St. Patrick's Day is about more than wearing lots of green and getting plastered—it's also about having a hearty Irish meal first. In all seriousness, though, no matter how you celebrate, a great dinner is central to the holiday. From corned beef and mashed potatoes to stout-battered onion rings and one helluva Irish coffee ice cream, we've put together a menu of rib-sticking fare that'll keep you going full steam ahead all evening long. Want more variety? See our full collection of 24 Irish recipes for St. Patrick's Day!
Corned Beef Brisket, Potatoes, Cabbage, and Carrots
[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
It's too late to start corning your own beef for St. Patrick's Day, but that doesn't mean you can't make the best of a store-bought corned beef brisket. Our recipe cooks in a Dutch oven for a whopping 10 hours, guaranteeing incredibly tender, moist meat. Ideally, get started a day in advance to allow the beef to cool in its cooking liquid—it'll be even more flavorful if you do. That way, you'll also be able to slice the beef while it's still cold, so you can get nice, even slices. Then, when it comes time to eat, all you'll need to do is simmer cabbage, carrots, and potatoes in a pan and gently reheat the beef in some of its cooking liquid. Just make sure to keep some leftovers to make this awesome corned beef hash.
What's that? You're a vegetarian?!? Look no further than this Irish Cheddar Fondue with Stout and Whiskey.
Get the recipe for Corned Beef Brisket with Potatoes, Cabbage, and Carrots »
Soda Bread
[Photograph: Ellen Silverman]
This dense, crumbly quick bread uses baking soda for leavening. Enriched with buttermilk and sweetened with a bit of honey, it's studded with whiskey-soaked cranberries, as opposed to the more traditional raisins. If you're not big on soda bread, consider a slab of nutty Irish brown bread, instead.
Get the recipe for Soda Bread With Dried Cranberries »
Stout-Battered Onion Rings
[Photograph: Caroline Ford]
Onion rings may not be part of the Irish culinary cannon, but stout's totally fair game, right? This recipe capitalizes on the bold, rich flavor of stout, with paprika, honey, and mustard for some sweetness and spice. The result? All the greasy crispness of your typical onion ring with some actual flavor to round things out.
Get the recipe for Stout-Battered Onion Rings »
Champ
[Photograph: Carrie Vasios-Mullins]
There's mashed potatoes, and then there's champ: the mashed potato's creamier, scallion-studded cousin. Enriched with butter and milk, seasoned with salt and pepper, and finished with sliced scallions, it's extra zesty and rich. This recipe happens to include cooking instructions for sausages as well, just in case corned beef isn't up your alley. But if you want to stick with the simple stuff, worry not! You can find ultra-fluffy mashed potatoes right this way.
Irish Coffee Ice Cream With Shaved Dark Chocolate and Candied Pecans
[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]
This Irish coffee-inspired dessert is loaded with buttery caramel, roasty coffee grounds, and a generous pour of Irish whiskey. It's a sweet and creamy, pleasantly bitter, faintly smoky, all-around jolting combination. Each serving is finished off with a crunchy garnish of candied pecans and shaved dark chocolate for good measure.
Get the recipe for Irish Coffee Ice Cream »
Drinks
[Photograph: Nick Caruana]
For those interested in forgoing the green-tinged beer in favor of something a little more stiff, we've got eight Irish whiskey cocktails to lend a little inspiration. Bottoms up!
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