The Paddy’s Day Food Parade is back, folks, and, once again, the floats are heaving with edible delights to help you celebrate the Irish national holiday. Soda bread is as popular as ever this year, as is the combination of beef ‘n’ Guinness, while ice cream, with occasionally surprising ingredients, gets a float all to itself this time ’round. Needless to remark, you’ll find potatoes almost everywhere you look, as is only right and proper.
Click on the links below to zoom directly to your favourite parade floats or browse at your leisure. For your delectation, we have:
– A Drinks float to get you started.
– A Breakfast float, because you’ll be needing some soakage after that early drink.
– A Soda Bread float, because you can never have enough of the stuff.
– There’s a Starters And Sides float to whet your appetite for the dinner to come.
– Moving on to the main course? Try the ever popular Beef ‘n’ Guinness float.
– Beef not your thing? Check out the Meaty Not Beefy float.
– Got room for dessert? There’s a float full of Sweet Stuff right here.
– If you like a bit of cold, creamy dairy goodness, you should skip straight to the Ice Cream float.
– And, finally, when you find yourself with a case of the munchies at the end of the night, the Late Night float is the place to be.
Once again, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated, your efforts are much appreciated. Now, if you’re all quite ready, I’ve got a parade coming through! And if you should have any energy left after the parade, I’m also guest posting over at Boulder Locavore on the topic of St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, so hop on over here to see what I had to say.
(image from sweetlifebake.com)
Forget green beer, what you need to get things started on Paddy’s Day are a few of these Irish Mojitos, mixed by Lori of Recipe Girl. Careful, though. A few of these and you might not make it to the rest of the parade!
Recipe Girl's Irish Mojitos
If you’re going to do things properly, then you really need to get set up for the day that’s in it with a good Irish Breakfast. With his usual panache, Greg from Sippity Sup took rashers and sausages and baked ’em up with some eggs for a seriously stylish way to start your St. Patrick’s Day.
Sippity Sup gears up for an Irish Breakfast with a twist
In her quest to keep the folks in the U.S. informed on authentic Irish recipes this Paddy’s Day, Katriona, a Northern Irish mum living just north of New York City and who blogs at Kat Ate That, made this brown soda bread.
Kat Ate That's Brown Soda Bread
Priscilla from She’s Cookin’ reckons that she’s over the whole green beer thing, and gives us soda bread accompanied by potato and leek soup instead. Beats green beer every time, if you ask me.
She's Cookin' presents Soda Bread and Potato and Leek Soup
Clare from An American in Ireland has clearly adapted very well to Irish living and gives us her hearty Open-faced Irish Beer Bread Sandwich, with a spread made of Guinness mustard, topped with barbecued smoked salmon from Co. Cork. You sure you’re not Irish, Clare?
Open-faced Irish Beer Bread Sandwich from An American in Ireland
Moving to the sweeter side of soda bread, how’s about a flavoured nutty butter to accompany your white soda loaf? Lori from Fake Food Free has made some Irish Soda Bread with Pistachio Vanilla Butter for us. Hope there’s enough to share.
Fake Food Free's Soda Bread and Pistachio Vanilla Butter
The good news for those on a gluten-free diet, is that avoiding gluten no longer has to mean avoiding soda bread. Wendy from La Phemme Phoodie shows how it’s done with her lovely looking Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread.
La Phemme Phoodie's Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
And if you want instruction in the easy peasiness of soda bread making, then look no further than the shining star of wonderful gorgeousness herself, English Mum. Soda bread’s easy, innit?
English Mum's Easy Soda Bread
Who says spuds can’t be dainty and elegant? From my own Daily Spud files, I give you potato slices fashioned into individual serving cups and filled with some smoked salmon or whatever else takes your fancy.
The Daily Spud's Potato Cups with Smoked Salmon
Biren from Roti n Rice says that she’s changed her name to O’Biren for the day that’s in it. She’s also made these tasty looking Green Peas and Mashed Potato Pancakes. As an avowed spud lover myself, I can’t say I’d object to having one or ten of these.
Green Peas and Mashed Potato Pancakes from Roti n Rice
Looking for something a little lighter, perhaps? How’s about a coleslaw from my good self that ticks both the Irish colour and Irish ingredients boxes.
The Daily Spud's Irish Coleslaw
Bit of a late addition, but I couldn’t resist sneaking in these soft, sweet, salty and spicy Green Chile Soft Pretzels from Ozoz of Kitchen Butterfly. They’ll add sparkle to any Paddy’s Day.
Green Chile Soft Pretzels from Kitchen Butterfly
Ailbhe from Simply Splendiferous introduces us to a new Irish Stout – Black Rock Stout from The Dungarvan Brewing Company – though she does revert to Guinness for her classic Irish Beef and Stout Stew. Having tasted Black Rock Stout stout myself, I can vouch for it as worthy tipple for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities and a fine accompaniment to that plate of beef stew.
Black Rock Stout and Beef and Stout Stew from Simply Splendiferous
Can’t imagine anyone who’d mind going all the way to Italy to dive into this version of Irish Beef Stew with Guinness from Tuscany-based Juls of Juls’ Kitchen.
Irish Beef And Guinness Stew from Jul's Kitchen
Annie from Phoo-D gives us her Guinness Pot Roast with Bacon and Parsnips. The beef roast is braised in Guinness and has a bacon enriched gravy that, as she says herself, works magic when spooned over warm egg noodles. I’ll bet it works magic when spooned over spuds too.
Phoo-D's Guinness Pot Roast with Bacon and Parsnips
One of my lovely fellow finalists in this year’s Irish Blog Awards, Kristin from Dinner du Jour, may not like to drink Guinness straight up, but she does like to cook with it. For your delectation she presents Steak, Guinness and Cheddar Pie and she’s got Chocolate Guinness Cake for afters.
Dinner du Jour's Steak, Cheddar and Guinness Pie
Canadian-based Val from More Than Burnt Toast serves up some beef-filled Shepherds Pie with an Ulster Champ Topping. She notes that, in Canada, regardless of whether the filling is made with beef, chicken, lamb or even old socks, it’s still called Shepherd’s Pie, so there.
Ulster Shepherds Pie from More Than Burnt Toast
If you like your beef in meatball form, Zerrin from Give Recipe gives us a dish with the fabulously exotic Turkish title of Kofteli Brusksel Lahanasi a.k.a. brussels sprouts with meatballs. It may have a foreign name, but it’s got Irish ingredients and colours, and no matter how you pronounce it, it’s bound to be a treat on your plate.
Give Recipe's Kofteli Brusksel Lahanasi
Camille from Camille Cooks made what she describes as an ode to the Irish meat pie. Her Cottage Pie includes minced lamb, potato slices, and, yes, it’s that dark beer again.
Camille Cooks Cottage Pie
Mindy from Mindy’s Mouthful brings us her choice of the ultimate in Irish pub food for Paddy’s Day, Bangers and Mash, a firm favourite of hers whenever she travels in these parts.
Bangers and Mash from Mindy's Mouthful
Over at CookAppeal, there’s Green Stuffed Chicken and Twice Baked Irish Beer Mustard Tators on the menu from Chef E. Her pesto marinated chicken rolls are stuffed with spinach and served with twice baked potatoes, laced with my own Daily Spud Irish Beer Mustard. Well now, colour me flattered!
CookAppeal's Green Stuffed Chicken and Twice Baked Irish Beer Mustard Tators
I’m sure Molly Malone never had any trouble finding cockles, though Joanna from Smorgasblog had no such luck, so her Molly Malone Hotpot feature clams and mussels instead of the more famous cockles and mussels combination. Either way, I’m sure a bowl of this would have done wonders for poor ol’ Molly Malone’s fever.
Smorgasblog's Molly Malone Hotpot
Bonnie from Sweet Life Bake has added a green touch to proceedings with her Pepita Crusted Tilapia with Tomatillo Cream Sauce and Cilantro Potatoes.
Sweet Life Bake's Pepita Crusted Tilapia
Well, I don’t know who wouldn’t want a slice or several of this whiskey infused ‘Irish Coffee’ Cake from Barbara of Vino Luci. It’s all the sweeter because she uses it to highlight the worthy cause of raising funds for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research. So you get to have your cake and feel good about it too.
Vino Luci's Irish Coffee Cake
Janet from LaDue and Crew used her stash of Girl Scout thin mints and a healthy splash of Baileys to make her Thin Mint and Irish Cream Tiramisu. She also admits that she has a 12-step-program-worthy thin mint addiction. After eating this, so might you.
LaDue and Crew's Thin Mint and Irish Cream Tiramisu
Though she now lives in the Philippines, Tracey from Tangled Noodle brings us Oaten Honeycomb, a Northern Irish treat by way of her American husband’s family. It’s a simple steamed pudding made with oatmeal instead of flour and comes from a cookbook put together by the ladies of a small Irish emigrant community and church in Iowa, called, quite fittingly, St. Patrick’s.
Tangled Noodle's Oaten Honeycomb
Jenni from Pastry Methods and Techniques, being a dessert-wise and pastry-savvy individual, brings us a sweet Italian dish with Irish flavours, in the shape of these Irish Coffee Panna Cottas. Better still, it looks like she’s got some to share.
Irish Coffee Panna Cottas from Pastry Methods and Techniques
If green is what you want on St. Patrick’s Day, well then green is what you’ve got with these Shamrock Cakepops from Sarah at Maison Cupcake (who, I was sorry to hear, was feeling a bit green herself when working on her parade entry).
Maison Cupcake's Shamrock Cakepops
Michelle from Big Black Dog gets into green ice cream mode for St. Patrick’s Day and serves us up some Hot Mocha with Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream. Somebody get me a spoon, quick.
Big Black Dog's Hot Mocha with Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream
As if one green ice cream wasn’t enough, Michelle from Big Black Dog also brings us the utterly intriguing concoction that is Popeye’s Coconut Ice Cream. Yes, the green stuff in there is spinach, in case you were wondering!
Popeye's Coconut Ice Cream from Big Black Dog
A summer stay in Dublin inspired Natasha from 5 Star Foodie and her gorgeous daughter Hannah to bring us the 5 Star Foodie Junior take on Irish Brown Bread Ice Cream.
5 Star Foodie Junior's Brown Bread Ice Cream
Adrienne from Gastroanthropology gives us her version of Brown Bread Ice Cream made with her own Irish soda bread of course.
Gastroanthropologist's Brown Bread Ice Cream
Happy to attest to the fact that you can’t have too much of a good ice cream, we have more brown bread dairy goodness in the form of this Caramelised Crumbly Brown Bread Ice Cream from Carol-Anne of Carol-Anne’s Kitchen. Simple to make, says she, but amazingly creamy. I’m sold.
Caramelised Crumbly Brown Bread Ice Cream from Carol-Anne's Kitchen
When the revelry is over, and the carousing done, might I perhaps interest you in a classic post-pub pot of tea and a Crisp Sandwich? Sit back, munch on one of these and contemplate the parade that’s been and look forward to doing it all over again next year. I know that’s what I’ll be doing.
The Daily Spud's Crisp Sandwich
Aoife you put together an incredible assortment in your food parade. There are so many things on here that I would love to try. Thanks so much for posting such a glorious spread and for sharing my recipe!
Oh wow. Enough good stuff here to keep me eating the flavors of Ireland the whole year. What a great round up! Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Wow–now *that’s* what I call a Parade, DS!! So many tasty morsels, from soup to nuts, as it were! Would that we could all be in the same room and sample all of these delights!!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and thanks for coordinating this Very Long and Very Amazing Paddy’s Day Food Parade! Now, I’m gonna go admire the floats some more!
What a fabulous parade Spud! Thrilled to see brown bread icecream in there. Listening to the clip clop of the tourist ‘traps’ pass by my window ferrying visitors about The Capital just in time for the parade.
La Phemme Phoodie: thanks so much and delighted to have you joining in on the fun!
Lori: every day’s a good day to taste Irish flavours, glad there’s plenty here for you to enjoy :)
Jenni: I would love to be in the same room as you *and* all of this good food. Someday, Jenni, someday!
Ange: saw some of the gathering crowds as I was heading out of town. Also a couple of lads who were looking for drink at 11.15am in the morning – yep, it’s Paddy’s Day alright!
So many delicious recipes to choose from. Wish we were all gathered to sip green mojitos, scarf down soda bread and all manner of goodues to celebrate.
What a sumptuous roundup of dishes! I’d love to try brown bread ice cream. That sounds like a killer combination.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Love seeing all the wonderful dishes here! Great foodie celebration!
Absolutely fantastic! I have enjoyed every metaphorical float coming past and I might cap it all off with a Bailey’s mini out the fridge! Thanks for squeezing me in at the last minute!!
This is way better than any other parade I’ve ever seen. Everyday should be St Paddy’s Day! I’m just walking home from some errands and every pub is full with people – most with Guinness in hand of course! I’m still pregnant so can’t have Guinness this March 17th (except for the sorts shown here that are cooked =)), but an Irish friend of mine suggested a while back that I have a pint a day for vitamins for the baby!
Bellini: wish we were gathered together too – failing that, I’ll raise an Irish mojito in your honour :)
Phoo-D: oh you must try brown bread ice cream, it’s fabulous stuff!
5 Star Foodie: it is a great celebration and wonderful to have yourself & Hannah starring :)
Sarah: so pleased you made it, you deserve one or several of those Baileys minis!
Gastroanthropologist: well, they do say that Guinness is good for you :D
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Aoife! So glad I finally found out how your name is pronounced over at Toni’s :) Wow…this is quite a parade! I’ll have to work my way slowly through the line-up. Thanks for including me.
a tasty parade indeed, so many great dishes, the sweets really wowed me !!! another hit!! congrats!!
sweetlife
Wow! More fabulous St Paddys day posts than I could’ve hoped for, all in one place!! Thank you for including me, and thanks for the awesomely delicious roundup!!
Now that’s a parade. Terrific turnout! GREG
Biren: Hey there! Yes, my name (or at least the pronunciation of it) can be a bit of a mystery for anyone outside Ireland. Lovely having you join in the parade again this year.
Sweetlife: thanks so much and I’d have to agree that the sweets section was particularly delectable :)
Janet: you’re welcome, so glad you were happy to participate!
Sippity Sup: yep, a great turnout, lovely to see it
I want to run after each one and take a bite!
This was fun and I am glad I got my float in on time…not the last one being chased by all the stray dogs LOL
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Spudsy! Best of luck on planting your tubers soon!
Pay no attention to those that bemoan Irish cuisine! Happy St. Patty’s Day and thank you for this fabulously delicious food parade :)
Thanks so much for this fabulous parade! It’s making me homesick and ohhhh I had totally forgotten about brown bread ice cream! That’s divine! Happy St. patrick’s Day!
Thanks for organizing this! I loved the variety!
Chef E: glad you got to the parade in time (though I would have chased off the stray dogs if need be :D)
Priscilla: believe me, I don’t pay any attention to those who bemoan Irish cuisine! :)
Katriona: thanks for participating – this has reminded me all about brown bread ice cream too!
Mindy: you’re welcome, and so did I :)
amazing produce cooks and photos
Epic!
Well that was great fun – only got to see the full parade on replay : ) Brilliant floats there. Laughed at Tayto sangwich – haven’t had one for ages and now want one! On crusty white bread with lashings of butter… Can’t wait till next year Or maybe a Hallowe’en door-to-door? “Apples or nuts” anyone? Wren Boys outting? See what you’ve started!
That crisp sarnie rocks…..a delightful round up. Thanks
This Paddy’s Day Food Parade perfectly illustrates that this day belongs at the top among food-centric holidays! What an amazing array of dishes from appetizers to desserts and all else in between. I need to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day several times this year, just to make sure I cover all the wonderful recipes here that I’d love to try.
Thank you so much for hosting another spectacular parade! 8-D
Jack: thank you sir!
Tim: *bows*
Ailbhe: brilliant, I love the idea of the Hallowe’en door-to-door (and none of that trick-or-treat stuff, just a few ould apples and a bag of monkey nuts and maybe a crisp sangidge for later :D)
Kitchen Butterfly: thanks Oz, glad I got your pretzels in there, they look pretty rockin’ too
Tangled Noodle: please feel free to celebrate it as many times (and in as many ways) as you like, my dear!
Wow that is some parade! I had hoped to send you on a photo of my trad irish cookalong sambo … but … such is life.
Sorry I didn’t get organised in time to join in, but great list.
Congrats on your Irish Blog Award – I was at the awards last night.
Gillian: ah, not to worry – there will be other parades
Janmary: thanks so much, sorry to have missed you at the awards!
Incredible stuff, need to spend a lot more time checking out the incredibly culinary creativity. Thanks for putting it together.