When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, many start cooking corned beef and cabbage. While corned beef and cabbage can be a yummy meal, there are other options in Irish cuisine that you could try as well.
Irish cuisine tends to be filled with potatoes. According to Daily Meal, Irish people started eating potatoes out of necessity to avoid starvation due to strict, discriminatory agricultural laws. Potatoes became one of the most popular ingredients in several dishes.
Irish cuisine has some similarities with British food and pub food is common in Ireland. There are dozens of dishes that you could make at home. Here’s a brief list of some dishes that you can make to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17.
Does St. Patrick’s Day change every year?
No. Every year it’s on March 17.
When was the first St. Patrick’s Day?
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was on March 17, 1737.
Why is Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated to remember the deceased patron saint of Ireland. According to Britannica, St. Patrick was born in the fourth century. He was kidnapped and taken back to Ireland as an enslaved person. Then, he escaped and came back to Ireland to preach about Christianity and establish churches and schools. He has legends about him and holds an important place in Irish history and folklore.
Irish food recipes
Colcannon
Think of colcannon as buttery mashed potatoes with greens in it. You can either use kale or cabbage (or both) in your colcannon. If you have neither of those on hand, you can also try it with spinach. You can serve it with ham or corned beef or some other type of meat if you like. This recipe from Spruce Eats is great.
Shepherd’s pie
Shepherd’s pie is actually made with ground lamb, while cottage pie is made with ground beef, but either of these dishes is great. Think of this casserole as well-seasoned beef with vegetables and mashed potatoes on top. It’s hearty, filling and delicious — great while it’s still cold outside. Try out this recipe from The Wholesome Dish.
Champ
Champ is similar to colcannon, but they have some differences. It’s a buttery potato recipe with green onions — the difference between champ and colcannon is that champ doesn’t have greens in it like cabbage or kale. This recipe from Spruce Eats is easy to follow. Champ is fantastic with crispy bacon and roasted root vegetables.
Boxty
If you have leftover mashed potatoes, boxty is a great way to use up those potatoes. Boxty is a crispy potato pancake. It’s typically served with green onions on top or inside of the pancake. Think of it as a pancake made out of mashed potatoes and hash browns. This recipe from The Kitchn is a great option.
Soda bread
Irish soda bread is a delightful side dish to serve alongside either beef stew or corned beef and cabbage. You can decide whether or not to add raisins. This is a no yeast bread, so it won’t take you that long to put together. This recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction is easy and quick.
Beef stew
Beef stew is a great, hearty meal. Complete with beef chunks, root vegetables, potatoes and a thick, well-seasoned broth, beef stew would pair well with soda bread on a cold day. Try out this recipe from No Frills Kitchen.