St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
Your food doesn’t have to be green and covered in shamrocks and leprechauns to be a festive St. Patrick’s Day treat. Skip the green icing cupcakes and opt for traditional Irish favorites to truly celebrate the holiday. Here are a few of our picks for delicious (and fairly easy) St. Patrick’s Day foods to cook in your beautiful cabin in the Smoky Mountains.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage, Carrots and Potatoes
www.foodandwine.com
This Irish-American dish is classic, hearty, and perfect for a cool mountain evening in the cabin. And because it’s made in the slow cooker, you can let it cook while you play games and hang out around the cabin.
Ingredients
- 1 (6 ½ lb) corned beef
- 6 heads of garlic
- 10 cups water
- 6 medium carrots, peeled
- 6 medium red potatoes, halved
- 1 (2 lb) head of green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
- mustard and horseradish, for serving
Directions
Put the corned beef in a large slow cooker. Add the garlic and 6 cups of water, cover, and cook on high for 5 hours and 30 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups of water and cook on low until the corned beef is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the corned beef to a large pan and cover with foil. Discard the garlic.
Add the carrots and potatoes to the cooker, cover, and cook on high until almost tender, about 2 hours. Add the cabbage wedges and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. On a carving board, carve the corned beef across the grain into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Keeping the slices together, return the meat to the slow cooker and cook on low until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve the corned beef and vegetables in the cooking liquid, passing mustard and horseradish at the table.
Basil Beer Bread
www.realsimple.com
Like the classic Irish soda bread, this beer bread will be a warm side during in-cabin meals or a nice, easy snack to grab while playing games in the cabin.
Ingredients
- olive oil for baking sheet
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (¼ oz) package active dry yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup (3 oz) grated Parmesan
- 1 (12 oz) bottle beer, preferably ale
- flour for work surface
- 1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a baking sheet. In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Add beer and mix just until dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with basil and knead gently, just until incorporated. Shape dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet.
Bake until loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
www.realsimple.com
This filling Irish favorite is a full meal in one dish. When you don’t want to leave the cabin, serve up this tasty meal to enjoy with family and friends at your own dining table or while looking out over the beautiful Smoky Mountains!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
- ¼ cup (1 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
- 1 (16 oz) package mashed potatoes, refrigerated or frozen and thawed
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.
Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon into a baking dish. Mix the cheese (if desired) with the potatoes in a bowl. Spread over beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes. Divide among plates.
Potato Scones
www.allrecipes.com
Enjoy these scones as a breakfast side or a tasty snack. You can serve them with butter and add some extra flavor with spices, onion, or pepper.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked potatoes
- 4 oz self-rising flour
- 2 oz butter
- ½ pinch salt
Directions
Heat a lightly greased griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Mash potatoes with flour, butter, and salt until a stiff dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough lightly and roll dough out to about ½ inch thick. Cut into 6 triangular wedges.
Working in batches, cook scones, turning once on hot griddle until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.