Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you ready to celebrate? I sure am!
Fear not if you are having a party tonight and have no idea what to make!! I've got you covered.
Here's how to make mains for a lovely Irish dinner.
Wash it down with some cocktails. Here are some classy drinks you can make with Irish whiskey, like Jameson, Powers, Bushmills, etc. And if you want to have a little more fun with it, here are some festive drinks you can make, like green cocktails and baby Guinness Jell-O shots.
And finally, you'll want to make sure that your guests are not only fed and watered but that they have all the sweets they could want as well. From traditional Irish desserts to tasty five-ingredient sweets, you can absolutely have it all! Read on for some favorite festive treats:
1. Spiced Baileys Root Beer Floats
Ah, the humble root beer float, one of the most underrated desserts out there. Not that it isn't delicious enough on its own, but if you really want to live it up, why not add an excitingly flavorful, boozy twist and a dash of cinnamon to it? If you want to make this alcohol free, all you have to do is swap out the Baileys for Irish cream-flavored coffee creamer.
2. Oreo Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake with Irish Cream Whipped Cream
Ever had a Baileys cheesecake? Adding a bit of Irish cream to the dessert makes it so incredibly creamy and rich, with an extra depth of flavor, that you'll be totally amazed at how delicious it all is. I'm not sure if I need an excuse to eat this, but St. Patrick's Day sure is a good one.
3. Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream
Beer in your cupcakes? YES! A bit of stout and a drop of coffee will not only keep your cupcakes moist yet fluffy, but it will also bring the most delightful complexity to them. Trust me!
4. Sticky Toffee Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce
If you came here looking for either 1) an actually Irish dessert, or 2) something that is out of this world DELICIOUS, moist and gooey, you have absolutely come to the right place. WARNING: Sticky toffee pudding is super addictive, and I can't promise you won't get hooked on it.
5. Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding
One bite of this stunning comfort dish, and you'll see why it's so popular during Irish winters. With the moist, buttery brioche bread, homemade vanilla custard -- mixed with raisins or chocolate chips if that's your thing -- and crunchy bruleed sugar topping, you might get hooked rather quickly.
6. Irish Shortbread
These melt-in-your-mouth buttery, golden crispy and just slightly nutty cookies will be gone before you know it, so be sure to make extra.
7. Four-Ingredient Shamrock Shake Fudge
Everybody's favorite milkshake just got fudgefied, and it's GOOD.
8. Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
Because why would you ever bake them if you don't have to?
9. Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce
Tender, moist and packed with just barely al-dente apples, you'd think this cake is perfect as is. But then you top it with that warm custard sauce, and you are transported to another universe of decadence. One thing's for sure: Irish people know what they're doing when it comes to sweets!
10. Irish Whiskey and Stout Chocolate Cake
This is about as boozy and rich as it gets for a cake, so you really can't go wrong here if that's your thing.
11. Irish Potato Candy
These adorable and tasty cream cheese, coconut and cinnamon treats don't originate in Ireland. They actually come from Irish immigrants in Philadelphia back in the day, making them the perfect Irish-American treat to celebrate Irish-American heritage.
12. Irish Cream Puffs
Can't get enough of that boozy Irish cream? We're right there with you. Whether you make these with alcohol or not, your guests won't be able to get enough.