St. Patrick's Day Recipes: From Corned Beef To Soda Bread, 6 Delicious Dishes To Celebrate The Irish Holiday

With the 2020 St. Patrick's Day celebration approaching, folks in the United States continue to prepare for one of the most enjoyable days of the year. A celebration of Irish and Irish American Culture in the U.S., St. Patrick's Day remains a very important date to those of Irish descent, a time that Irish Americans also used to remember the death of the patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

While the wearing of green and hanging of decorations such as four leaf clovers and claddagh pieces is a major part of the affair, sharing traditional Irish meals with loved ones is perhaps the most important part of the holiday since it's a way to show unity and togetherness among families.

A popular meal many enjoy during St. Patrick's Day is corned beef and cabbage. Different in flavor and texture than many traditional types of meat, corned beef – if made properly – can literally slice without the use of a knife and won't become a chore to chew apart in your mouth. Also, remember bangers and mash are a great option, as well as a heart beef stew and a soda bread for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Check these out!

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage (courtesy of OregonLive.com)

Ingredients

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 sprigs fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound corned beef brisket, preferably home-cured (see note)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 12 white boiling onions or 3 small white onions cut into wedges
• 6 large or 12 small carrots, cut into large chunks or left whole if small
• 2 pounds small red-skinned or mixed-colored new potatoes
• 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 6 to 8 wedges
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• Salt

Directions

• Tie the thyme and parsley sprigs together with kitchen string. Rinse the brisket, put it in a large, heavy pot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the herb bundle, bay leaves and peppercorns, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer gently until the brisket is almost tender, 2 1/3 to 3 hours.
• Add the onions, carrots, potatoes and cabbage wedges and return the liquid to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables and brisket are fully tender, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the horseradish, then season with salt. Cover and refrigerate the horseradish cream until ready to serve.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a large platter. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Cut the meat across the grain and arrange on the platter with the vegetables. Serve, passing the horseradish cream on the side.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage (courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 4 Large Carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
• 10 baby red potatoes, quartered
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups of water
• 1 (4 pounds) corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 6 ounces beer ½ head cabbage, coarsely chopped

Directions

• Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker, pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables. Pour the beer over the brisket. Sprinkle on the spices from the packet, cover, and set the cooker on High.
• Cook the brisket for about 8 hours. An hour before serving, stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup (Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, quartered 3 stalks celery, quartered 3 medium carrots, quartered
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pound plum tomatoes, halved
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 4 cups chopped green cabbage (about 1/4 medium head)
• 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
• 1/4 pound corned beef, cut into thin strips (use leftovers or deli meat)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Pulse the onion, celery, and carrots in a food processor until they are pea-size pieces. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots and the allspice and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are slightly softened about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Transfer the tomatoes to the pot and add the beef broth, cabbage, potatoes, barley, and 4 cups water; cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes and barley are tender about 20 minutes. Stir in the corned beef and season with salt and pepper.

Bangers & Mash (recipe by Food.com)

Ingredients

• 6 plump sausages
• 4 -6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• salt
• 1⁄2cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• nutmeg
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1⁄2glass wine
• 1⁄2chicken stock cube, dissolved in 300 ml water
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Grill or fry the sausages. The healthiest way is to grill them in the oven at 350 F or 180 C for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender.
• Drain potatoes and mash with milk, butter, salt, and nutmeg until smooth.
• For the gravy, heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onions until nicely browned.
• Stir in the flour and then the mustard, followed by the wine. A few seconds later add the stock and allow to thicken.
• Pile the mash onto a plate, followed by the sausages and lovely spoonfuls of the gravy.

Irish Beef Stew (Recipe by SimpleRecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunk
• 3 teaspoons of salt (more to taste)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups beef stock or broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of Guinness extra stout
• 1 cup of hearty red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots and/or parsnips (3 to 4 carrots or parsnips)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• Brown the beef: Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the beef pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
• Pat dry the beef with paper towels and working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over and brown on another side.
• Add garlic and sauté, then add the stock, water, Guinness, wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme Worcestershire, bay leaves, simmer: Add garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, then cover and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Sauté onions, carrots in a separate pan: While the pot of meat and stock is simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté the onions and carrots until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step 2 has simmered for one hour.
• Add onions, carrots, potatoes to beef stew, simmer: Add the onions, carrots, and the potatoes to the beef stew. Add black pepper and two teaspoons of salt. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off any excess fat. Transfer stew to a serving bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Soda Bread (Recipe by Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 cup dried currants

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
• With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
• Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
• Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.