5 Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

We are celebrating this week—spring forward to longer days and have fun on St. Patrick’s Day! We're having baked potatoes, beef stew, and of course, shamrock shakes.

By
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel began testing recipes for Simply Recipes in 2018. She started her food blog in 2017 and taught children's baking classes around Seattle.
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Published February 25, 2022
Rachel Knecht
March Meal Plan Week 3

For St. Patrick's Day, my elementary school-aged kids built leprechaun traps in the classroom. They were thrilled when they later returned to mayhem caused by the leprechauns. That's so much more fun than when I forgot to wear green to school—I got pinched all day long!

We're skipping the mayhem and pinching at my house this year. Instead, I'll buy the boys a box of Lucky Charms for breakfast along with miniature pots filled with golden chocolate coins.

Beyond chocolate coins and themed cereal, we’ll spend the week noshing on our favorite green spring-inspired and Irish dishes. We’ll eat spanakopita twice-baked potatoes, and I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to make slow cooker Guinness beef stew. I suggest serving Irish soda bread with the skillet lemon rosemary chicken. In-season greens make an appearance in the pan-seared pork chops. If ever there was a week to make shamrock shakes, this is it!

  • Spanakopita Twice-Baked Potatoes

    Spanakopita twice baked potatoe sliced open with a fork on a white plate with an arugula and tomato salad.

    Alison Bickel

    Turn twice-baked potatoes into a vegetarian main course. Bake russet potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and mix it with Greek yogurt, spinach, dill, and feta cheese. Spoon the filling back into the potato shell and bake until warmed through. Make sure to thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible so you don't end up with soggy potatoes.

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  • Artichoke and Shrimp Risotto

    Artichoke and shrimp risotto on shallow bowl.
    Elise Bauer

    Canned artichokes, shrimp, and clam juice are combine for a quick, cozy, spring dinner. Save the liquid from the can of artichokes and add it to the risotto for a stronger artichoke flavor.

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  • Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

    Single serving of Slow Cooker Guinness Stew with chunky potatoes, carrots and beef
    Elise Bauer

    Enjoy tender cubes of beef, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes for an early St. Patrick’s Day celebratory meal. The slow cooker makes this dinner doable on a weeknight. Use Guinness extra stout and not draught for the best full-bodied and balanced flavor.

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  • Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Garlic and Greens

    Pork chops with greens on white plate.
    Sally Vargas

    Whether you use boneless or bone-in pork chops, brining guarantees it remains juicy. It takes 5 minutes to make the brine, then the pork rests in it for 8 hours, so make it before heading to work or even the night before. The hearty greens get tossed in the skillet to soak up all the tasty pan juices while the pork chops rest.

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    Continue to 5 of 6 below.

  • Skillet Lemon Rosemary Chicken

    Skillet chicken.
    Elise Bauer

    Marinate skin-on chicken thighs in an herb and lemon mixture for an hour or overnight, and sear in a skillet. Before popping the chicken in the oven to finish cooking, add garlic and onions. It’s an easy, flavorful meal that would should be served with this Irish soda bread schmeared with a pat of salted butter.

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  • Copycat Shamrock Shake

    McDonald’s Shamrock Shake with green sprinkles.
    Elana Lepkowski

    Skip the drive-thru and make a homemade version of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. Mint extract flavors the vanilla ice cream shake. Top it with a swirl of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Make it boozy with a dash or splash of vodka, whiskey, or Irish cream.

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