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    Home » St. Patrick's Day

    The Best St. Patrick's Day Recipes

    By Nancy Mock March 1, 2018 Updated February 28, 2023 Leave a Comment

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    Irish soda bread, sandwiches, milkshakes, and a scone.
    Green milkshakes in glasses with whipped cream.

    Céad Mile Fáilte! March 17th will soon be here, so don your finest green apparel, and dig into The Best St. Patrick's Day recipes.

    Green milkshakes in glasses with whipped cream.

    ☘️ SLÁINTE! (Pronounced shlan-sha.) That means CHEERS! It's never too early to start thinking about the best St. Patrick's Day recipes to make to celebrate the holiday.

    Jump to:
    • Why do people celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
    • What do people eat on St. Patrick's Day?
    • Ready for some St. Patrick's Day recipes?
    • St. Patrick's Day Dessert Recipes
    • St. Patrick's Day Dinner And Lunch Recipes
    • Riley/Reilly clan

    Why do people celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

    In Ireland centuries ago, St. Patrick's Day was once a more serious day of prayer and feasts when the church honored the country's male patron saint.

    (Did you know there's a female patron saint of Ireland, too? St. Brigid's Day is celebrated every February 1st: read more about St. Brigid's Day here. There's also a 2023 documentary about St. Brigid, hosted by Derry Girls actress Siobhán McSweeney.)

    Green land sloping to the ocean

    Celebrations arrived in America in the days of the colonies, but grew exponentially as Irish people immigrated to the States in the nineteenth century to escape poverty and the potato famine.

    The celebrations grew through the decades to include not only American-Irish folks, but anyone who wished to join in the fun and merry-making. In fact, according to the History Channel, St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Ireland have evolved to mirror the festivities and even the food of an American-style holiday.

    Hands holding and slicing a loaf of soda bread.
    Traditional Irish Soda Bread

    What do people eat on St. Patrick's Day?

    For American-Irish families, corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner, along with raisin-filled soda bread, Irish beer, Irish whiskey, and perhaps a slice of Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake.

    Glass of amber beer on a bar
    A Galway Hooker

    In Ireland, corned beef and cabbage is not at all a common dish—a holiday feast in Ireland might include homemade scones, a roast with gravy, brown soda bread, and a full Irish breakfast. And some Irish beer and whiskey, too!

    Bottle of Irish cream with whiskey bottle, chocolate chips, and raspberries.

    For Americans who aren't Irish but love to celebrate anyway, the day might include any of the above, along with green food, green beer, Baileys Irish Cream drinks, Guinness, and minty, green milkshakes.

    Irish recipes to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
    I shared these recipes with Amanda on The Morning Brew at Fox Local 22/Local 44 station. Click above to see us in action, and hear me stumble over "cabbage and carrots". Carriage and cabots? Well, she knew what I meant!

    Ready for some St. Patrick's Day recipes?

    • Grilled sandwich with chips on plate.
      Ham and Cheese Toasties, and Limerick, Ireland

    Whether you want to make a hearty menu with Guinness Pot Roast, something traditional like Irish Soda Bread, or a dessert that's green and full of charming marshmallows — there's a fun and tasty recipe here for you!

    Here are my best St. Patrick's Day recipes. There are some inspired by traditional Irish dishes, some American-Irish food, and some that are just for fun. All are perfect to celebrate St. Paddy's Day!

    St. Patrick's Day Dessert Recipes

    • Cream and sprinkles-topped green milkshakes.
      Green Milkshakes for St. Patrick's Day
    • Scone with cream, chocolate, and berries.
      Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce
    • Round loaf of soda bread in hands and on green cloth.
      Traditional Irish Soda Bread
    • Slice of chocolate and whipped cream pie on plate.
      Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Pie
    • apple blackberry crumble with cream
      Blackberry and Apple Crumble & Dingle, Ireland
    • Gray plate with slice of apple pie.
      Vanilla Apple Pie & Inishmore, Ireland

    St. Patrick's Day Dinner And Lunch Recipes

    • Corned beef sandwiches with slaw on rolls.
      Cold Corned Beef and Cabbage Sandwiches
    • Hands holding round loaf of baked brown bread.
      Irish Brown Bread
    • Mashed potato colcannon with beef and gravy.
      Slow Cooker Guinness Pot Roast with Colcannon
    • Grilled sandwich with chips on plate.
      Ham and Cheese Toasties, and Limerick, Ireland
    • Creamy soup in a bowl with cheese and toppings.
      Traditional Irish Potato Soup, and Dublin, Ireland
    • Bowl of yellowish soup with diced chives and cream
      Parsnip Soup with Apple and Curry, and Bunratty, Ireland
    • Bowl of chopped peppers and onion relish.
      Homemade Chilli Sauce & Donegal, Ireland

    Riley/Reilly clan

    My Irish provenance on my mother's side is the family name Riley (it used to be Reilly.) The Riley/Reilly clan crest is below. We recently learned, through a DNA sample and Ancestry.com, that there's a fair amount of Irish on our father's side, too!

    Coat of arms with two lions, a hand, and blood

    More St. Patrick's Day

    • Fruit cake slice on a black plate
      Irish Apple and Blackberry Cake with Vanilla Hard Sauce

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