Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick’s Day Party

We had such a fun time this past weekend throwing our Saint Patrick’s Day party for my entire extended family.

My mom comes from a big Irish, Catholic family (one of 8!). It’s always such a great time when everyone gets together. For a Saint Patrick’s Day party, it usually means lots of food, drinks and plenty of Irish jokes and songs (in terrible Irish accents of course). 

This year’s Saint Patrick’s Day party was certainly a success. Almost all of the food was consumed (including the bowl of skittles I used as a centerpiece) and everyone appeared to have had a great time.

It makes me excited for the next party (check out some tips on how to throw a party with a toddler underfoot).

Below you will find some decor ideas and recipes I used in order to throw the ultimate Saint Patrick’s Day party. 

Sláinte!

Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day Party- decor and recipe ideas!

Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick’s Day Party

Menu

Besides delicious food, the most important thing to me when planning the menu for a big party is how simple everything is to prepare. I don’t want to spend the entire party cooking. Instead, I’d rather make as much as I can ahead of time, so I can simply pop food in the oven to heat before the party.

  • Appetizers 
    • Shrimp salad on Cucumber: These are super simple, very tasty and somewhat healthy. I used the recipe from SkinnyTaste, but I used real mayonnaise instead of low fat because the low fat versions tend to have more sugar. I made this recipe the night before, and Good Papa helped finish them off the day of the party.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day party- recipes and decor ideas
    • Spinach Artichoke Dip: My mother-in-law made her spinach artichoke dip (it’s nice to have help for a few dishes if you can get it). Her version is SO yummy, but I have also have used this crockpot recipe from Damn Delicious in the past. Just throw in the ingredients and let it go!
    • Mini Sheppard’s Pies: These were a big hit! I think it’s partly because they are just so adorable. The recipe from Tablespoon! was so easy too. I made these the morning of the party and threw them in the oven closer to party time.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's day party-recipes and decor ideas
    • Cheese plate: Everyone always likes a good cheese plate! I usually pick up a bunch of different cheeses at Whole Foods (the people there are very helpful). Buzzfeed has a great visual to help you design your own cheese plate.
    • Veggie plate: Isn’t this veggie tray so pretty? I love the rainbow of colors. I paired it with this simple vegetable dill dip that I found on Six Sisters’ Stuff.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day party- decor and recipe ideas
  • Main course 
    • Corned Beef Brisket Sandwiches: I would have a picture to show you, but the corned beef was gone before I could grab my camera! I found some corned beef brisket at Whole foods and used this really easy slow cooker recipe from NumstheWord. Good Papa threw in all the ingredients the night before the party, and it was ready to go the next day.
    • Sauteed Cabbage and Noodles: I have a confession. I have never had sautéed cabbage and noodles. Once I tried this recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen I could not believe I waited so long. It was ridiculously easy to make and so tasty. I guess most things taste better sautéed in bacon fat.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's day party- recipe and decor ideas
    • Ale and Cheese Soup: This is another one that went quickly. It is definitely NOT healthy, but it is SO tasty. I was able to make this recipe from Closet Cooking the day before and kept it warm in the slow cooker the next day (after taking out the corned beef).
    • Irish Soda Bread: My mom helped me out with this recipe. I know W couldn’t get enough of this bread. She found her recipe on Allrecipes, but she made a few modifications. She baked hers at 375 degrees for 30 minutes then lowered the temp to 350 degrees and continued to bake it 15-20 minutes more. Be sure that the butter is very soft or it will be impossible to mix it with the flour. She used a little more buttermilk (maybe 2 tbsp) to make the dough come together. When she shaped it into a round circle she sunk in the middle a little before cutting the X otherwise the middle doesn’t cook properly. She also brushed the tops with some melted butter. Yum!  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's day party- decor and recipe ideas
    • Green Salad: With all of the not-so-healthy stuff I had served up for dinner, a green salad was a must. Good Papa helped with this one by throwing together a whole bunch of green veggies (e.g. spinach, romaine, green peppers, cucumbers, onions). I then whisked together some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and onion and salt and pepper for dressing.
  • Dessert
    • Shamrock Cookies: My mom (yeah for helpful moms and mother-in-laws!) made a batch of her famous sugar cookies. They are so yummy and pretty. Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day party-decor and recipe ideas
    • Lucky Charms Treats: You can’t go wrong with Rice Krispy Treats. They are easy to make and absolutely delicious. For Saint Patrick’s Day, Lucky Charm Treats are the way to go! Classy Clutter has a recipe for your own Lucky Charms Treats.
    • Fruit Tray with Pistachio whipped cream: Again, I went with the rainbow theme for my fruit tray. I served it with this beautiful, mint-green, pistachio-flavored whipped cream. I got the idea from Live Laugh Rowe, but I whipped up some real whipped cream instead of cool whip because… why not?  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day party

Decor & Fun

  • Turn the centerpiece into a game: W helped me out with this piece of decor by sorting all of the skittles. I was completely amazed that he did not attempt to eat one skittle! Even I had a difficult time resisting them. I thought it would be fun to give away a small prize to the person who guessed the correct amount of skittles.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's day Party- recipe and decor ideas!
  • Get your toddler involved: W also helped me with this piece of decor. I let him go to town with green paint on pieces of white paper. Then, I cut out shamrocks and taped them to some string.  Throw the Ultimate Saint Patrick's Day Party- Menu and decor ideas!
  • Use split peas: Split peas are the perfect green color for Saint Patrick’s Day. I just poured a bunch into some vases, topped them with a candle and added it to the mantel.
  • When in doubt, add fresh flowers: You can’t go wrong with a bunch of fresh flowers in white and green. Don’t forget to pick up some clover  Throw the ultimate Saint Patrick's day party

I hope these recipes and suggestions are helpful for your Saint Patrick’s Day party. For more ideas, follow my Saint Patrick’s Day pinterest board. 
Follow Tricia The Good Mama’s board Happy St. Patrick’s Day! on Pinterest.

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