St. Patrick's Day Recipes to Take Your Celebration Over the Rainbow (2024)

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What is a good menu for St. Patrick's day? ›

St. Patrick viewed the rainbow as a representation of God's promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. So, the Irish myths and legends of rainbows and pots of gold merged with Christian beliefs to where we are today!

Patrick's Day, the most popular meal is corned beef and cabbage—often accompanied by a green beer or two. The boiled dinner and its liquid accompaniment dominate the menu of Irish bars and restaurants up and down the country on March 17, and many home cooks serve the dish, too.

Folklore depicts leprechauns as mistrustful creatures who detest humans. According to legend, leprechauns found the abandoned gold and buried it again so no human could ever find it. The old folktales tell us that there is a pot of gold hidden where the end of any rainbow touches the earth.

Despite the fact that a leprechaun's gold is unattainable, rainbows remain a staple of St. Patrick's Day and the luck of the Irish.

Apparently, the Irish understood this as far back as the 17th century, when they would say one was as likely to find a pot of gold as they were to find the end of the rainbow. Since then, it has become a fairy tale of gold and leprechauns. I've always believed the expression meant that hard work always pays off.

Irish stew: This is the dish Irish people are most likely to roll out for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Hearty chunks of lamb are slow-cooked in a rich gravy with onion, potatoes, carrot and parsley. Coddle is a traditional Dublin stew with sausages, onion, potato and bacon – or rashers as they're known locally.

Patrick's Day celebrations call for displays of green from town fountains and beer to clothing and food. Speaking of food, green cabbage is a traditional ingredient in Irish dishes but there are more kidney-friendly green veggie recipes to consider for this holiday meal.

What is a good Irish meal? ›

Believed to have been a staple of Irish cuisine since around the year 1800, heart-warming homemade stew remains a firm favourite to this day. To many across the country, Irish stew is the national dish of Ireland. The methods and flavour of an Irish stew vary from person to person and have evolved over the years.

The two types of entree food that people are supposed to eat, according to tradition, are shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage. As for appetizers and St. Patrick's Day snacks, dishes like pudding, soda bread, Irish pancakes, and colcannon are quite popular.

The holiday is a huge moneymaker for pubs as people drink Guinness after Guinness, the most popular drink of the day. The amount of alcohol sold tallies up to billions of dollars, but the average bar tab tends to be reasonably priced.

Sip on green beer, Irish coffee, Baileys and more — cheers! Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like a pint of Guinness or a frosty glass of green beer. While there's nothing wrong with keeping things simple, it's also fun to get creative with your drink menu.

1. Roasted vegetables: Roasted carrots, parsnips, potatoes, or Brussels sprouts make flavorful and hearty side dishes that complement the savory flavors of corned beef. 2. Mashed potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are a classic accompaniment to corned beef, providing a comforting and satisfying addition to the meal.

Patrick's Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.

It's actually pretty simple — corned beef got its name from the dry curing process used to preserve the meat. A slice of beef was covered in “corns” (large, coarse pellets of salt), which would draw out the moisture and prevent the growth of bacteria.