Making a festive St. Patrick’s Day spread is a fun challenge in culinary and coloring skills. But if your St. Patty’s Day menu is struggling to move past “potato” and “the color green,” we’ve got you covered.
From breakfast to appetizers to dinners to desserts, the possibilities for shamrock-hued meals are practically endless. Before you reach for a bottle of food coloring, try these mouthwatering dishes that get their signature green hues the natural way.
Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie
Before the green ale starts flowing, give your body a vitamin and mineral boost with a Beginner’s Luck Green Smoothie. A 60/40 blend of two parts leafy greens, two parts liquid, and three parts ripe fruit keeps this nutrient-packed breakfast tasting sweet, not spinach-y.
Super Green Smoothie Bowl
If slurping up a smoothie isn’t your style, consider a super greens smoothie bowl instead. Rather than blending fruits and vegetables and pouring them into a glass, the smoothie is added to a bowl and topped with a wide variety of healthy toppings like almonds, coconut, fresh berries, seeds—cereal for adults, basically.
Matcha Pancakes
In the mood for something sweeter this St. Patty’s Day morning? Luckily enough, we have just the recipe to try. Matcha pancakes offer a festive green-colored spin on a classic breakfast staple, and white chocolate chips add extra sweetness to the otherwise subtle green tea flavor.
Green Eggs and Ham
Whether you’re enjoying this savory breakfast in a box, with a fox, in a house, or with a mouse, these greens eggs and ham are sure to start your St. Patrick’s Day off on the right foot. Rather than using food dye to color the eggs, an easy-to-make spinach sauce is gently folded into fluffy, scrambled eggs and paired with pan-fried ham.
Avocado Deviled Eggs
No celebration is ever complete without a platter (or two) of deviled eggs, and this fresh take on an old classic will change the name of your deviled egg game forever. Creamy avocado acts as the perfect sub-in for traditional mayo and mustard, and their trademark pale green hue makes these poppable bites as festive as they are tasty.
Ricotta Pea Spread
Fresh peas, mint leaves, and ricotta combine forces to create a delectable spread in this incredibly easy-to-make recipe from Country Living. Kick up the flavor (and the green) by adding basil, thyme, green onions, and chopped celery. Serve on chips, crackers, or a slice of traditional Irish soda bread.
Avocado Tartare
Sure, avocado toast is great, but what about avocado tartare? In this sophisticated and nutritious recipe, diced avocado is tossed with capers, Worcestershire sauce, peppers, onion, and mustard. The result? Sheer. Perfection. The tartare is meant to be served with toasted baguette slices, but good luck not eating it by the spoonful.
Cucumber Rolls
These cucumber rolls from Tasty.co check all the boxes: smoky, savory, sweet, fresh, spicy, and simple (our favorite). Follow the recipe to a T or try an all-veggie version; either way, these irresistible and wildly versatile cucumber rolls are sure to stick around in your kitchen’s rotation long after St. Patrick’s Day.
Chef John’s Colcannon
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of creamy mashed potatoes mixed with dark, leafy greens or cabbage, leeks, and green onions, a.k.a. the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day side dish. This particular recipe blends the greens (kale, Swiss chard, or cabbage) directly into the potato mixture, giving the entire dish a festive, bright green color.
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Stay in the St. Patty’s Day spirit and get an extra dose of health benefits by incorporating green veggies into your holiday spread. Skip the hassle of sorting through the produce aisle with this straightforward roasted parmesan broccoli recipe: no muss, no fuss, just crunchy, caramelized, best-broccoli-you’ve-ever-had straight from a freezer bag.
Seared Brussel Sprouts
The thought of adding Brussels sprouts to a holiday spread makes some folks rejoice, and others cringe; if you find yourself in the latter category, we recommend checking out this ultimate guide to preparing Brussels sprouts. Bland, bitter mini-cabbages? No, thanks. Savory sprouts bursting with flavors of white wine, pancetta, and garlic? We’ll take three dozen.
Tater Tot and Green Bean Casserole
Holidays are for eating food you love, not just tolerate, so if munching on green vegetables isn’t your ideal way to celebrate special occasions, try a savory tater tot and green bean casserole instead. Festive-colored green beans might be hiding underneath the crunchy tater tot crust, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right?
Zucchini Noodles
Offset all the ale, Irish cream, and green-tinted desserts with a heaping plate of zucchini noodles or zoodles. A two-cup serving of thinly-sliced, light green zoodles weighs in at around 66 calories compared to the 480 calories of traditional spaghetti. That’s what we call a no-brainer.
Lettuce Soup
Despite its name, this nutrient-rich, vibrant green soup can be made with all types of salad greens, freezes and unfreezes incredibly well, and can be served hot or cold. Better still, lettuce soup can be made with greens that are too wilted for salads but not bad enough to completely toss, meaning you’ll never waste another box of half-eaten salad greens again.
Thai Green Curry
Who says you can’t enjoy Thai food on St. Patrick’s Day? The mild green chilies, emerald green Kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro of this flavorful Thai green curry will keep you in the Irish spirit even if the cuisine is from 6,000 miles away.
Pesto Penne with Shrimp and Peas
Pesto sauce is used in a wide variety of dishes, but our personal favorite is this mouthwatering pesto penne with shrimp and peas. Spinach, basil, and peas combine to create a fresh, earthy flavor that’s beautifully complemented by the savory saltiness of blackened and seasoned shrimp.
Green Tea Swirl Cake
When looking for the perfect “green” dessert, matcha is always a great place to start. This green tea cake recipe makes a subtly sweet, lightly grassy dessert that features an eye-catching swirl of matcha cream filling. It’s like a giant Swiss Roll, but St. Patty’s-style.
Copycat McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
St. Patrick’s Day season also means the return of the ever-coveted McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, but you don’t need to take a trip to Mickey D’s to enjoy this sweet, minty dessert. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be St. Patrick’s Day. This Shamrock Shake copycat recipe lets you enjoy these tasty treats from home year-round.
Moroccan-Date Bonbons
Avoid the post-Irish-feast-slump with these energizing Moroccan-Date Bonbons. These after-dinner snacks are a delicate and unique blend of sweet and savory ingredients, including pistachios, dates, kalamata, cardamom, honey, and orange flower water. The color makes them perfect for St. Patrick’s Day; the flavor will keep you making them long after we’ve put away our “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” aprons.
Creme de Menthe Cupcakes
Remember that bottle of Creme de Menthe liqueur that’s been collecting dust at the back of your home bar for years now? Well, here’s your chance to finally use up that refreshingly minty liqueur. Creme de Menthe cupcakes balance cool mint and mild mascarpone cheese for a delightfully quirky and oh, so tasty St. Patrick’s Day dessert.
