hunting for tasty recipes, don’t you? Happy Saturday!