St. Patrick's Day Party Food Ideas

by Nay Moon

Overview

On March 17th, it is tradition to don the emerald clothing, hoist the green beer and drink a toast to St. Patrick, the most noted patron saint in Ireland. The food staples that are associated with this holiday can be made into fun and simple finger foods to be served at any Erin Go Bragh celebration. Have fun with the menu, stock up on Guinness and the party goers will say sláinte to the host. (sláinte in Irish Gaelic means cheers).
Corned Beef & Cabbage

Want to incorporate the left over corned beef, cabbage and potatoes into your party fare? Make some roll-ups. Using ready made dough, just flatten, fill and bake. Cabbage rolls are another easy solution to leftovers. Blanch cabbage leaves, fill, and roll. Seal the leaf to tuck contents in. Brush with butter and bake until steamy. A flavorful alternative to plain dip is blending cream cheese, with a little milk, minced corned beef and cabbage. Add some chives for flavor and serve.

Potatoes & Greenery

The customary Boxty is a potato pancake that can be served alone or rolled and filled with anything you like. Try sliced beef cooked in Guinness gravy or an apple rhubarb mix. Bacon potato puffs are an alternative to the usual potato dishes. These deep fried treats are as high on calories as they are on praise. Greening up the table without foliage can be a challenge. Spinach dip is a yummy alternative to green food coloring, and there are a plethora of recipes available to suit any food lifestyle.
Desserts and Scones

Irish cheesecake is certain to wow any crowd. Using any cheesecake box mix, replace 1/2 cup of the milk with Irish cream. Continue as directed. An Irish coffee cake is easy to whip up and goes quickly among guests. With a spice box cake mix, substitute 1/3 cup Irish whiskey, 1/3 cup Irish cream and the remainder with strong coffee for water. Add rest of ingredients and bake as directed. It may be served with whipped cream or scoops of ice cream. Scones are a light, slightly sweet ending to any meal. Box mixes can be found at the local grocery store. If you are not that ambitious, ready made scones of all flavors can be found at a bakery or coffeehouse.