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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Dinner With the Best Irish Recipes, According to Our Readers

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Dinner With the Best Irish Recipes, According to Our Readers

By BH&G Holiday Editors

Updated January 09, 2020

Lucky us! With your ratings and reviews, BH&G fans have helped us narrow down the 25 best options for St. Patrick's Day dinner. These fresh takes on traditional Irish recipes—including shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soda bread recipes—all earn top marks. We've also included some non-traditional St. Patrick's Day recipes and Irish ingredient remixes. Consider ‘em all the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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1 of 25

Cheesy Beer and Bacon Soup

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Beer-cheese soup gets a fitting St. Patrick’s Day dinner upgrade via—you guessed it!—potatoes. Shredded hash browns join 10 slices of bacon and two types of cheddar in this second serving-worthy soup. While the recipe tastes like it simmered all day, it can be all yours in 45 minutes.

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2 of 25

Smoky Cheese and Potato Soup

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Add a festive topper to this simple potato soup by smearing a dab of pesto on shamrock-shape pieces of toast. The sweet basil complements the warm paprika, curry powder, and smoked cheese highlighted in the dish.

Test Kitchen Tip: For a vegetarian version of this Irish potato recipe, replace the ham with a cup of cooked cannellini beans.

3 of 25

Corned Beef, Cabbage, Carrots, and New Potatoes

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Just 25 minutes stand between you and this Irish potato recipe. Yes, really! The quintessential Irish recipe, corned beef and cabbage, gains tangy flavor from a spicy-sweet honey and brown mustard dressing, and it gets a fast-forward in the microwave (carrots, potatoes) and under the broiler (all of the veg). Add new potatoes and carrots to the dish for one epic twist on meat and potatoes.

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4 of 25

Currant-Orange Irish Soda Bread

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Don’t be intimidated by the concept of homemade bread. If you have one, your stand mixer can do all the kneading for you. Otherwise it’s just a matter of minutes on your own! Traditionally, Irish soda bread recipes were made with just flour, buttermilk, baking soda, and salt, but our favorite sweet-tart twist adds a bit of sugar, fresh currants, and orange peel to elevate the flavor.

5 of 25

Salmon Potato Cakes

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The coastal country of Ireland boasts an array of fresh seafood, and any St. Patrick's Day menu is incomplete without salmon. Combine the flaky fish with chive-flavored mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, and dill for irresistible salmon potato cakes that are ready in 30 minutes.

6 of 25

Beef, Mushroom, and Onion Tart

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Mash-up meal alert! This open-face take on steak and Guinness pie features fresh mushrooms, red onion, and lean ground beef and comes in a format fitting for pizza night. Blue cheese crumbles add tang to the savory St. Patrick’s Day dinner tart that’s sure to please the entire family.

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7 of 25

Panko Roasted Asparagus

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This St. Patrick's Day dinner side will surely make your supper pals swoon. The homemade aioli sauce makes this panko-topped asparagus recipe over-the-top delicious.

8 of 25

Sweet Potato Hash with Hollandaise

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Include the Irish staple—potatoes—in a new way for your St. Patrick's Day feast with this irresistible sweet potato hash recipe. A spicy chipotle pepper hollandaise sauce complements the sweet maple syrup that blankets juicy chunks of sweet potato, onion, poached eggs, and crispy bacon. Psst...this Irish potato recipe is ideal for brunch too, so no need to wait until dinner to start celebrating the lucky day!

9 of 25

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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We all know the Irish love their greens, including Brussels sprouts. With a little sherry, garlic, and fresh herbs, you can transform basic Brussels sprouts into a mouthwatering side dish that's ready in minutes. Pair them with corned beef for a twist on the classic St. Patrick's Day recipe.

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10 of 25

Mustard-Herb Beef Stew

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You don't have to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy this Irish stew recipe. (Although it sure is festive and fun to serve on March 17!) Boneless beef chuck, small cipollini onions, carrots, cremini mushrooms, and Yukon gold potatoes come together in the hearty Irish dinner.

11 of 25

Braised Greens

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While not traditionally Irish, this bowl of assorted greens (we used collard, kale, mustard, beet, and turnip greens) is sure to bring you a bit of luck on St. Patrick's Day. Accent the side dish with ham, garlic, and jalapeño pepper.

12 of 25

Beer-Glazed Sausage and Apples

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Inspired by Dublin coddle—a traditional Irish entree of sausage, onion, and potatoes—this St. Patrick’s Day recipe features juicy smoked sausage, fresh green beans, and tender apple slices. Even better news: All of the above are boiled in your favorite wheat beer. Shredded orange peel and cider vinegar add tang to the well-balanced dinner.

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13 of 25

Dill and Cheese Beer Bread

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Self-rising flour makes this yummy homemade bread a cinch to prepare. Monterey Jack cheese, dill seeds, and dill weed flavor the hearty dough. Bake, then dip in a stick-to-your-bones stew.

Test Kitchen Tip: When choosing a brew for your bread, pick a brand with similar flavors to your recipe. For heavier rye bread, use a dark ale such as Guinness. For bread with fruity notes or a recipe that calls for white flour only, try a lighter lager or pilsner.

14 of 25

Slow Cooker Beer Bread

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Made with oats, white, and wheat flour, this Irish brown bread recipe practically bakes itself in your slow cooker. That way you can focus on acing the meal you’re going to dunk it in. Depending on the entree pairing, choose one of our flavor variations that include white cheddar-mustard, caraway-rye, or honey-thyme.

15 of 25

Braised Beef Shanks with Mushrooms and Olives

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When cooked low and slow, beef shanks provide tender, moist meat, and a rich-bodied stew. Pair them with root vegetables, earthy mushrooms, and gnocchi to soak up every drop of the tomato-mushroom broth that flavors the St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

Test Kitchen Tip: For a lower-carb option, try cauliflower gnocchi in place of the potato gnocchi.

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16 of 25

Squash and Sausage Shepherd's Pie

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BH&G home cook Fred raves: “We tried this last fall and everyone loved it so much it is what we will have St Patrick's Day this year!” Follow his lead and try the flavorful variation on the traditional Irish dish for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Top the pies with nutty mashed butternut squash instead of mashed potatoes, and replace the ground beef with sweet Italian sausage for a little extra punch.

17 of 25

Two-Pea Soup

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Go green with this vibrant soup that can easily be whipped up on the stove or in a slow cooker. Peas are an Irish mainstay, and this recipe gets its name from both the frozen peas used in the broth and the dried split peas that dot the soup. Smoked pork and roasted vegetables keep the soup extra hearty, while lemon juice lends freshness to the St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

18 of 25

Garlicky Steamed Mussels and Littleneck Clams with Pesto Toasts

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Ireland's vast coastline harbors an abundance of fresh seafood that makes for delicious, protein-packed dinners. Pair mussels and clams with fresh herbs, chopped tomato, and a buttery white wine sauce to create this catch of a St. Patrick’s Day recipe. Then dig in to the shellfish and soak up the sauce with crunchy pesto-topped toasts.

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19 of 25

Sweet and Savory Potato Chips

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Whether you call them chips or Irish crisps, the paper-thin spud snack is an all-time favorite. Use regular russets or opt for sweet potatoes for one of the best Irish potato recipes of all time. Then pair with a delicious hot dip to warm up your holiday appetizer game.

20 of 25

Potato Salad with Sausage and Grainy Mustard

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A top-rated recipe for years, this potato salad gets its spunk from a vinegar-mustard dressing, fresh herbs, and dry-cured sausage. (Now that’s our kind of salad!) Green onions and parsley give the Irish potato recipe bright flavor and a bit o' green.

21 of 25

Corned Beef and Cabbage

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Plug in your slow cooker and prepare to set and forget a scrumptious holiday supper. An Americanized take on traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage, this one-pot meal requires just five ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time. Serve with a mug of cold beer for St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

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22 of 25

Creamy Potato Casserole

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Loosely inspired by the Irish dish called champ, this creamy potato dish incorporates spring onions, cream cheese, butter, and milk. What really makes this Irish potato recipe a champ, though? The ham and Dijon-style mustard that add complexity to the hearty spud casserole.

23 of 25

Irish Stew

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Looking for a classic Irish stew recipe? We got you! This one's bubbling with seasoned lamb, tender turnips, and—of course—potatoes. Round out the holiday meal with your favorite Irish soda bread recipe.

24 of 25

Pressure Cooker Country Lamb Stew

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Try the fast pass (Instant Pot) or the low and slow (slow cooker) version of this Irish stew recipe. Either way, you’ll be blown away by the tender, succulent lamb and the rich broth. Cool off the hot dish with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt, then serve over a bed of couscous if you’re in the mood for another serving of starch.

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25 of 25

Chicken and Dumplings

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Come March, cozy comfort food chicken isn't complete without dumplings. This Irish chicken recipe tags in sage-simmered veggies and homemade gravy for the ultimate St. Patrick's Day dinner. If those flavors didn’t convince you to give this Irish recipe a try, perhaps this review from reader Bonnie will: “It smelled like heaven in my kitchen.”

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