Our Best St. Patrick's Day Recipes: Food & Drink

By John Scroggins | March 15, 2019 10:39 pm Follow @scrogdogg

St. Patrick’s Day has been observed as a religious holiday in Ireland for more than a millennium. It began as a day to honor the late bishop of Ireland and the country’s primary patron saint, who died in the fifth century.

Celebrating The Emerald Isle

Traditional celebrations involved attending morning mass with celebrations in the afternoon. Since it falls during Lent, restrictions on eating meat were waived and traditional Irish foods such as bacon and cabbage were enjoyed, along with dancing and libations.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world with parades, special events, and even turning the Chicago river green. If you’re planning your own celebration or attending someone else’s, here are some great St. Patrick’s Day recipes to make you shine. You can find our roundup of more than 20 St. Pat’s appropriate cocktails here.

Irish Cream Dip with Brownie Brittle

Irish Cream Dip with Brownie Brittle. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

A delicious twist on your normal dessert dip, this boozy Irish Cream Dip with a homemade mint whipped cream is light, fluffy, and creamy in all the right ways. Recipe from the kitchens of The Food Channel.

Mini Minted Mashed Potato Martini

Smooth, minty and chocolaty- delicious, this butter mint recipe jumps outside the box by infusing the creamy goodness of potatoes – along with a splash of peppermint Schnapps to create the perfect ending to an Irish feast.

Mini Minted Mashed Potato Martini. Photo: Laura Kurella.

This recipe for a leprechaun-sized Mini Minted Mashed Potato Martini offers a small but spirited way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day from our culinary contributor Laura Kurella.

Dublin Coddle with Soda Bread Dumplings

Coddle means to barely simmer, so this recipe is a true Irish Coddle made with kale or other spring greens.

Dublin Coddle with Soda Bread Dumplings. Photo: Jim Bailey.

Coddle means to barely simmer, so this recipe is a true Irish Coddle made with kale or other cooked greens. Recipe is from Guest Chef Jim Bailey, The Yankee Chef.

Beef and Guinness Stout Pie

Beef and Guinness Stout Pie. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

Beef and Guinness Stout Pie is a traditional Irish pub favorite that features creamy rich Guinness Stout-braised beef with caramelized mushrooms and fresh thyme. Recipe from the kitchens of The Food Channel.

Irish Nachos with Cider-Braised Onions

Irish Nachos. Recipe and images by Lori Rice for the National Onion Association.

Add a creative twist your St. Patrick’s Day menu this year with these Irish Nachos! Why Irish? Homemade potato chips serve as the base instead of tortilla chips! Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

A great way to save leftover, going-stale, bread from being wasted by making bread pudding! This recipe is an insanely delicious twist on traditional bread pudding, made with chocolate and Kahlua coffee liquor and drizzled with a homemade Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Cream Sauce!

Chocolate Bread Pudding. Photo: Ace Champion.

This recipe is an insanely delicious twist on traditional bread pudding, made with chocolate and Kahlua coffee liquor and drizzled with a homemade Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Cream Sauce! Recipe from Guest Chef Ace Champion.

Fresh Irish Spring Rolls

Fresh Irish Spring Rolls. Photo: Lance Mellenbruch.

Inspired by the typically deep fried Irish egg roll, our Irish Spring Roll recipe features a cabbage wrap filled with a delicious corned beef mixture of fresh ingredients, making it a lighter alternative that still packs a flavorful punch! This recipe is from the kitchens of The Food Channel.