5 Obligatory Irish Foods You Should Be Eating on St. Patrick’s Day

5 Obligatory Irish Foods You Should Be Eating on St. Patrick’s Day

Even if decking yourself in green on St. Patrick’s Day isn’t your thing, odds are you can get down with some traditional Irish foods. These hearty dishes are so good, we don’t wait around for St. Paddy’s Day to dig in — but we’re so glad to have another excuse.

Corned Beef

Tyler Florence treats brisket to a flavor-packed brine, before slow-cooking it in a Dutch oven for hours on end. In the end, he achieves fall-apart Corned Beef and Cabbage you’ll want St. Patrick’s Day or any day.

Shepherd’s Pie

For a comforting main dish that is the stick-to-your-ribs cure on any cold winter night, Melissa d’Arabian’s recipe for the meat-and-veg classic, Shepherd’s Pie, is a go-to. Pile a garlicky mashed potato topping, plus a good sprinkling of cheddar, over a meaty base fortified with dark beer for super-rich flavor.

Irish Soda Bread

Bread baking is notoriously a whole to-do, but Ina’s easy-to-make Irish Soda Bread doesn’t call for any kneading, rising or waiting. Simply throw the ingredients in the mixer to bake a loaf that gains a subtle sweetness from orange zest and currants.

Colcannon

Serve up a traditional Irish side that one-ups mashed potatoes. Tyler Florence’s Colcannon recipe is made with mashed potatoes and cabbage, and it’s killer against that corned beef you already have in the works.

Cabbage

Throughout history, plentiful and nutrient-rich cabbage has been a mainstay in Ireland. Ina Garten’s Sauteed Cabbage celebrates this sturdy vegetable, by sauteing it simply with butter, salt and pepper.

Get more ways to ring in St. Patrick’s Day right here.

[FunFunky]