IRISH RECIPES TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Here in Pittsburgh, St. Patrick’s Day is no joke. There are parades, bars open in the wee hours of the morning, and pretty much every neighborhood has some sort of celebration 🎉

We have some ideas to spice up your St. Patty’s Day celebrations and complement your stout on what is sure to be a great day!

Cuddle-up Irish Coddle

Soups and stews are the perfect way to warm your hands and hearts on what is often a very chilly holiday. This Irish Coddle will be perfect for after the parade when you need to thaw out from the cold! Toss it in a bowl with some classic Irish soda bread and you’ll have a good, hearty meal for your St. Patty’s Day party crew.

Ingredients

12 ounces center cut bacon, divided into thirds
1 package Uncle Charley’s Pork Sausage, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 3–5 sprigs fresh)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 3–5 sprigs fresh)
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken broth
12 ounces Guinness or other stout beer (one standard bottle)
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 6 large potatoes)
1 large leek, thinly sliced

Directions

Cook bacon in a large skillet until the edges begin to turn brown. Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towels. Reserve fat for later.
Cook Uncle Charley’s Pork Sausage in the same skillet, adding the reserved bacon fat if needed to prevent sticking. (If using a breakfast sausage, break it into pieces using your fingers before placing it into the pan. If using a sausage that is in large links, keep intact, then slice after cooking or while it is still frying.) Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Place onions in the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and softened, about 6-8 minutes.
Layer cooked onions in the bottom of a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven. Place bacon on top of onions, and sausage on top of bacon.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add minced garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
Pour in chicken broth and the bottle of stout beer.
Spread potatoes and leeks evenly over the top.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cover and place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Place the covered pan into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
Serve warm, ladled into bowls.

Irish Stew with a Twist

Another classic recipe to serve up to everyone on St. Patrick’s Day is Irish Stew. While it is traditionally served using lamb, we thought we’d spice it up with our tasty Pork Sausage!

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 packages Uncle Charley’s Pork Sausage
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 c. low-sodium beef broth
1 (16-oz.) bottle Guinness
2 tsp. fresh thyme
Freshly chopped parsley, for serving

Directions

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Season the Pork Sausage with salt and pepper, then add to the pot and cook on all sides until seared, 10 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Transfer beef to a plate.
In the same pot, add remaining tablespoon oil and cook onion, carrots, and celery until soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add beef back to Dutch oven, then add potatoes, broth, beer, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer until beef and potatoes are tender, 30 minutes.
Garnish with parsley before serving.

Sides to Serve up Some Luck

Need some side dishes to fill out your meal? We have a few ideas up our sleeves.

A popular food, as you may have noticed just from the recipes we’ve shared, is potatoes! The options with that starchy root are endless. A few ideas to use them on the side are:
Roasted Potatoes (you can add some cabbage and Uncle Charley’s Hot or Sweet Sausage to create a main dish, too!)
Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Mustard Roasted Potatoes
Potato Pancakes

Have the best St. Patty’s Day! Share pictures of yourselves in your St. Patrick’s Day attire eating your Uncle Charley’s – we’d love to see your celebrations 🍀