You don’t need the luck o’ the Irish to sit down to a delicious Irish meal this St. Patrick’s day. All you need are these recipes, fresh ingredients, quality cooking tools, and a spring in your step. When you put these meals before your family, everyone will want to dance a jig!
Get Boxed In
At pubs all over Dublin, you can sit down and order a nice, warm Boxty. Simply put, a Boxty is the Irish twist on the potato pancake, and who doesn’t love one of those? (Or three. Sometimes four.) This recipe is best to make when you have leftover mashed potatoes from another meal because you can incorporate them into this dish for a whole new taste.
To begin, peel half a pound of golden potatoes. Next, grate them into a bowl and use paper towels or cheesecloth to squeeze out as much of the excess moisture as possible. Put the grated and leftover mashed potatoes into a large bowl. Add two beaten eggs and some salt and pepper to taste. Next, add two tablespoons of flour. Mix it all around while singing this traditional Irish song: “Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get your man.” Ok, so it’s not exactly politically correct, but like any good recipe, you can always make modifications.
Next, warm up a large pan and add butter or oil. Add a spoonful of boxty mixture to the pan and cook until each side is a nice golden brown. Place a paper towel on a plate to soak up the extra oil or butter, and then stack the prepared boxties on the plate. Sprinkle a little sugar (and Irish luck) over top and serve. (Four-leaf clover garnish is optional.)
Who Say’s St. Patrick’s Day is Corny?
Corned beef is a traditional Irish meat, but it doesn’t always have to be prepared alongside cabbage. One way to make corned beef without spending hours in the kitchen is to make your slow cooker do all the work. This recipe on Food.com incorporates the flavors of corned beef brisket and several healthy vegetables for an easy weeknight meal that only requires 15 minutes of preparation time.
It’s delicious, you say, but what do I do with all the leftovers? Prepare for this possibility by buying a fresh loaf of rye bread, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing. Voila! Reuben sandwiches.
A Pie-nt of Guinness
Drinking a tall pint of Guinness is certainly one way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but why not eat your Guinness too? Try making world-renowned Chef Jamie Oliver’s “Steak and Guinness Pie” to see what the flavors of a dark beer taste like when incorporated with fresh vegetables, beef, and herbs. If you make individual pies, consider serving it in a white, shallow bowl surrounded by fresh green peas as a nod to the traditional color of the holiday. Another option is to make one large pie from which to serve. In this case, you can prepare the individual plates by creating three lines of food to represent the colors of the Irish flag (from left to right): peas, mashed potatoes, and carrots.
Sweet Endings
Would any holiday be complete without a special sweet treat? Top off the night with a dessert that features Irish cream, such as this Irish Cream Bundt Cake. Pair it with a coffee-flavored ice cream for a delicious flavor without the caffeine.
Looking for other options? Check out this Huffington Post article with 16 different Irish cream dessert choices – you’re going to need all the luck in Ireland to make a decision! Whatever dessert you end up making, add a little humor by researching and then sharing some traditional Irish sayings or listening to Irish music.
Sláinte!
Hello, I am Cristy. I love cooking but what I love most is keeping my kitchen tools and appliances top notch. I enjoy writing about everything I have learned around the kitchen. I believe that keeping your kitchen tools well cleaned and maintained produces the best dishes and drinks. Besides writing and cooking I enjoy traveling, camping, hiking and music.