Saint Patrick’s Day in the United States always means corned beef, cabbage, and plenty of potatoes. It’s hard to go wrong with a one-pot meal, so try your hand at making your own dessert – either baking up your own soda bread, or trying a more modern oatmeal apple stout cake. However you plan your dinner, be sure to have enough drinks, as the day is best marked by Irish exports like Guinness stouts and Jameson whiskey.
Take a look at these classic and modern recipes for inspiration for your Saint Patrick’s Day dinner and dessert.
Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes
The staple meal for Irish Americans – make sure you leave enough time for your corned beef to cook by starting it in the afternoon. Be sure to pick up a loaf of rye bread for guests to make corned beef sandwiches, or for the next day’s leftovers.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds corned beef brisket (with spice packet)
- 10 small red potatoes
- 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces
- 1 large head of cabbage, cut into small wedges
Directions:
- Place corned beef in large pot or crockpot and cover with water.
- Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef.
- Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You will have to simmer the meat for approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
- Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
- Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid left in the crockpot or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain, and serve.
Irish Soda Bread
Saint Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be Saint Patrick’s Day without Irish soda bread. Serve warm with butter or jam.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- ½ cup margarine, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup caraway seeds or 1 cup raisins (or a combination of the two, if desired)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and margarine.
- Stir in 1 cup buttermilk and an egg. Stir in caraway seeds and/or raisins.
- Put dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it a bit. Shape dough into a round mound and place on prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup buttermilk and ¼ cup melted butter. Brush the loaf with this mixture, and then use a sharp knife to cut an “X” in the top of the loaf.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Begin checking the loaf at 30 minutes, and brush occasionally with the buttermilk and butter mixture as it bakes.
Oatmeal Apple Stout Cake with Whiskey Cream
This is a foodie’s take on dessert if you are tired of soda bread, and produces a moist, flavorful loaf. It tastes great with and without the cream, and can be served with fruit as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- 11/2 cups Guinness or other dark stout beer
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup neutral oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 1-2 tablespoons whiskey
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and extra for dusting
Directions:
- Put oats in a bowl and add the stout, then let sit for 1-2 hours until the oats are completely soaked.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a loaf pan, and put parchment paper on the bottom.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, beat the oil, sugars, and eggs together until the mix is well-combined and slightly creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix together. Add ½ of the oatmeal-stout mixture and combine. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in the apples.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate or rack. Dust the loaf with powdered sugar.
- Make the whiskey cream topping by beating the cream, whiskey, and powdered sugar together until the mix forms a soft peak when you lift up the mixers.
- Cut the loaf into thick slices, and dust with more powdered sugar and top with the whiskey cream.
Shamrock Shake
Give the kids a special drink to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day – a mint green shake just like the one sold at McDonald’s, but homemade!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 ¼ cups low fat milk
- ¼ teaspoon mint extract
- 8 drops green food coloring
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
- Pour into two 12-ounce cups and serve with a straw (serves 2).
- Enjoy!