5 Tasty Potato Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day is a perfect time to break out your favorite potato recipes and share the Luck of the Irish with your friends and family.

Irish Colcannon

Colcannon literally translated means "white-headed cabbage," and its simple name is a good indication of how simple this dish is. A traditional colcannon mixes mashed potatoes with green onions, leeks, or chives, but you can substitute kale or green cabbage as well. Here's a recipe for its simplest incarnation:

Ingredients:

• 1lb store-bought or homemade mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup cream or butter
• 1/2 cup chopped green vegetable such as spinach or broccoli
   

Directions

1. Stir ingredients together
2. Heat on medium for 15 minutes or until heated through
3. Keep on low heat or keep warm in slow cooker to serve alongside your family's favorite roasted protein for a hearty Irish supper.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Regular baked potatoes are for everyday weeknight suppers- bake 'em twice for a special St. Patrick's Day treat!

Ingredients:

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Crumbled bacon, chives and shredded cheese to taste
   

Directions:

1. Scrub potatoes clean and bake them in the oven at 400⁰ for one hour.
2. While the potatoes are cooling, blend cream cheese, sour cream, and butter together.
3. Carefully slice the potatoes open and scoop out the insides, leaving the shell intact.
4. Mix the insides of the potato with the cream cheese mixture, then scoop the mixture back into the shells and top with bacon, chives and shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350⁰ for 20 minutes.

Irish Stew

Known traditionally as Stobhach Gaelach, Irish Stew is a catch-all name for meat and potato recipes combined with onion, parsley, water, and root vegetables and cooked over an open fire. The Idaho Potato Commission offers a simple recipe that's easy to modify to suit your family's taste. Or visit the BBC Good Food website for a slow-cooker recipe that cooks all day.

Potatoes Gratin

If your family craves some cheesy goodness, potatoes cooked au gratin, as the French say, or baked topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, is a certain crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boiled small roasting potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar, Gruyère, or other hard cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
   

Directions:

1. Cut boiled, lightly salted potatoes into thin slices and place them in an oiled baking dish.
2. Top the potatoes with shredded cheese and breadcrumbs.
3. Brown it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350⁰.

Weeknight Roast Dinner

In the U.S., St. Paddy's Day is celebrated with corned beef and cabbage. In Ireland, a traditional Sunday Dinner is more common. Roast your favorite meat such as beef or a whole chicken atop seasoned, lightly oiled new potatoes. Try Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Beef recipe that cooks along with the potatoes and other vegetables. As the roast cooks, the juices from the meat will infuse the potatoes to create amazing, perfectly-cooked potatoes that burst in your mouth as you eat them. (To pass the time while your roast is cooking, try these fun St. Patrick's Day crafts with your kids!)

Hungry for more St. Patrick's Day? Take this quiz to test your knowledge, and learn how to celebrate March 17th with a festive party, too!

Do you have a favorite way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day with your family? Share your stories and favorite dishes in the comments below!