Ah, St. Patrick’s Day – a time to don your finest green attire, channel your inner Irish, and debate whether leprechauns are sneaky or just misunderstood. But let’s face it, the real star of the show is the food. Picture this: a table laden with dishes so irresistibly delightful that even that picky eater in your family will be asking for seconds (maybe thirds if you’re lucky!).
In today’s post, I’m going to whisk you away faster than a leprechaun sliding down a rainbow, with easy-peasy recipes that are guaranteed to make your St. Paddy’s bash the talk of the town (or at least your household). And fear not, whether you’re a seasoned chef or someone who considers toast a culinary triumph, these recipes have your back.
So, grab your apron, and let’s make some magic!
Are you ready to dance into the delightful world of St. Paddy’s Day gastronomy without doing a jig around complicated recipes? If you’re nodding “yes” while simultaneously trying to avoid pinch-wielding family members for not wearing green—you’ve come to the right place!
Easy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
Lucky Leprechaun Dip
A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Hard to find. But this dip is an edible treasure that’s guaranteed to shine on your snack table!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- A handful of spinach, for that green Irish glow
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Steps to Make It:
- In the cauldron (or a bowl, if we’re being less dramatic), mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise until they’re as smooth as a leprechaun’s charm.
- Throw in the chives, garlic powder, and blend until these bits are more mixed in than folks on St. Paddy’s Day parade.
- Toss the spinach into a blender. Give it a whirl and blend it into a puree.
- Wave your magic spatula and fold the spinach puree into the mix, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate until it’s as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Serve with an array of veggies, crackers, or anything deserving of a green dunk!
Four-Leaf Clover Toasts
Toast isn’t just for breakfast anymore! These bite-sized treasures are perfect for anyone who can make toast (which is basically everyone, right?).
Ingredients:
- Slices of your favorite bread
- Butter or cream cheese, softened
- Fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, chopped
- A clover-shaped cookie cutter (if you have one)
Steps to Make It:
- Use the clover-shaped cookie cutter to cut your bread into festive shapes.
- Toast these bread clovers until they’re golden and would make any leprechaun envious.
- Spread a generous layer of butter or cream cheese on each toast.
- Sprinkle your chopped herbs on top, like a gentle sprinkle of spring rain.
Irish Soda Bread
This easy-to-make Irish Soda Bread gets a subtle sweetness from the addition of orange zest and currants.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup dried currants
Steps to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
- With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
- Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
- Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Irish Coddle
Born in 1700s inner-city Dublin tenements, this grab-what-you-have kind of stew that simmers low and slow to peak deliciousness. The building blocks of the dish–bacon, sausage, onions, potatoes and plenty of parsley and black pepper–add up to more than the sum of their parts, creating a dark, flavorful broth and an incredibly warm bowl of nourishment.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Cumberland sausage or any mild pork sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large white onions, halved and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/4 cup Irish stout, such as Guinness, optional
- Irish soda bread, for serving
Steps to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and increase the heat to medium high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon and sausage are nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and sausage to a plate.
- Drain the fat from the pot and return it to medium heat. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pot, then sprinkle the onions with 1 tablespoon of the parsley and plenty of black pepper. Layer the bacon and sausage over the onions and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley and more black pepper. Layer the potatoes over the meat and add enough water to submerge everything but the potatoes, about 2 cups. 4. Season the potato layer with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Bring the liquid to a boil (don’t stir!), then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake, checking halfway to add more water if needed, until the onions are very tender and caramelized and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 2 hours.
- Finish with a pour of stout, if using, and a final garnish of the remaining parsley. Serve immediately with soda bread.
Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage
This classic St Paddy’s dish is a favorite year around, and the leftovers can be enjoyed the next day as a hash.
Ingredients:
- 1 (3-pound) corned beef brisket (uncooked), in brine
- 16 cups cold water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/2 large head green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 thick wedges
- 8 small new potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Hash:
- 2 cups roughly chopped boiled red new potatoes, preferably leftover from Corned Beef and Cabbage
- 2 cups diced leftover cooked corned beef
- 1/4 cup corned beef cooking liquid or chicken broth
- 1/2 medium yellow medium onion, grated
- 1/2 clove garlic, mashed with a fork
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Eggs:
- 4 cups cold water
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 fresh large eggs
- Horseradish Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons jarred grated horseradish (with liquid)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Steps to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water.
- Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid; add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and cloves. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, and braise until very tender, about 3 hours and 45 minutes.
- Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to a large platter. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. Lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Ladle some of the hot cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper. Serve immediately with the mustard or horseradish sauce.
For the hash:
- In large bowl, place 1 cup of the potatoes and mash with a fork. Add the remaining 1 cup potatoes, corned beef, cooking liquid, onion, garlic, mustard, thyme, and nutmeg. Season generously with pepper and mix well. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove the hash mixture from the refrigerator and stir in the parsley.
- Heat 1/4 cup butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the hash mixture and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Using a spatula, press the mixture down into a round cake the size of the skillet. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, moving the skillet occasionally, until the underside is browned and crusty, about 6 minutes more.
- To flip the hash, set a plate the size of the skillet on top of the pan. Invert the pan so the hash falls on to the plate as an intact cake. Invert the hash onto another plate, cooked-side up. Return the skillet to the heat, raise to medium-high, and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. When the foaming subsides, slide the hash into the skillet cooked-side up. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the underside is browned and crispy, about 5 minutes more. Set aside covered with foil to keep warm.
For the eggs:
- While the corned beef hash is cooking, combine the water, vinegar and salt in a large skillet and bring to a simmer. Crack the eggs into separate cups.
- Carefully slide the eggs into the skillet and cook, turning occasionally with a spoon, until firm, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to kitchen towel. Lightly dab the eggs with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water.
- Divide the hash among plates and top with the poached eggs.
Horseradish Sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, zest, and 2 teaspoons salt. Season generously with pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Shamrock Sugar Cookies
Save room for dessert because these cookies are sham-rockin’!
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green food coloring
Steps to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it’s smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and just enough green food coloring to turn your dough into an Irish meadow.
- Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until you have a smooth dough.
- Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place them onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are just barely blushing with color.
- Let them cool and set them up in a shamrock formation, because presentation is everything.
Conclusion and Continuing Your Culinary Adventure
And there you have it, my fellow shamrock enthusiasts – a spread fit for the most festive of leprechaun lairs! These recipes are just the beginning of your St. Patrick’s Day adventures in the kitchen. With each dish, you’ve woven a bit of luck into your culinary tapestry, ensuring that your family’s feast is as memorable as a four-leaf clover sighting.
Whether you’re partial to the charms of a Lucky Leprechaun Dip or the whimsy of a Shamrock Sugar Cookie, let this be the start of a tradition that grows fonder with each passing year. Remember, the real pot of gold isn’t at the end of the rainbow – it’s sharing these delicious moments with the ones you love. Keep cooking, keep celebrating, and may the luck of the Irish be with you in all your kitchen escapades! Sláinte!