Irish Best o’ The

Four of our favorite recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

March is the best reason to celebrate all things green, and Irish food is at the top o’ our list!

Irish food is hearty and comforting, with a familiarity and simplicity that makes preparing and eating it so very satisfying. Try some of our Irish favorites and see if you don’t leave the table feeling lucky!

Irish Potato Bites

by Melissa Spelts

12 red potatoes small

1 cup corn beef

½ cup cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. melted butter

Salt & pepper to taste

Sour Cream

Green Onion - one bunch diced

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• On the stove cook your red potatoes in a big pot of boiling hot water until cooked. Our potatoes were done in about 15 minutes. If you poke the potatoes with a fork and it goes in easily, they are done. Pull from hot water and let cool.

• Cut cooled potatoes in half and dig out the middles, savethem in a bowl.

• Add cheese, corn beef and butter to your bowl of potato filling and mix together.

• Salt and pepper your mixture to taste and scoop into the potato halves.

• Place on a baking sheet and stick in the oven for 10 minutes.Remove from oven, serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced green onions.

Makes 22 Irish Potato Bites

Easy Irish Soda Bread

by Sabrina Lee

4 Cups flour

1 egg

4 Tbsp White Sugar

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup margarin, softened

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease a large baking sheet

• Combine dry ingredients and margarine in a bowl

• Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly

• Form dough into a round loaf and place on prepared baking sheet

• Combine melted butter and ¼ cup of buttermilk, brush onto loaf

• Cut an X in the top of the loaf

• Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, check for doneness after 30 minutes, bake time is between 45 to 50 minutes. For added darker crust, you can continue to brush the butter/ buttermilk mixture on the loaf as it is baking.

Bangers & Colcannon Mash

by Cindy Jones

2, 12 oz packages pork large link sausages

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 2” cubes

4 Tbsp butter

1 red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ head of green cabbage, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2-3 Tbsp minced chives

¾ cup milk

7 oz block of Irish cheddar, grated (You can find Irish cheddar in the Smith’s or Lee’s deli)

Salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

• Place the chopped potatoes in a large cooking pot full of cold water. Season with a dash of salt and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 30 minutes.

• Pour 2 Tbsp of Olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Cook sausages about 5 minutes on each side, until brown. Add ½ cup of water to the skillet, reduce heat to medium and cook an additional 15-20 minutes/. When sausage is no longer pink,, remove from pan, cover with foil and keep warm in a low temperature oven.

• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet (no need to rinse it- you want the sausage flavoring left in the pan!) Meld & add red onion. Saute for 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

• Stir in the cabbage and season with salt and black pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add the green onions.

• Drain the potatoes and set awside. Use the large cooking pot to melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add ½ tsp of salt and the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked potatoes and use a masher to mash.

• Stir in the grated Irish cheddar. Once melted, stir in the cabbage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve the sausages with the Colcannon on the side, sprinkle with chives and black pepper. Serve with a side salad or steamed cabbage.

Kendal’s Shepherd’s Pie

by Kendal Rae Jensen

1½ pounds ground lamb (or beef)

2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 egg yolk

8 Tbsp Irish butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups red wine or beef broth

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp thyme

½ tsp black pepper

½ cup frozen peas

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp chives

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.

• Boil potatoes until fork tender and drain. Add cream (or milk), butter and egg yolk and mash or blend with a hand mixer. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set the mashed potatoes aside.

• Brown ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and cook until tender. Add flour and sauté for one minute. Deglaze with the wine or beef broth and increase the heat to high; bring to a boil, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the thyme, pepper, peas, and cook until the peas are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

• Dollop the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling. Spread the potatoes evenly over the stew and all the way to the edges of the skillet. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place the skillet on a baking sheet or large sheet of foil to catch any drips and bake until the filling is hot, the topping is lightly browned, and the edges are bubbly, about 30 minutes. (For more color, turn on the broiler and broil for the last 5 minutes, or until the top is golden.) Sprinkle with chives and serve.