7 Irish Potato Dishes To Enjoy for St. Patrick’s Day
February 19, 2016
I love experimenting with new flavors in the kitchen and there is no better excuse to try something new than a holiday. Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, I thought I would share a few of my family’s favorite dishes.
Of course, we all know that Ireland is famous for potatoes. By the 1700’s, potatoes were already being grown all over Ireland. The weather in Ireland tends to be cloudy and damp which was never very good for growing grains but ended up being just perfect for growing potatoes. During the 1800’s, Ireland was hit by a potato famine which resulted in the deaths of almost a million people. Many more decided to leave Ireland for other countries.
7 Irish Potato Dishes To Enjoy for St. Patrick’s Day
I’m sure there are many variations on how to prepare these family favorites. A quick search on Google or Pinterest will probably give you a dozen (or two) different recipes to try.
- One of our favorite Irish potato dishes is Colcannon, which is a dish containing layers of potatoes, cabbage, and onions that has lots of butter and heavy cream to make it a delicious creamy side dish that everyone enjoys.
- An Irish Coddle is a stove top dish made of sausage, potatoes, bacon and onions. If you have any leftovers, it’s even better reheated the day after.
- Make a big pot of Irish Stew for dinner one evening and you’re family will thank you. Irish Stew typically contains mutton or lamb along with potatoes, carrots and onions.
- Boxty is a sort of potato pancake that’s made with grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, flour, buttermilk, and egg. It’s cooked much the same way that a pancake is except it’s served for dinner with gravy instead of syrup.
- Corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potato. Another family favorite, corned beef is boiled along with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Remember to use the leftover corned beef in sandwiches the next day.
- There are a variety of different ways to make Shepherd’s Pie. However you make it, it’s layers of leftover meat and vegetables that are topped with creamy mashed potatoes which are then baked until golden brown.
- Irish potato soup is an excellent way to warm up on a cold day. Just make your favorite cream of potato soup but remember to add leeks while cooking to give it a bit more Irish influence. It also tastes delicious topped with crumbled bacon.
Which of these Irish potato dishes will you be enjoying this year?
