Four Irish Favorites for St. Patrick's Day

It's hard to believe that it's already time for another St. Patrick's Day. Since we'll be celebrating at home (or at the campsite!), we're focusing on some traditional Irish foods to make. The four easy St. Patrick's Day recipes in this post will get you in the holiday spirit without too much effort. Take a look through and have a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Feast on These Four St. Patrick's Day Recipes

1. Colcannon

An Irish favorite, colcannon is a easy-peasy St. Patrick's Day recipe. Think mashed potatoes with jazzed-up flavor from green onions, garlic, and cabbage. This version is lightened up from the original, but feel free to use heavy cream in place of the milk for added richness.

Recipe borrowed from Budget Bytes.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 green onions
• ½ head cabbage (6-8 cups shredded)
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup whole milk

Method

1. Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut into one-inch cubes. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
2. While the potatoes cook, prepare the cabbage. Remove the outer leaves and cut the cabbage in half. Cut the cabbage in quarters and remove the core. Cut each quarter in half and then cut crosswise into thin strips. Wash the cabbage to remove any dirt and dry.
3. Mince the garlic and slice the green onions.
4. After draining the potatoes, place the butter, garlic, and green onions in the pot and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic begins to soften.
5. Add the shredded cabbage and chicken broth to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and bring the broth to a boil. Let the cabbage cook in the simmering broth, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Once the cabbage is tender, add the potatoes back to the pot along with the milk and some black pepper. Mash the potatoes until everything is well-combined. Season with salt and serve.

2. Irish Soda Bread

Rather than depending on yeast, Irish soda bread gets its rise from buttermilk and baking soda. There are many ways to make soda bread, but this recipe is simple and traditional. Try serving soda bread as the starter while making the rest of your St. Patrick's Day recipes.

Recipe borrowed from Food.com.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1 ½ cups buttermilk

Method

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in one cup of buttermilk, beating constantly, until the dough is firm enough to be gathered into a ball. If the dough is crumbly, add up to ½ cup more buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together.
3. Place the dough on a floured surface and pat it into an 8-inch flattened round loaf.
4. Place the loaf on the baking sheet and score the top with an X.
5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the top is golden.

3. Corned Beef and Cabbage

Although some may wish to make corned beef from scratch, there's an easier way. Around St. Patrick's Day, many grocery stores sell a corned beef brisket kit, which includes the spice mix. Combine this kit with the slow cooker to simplify corned beef and cabbage, one of the best St. Patrick's Day recipes!

Recipe borrowed from Taste of Home.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 4 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 3 cups water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 corned beef brisket with spice packet (2 ½-3 pounds), cut in half
• 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Method

1. Place the onion, potatoes, and carrots in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. Combine the water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper, and spice mix; pour over the vegetables. Top with the brisket and cabbage.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.

4. Irish Coffee

While some prefer green beer for St. Patrick's Day, Irish coffee is richer, refined alternative. One of the easiest St. Patrick's Day recipes, Irish coffee just requires you to mix a few ingredients in a glass. Try it for yourself as an after-dinner treat!

Recipe borrowed from Baileys.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream
• 6 ounces hot coffee
• 1 ounce Irish whiskey
• (Optional) 1 dollop whipped cream

Method

1. Combine Baileys, coffee, and Irish whiskey in a tall glass.
2. Top with whipped cream.

We hope the luck of the Irish is with you this year. If you love these St. Patrick's Day recipes, give this post a share with your friends and family. Then, get cooking and have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!  

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