St. Patrick’s Day is a joyful and festive holiday that is celebrated on March 17th every year. It commemorates the life and work of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday is steeped in Irish culture and heritage and is a day when people come together to enjoy good food, drinks, and music.
If you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, catering can be an excellent way to make your event more special. Here are some of the best catering ideas for St. Patrick’s Day:
Traditional Irish Fare: Traditional Irish fare is always a crowd-pleaser when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day catering. Corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, Irish soda bread, and colcannon are all classic Irish dishes that are perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. You can also serve Irish cheese, smoked salmon, and black pudding as appetizers. These dishes are a nod to the rich history and cultural heritage of Ireland.
Green Food: Green is the color of St. Patrick’s Day, so incorporating green food into your catering is a great idea. You can serve green cocktails, green beer, and green punch. You can also serve green vegetables like spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts, or add green food coloring to mashed potatoes or deviled eggs. The green food symbolizes the lush green landscapes of Ireland and is a way to pay homage to the country.
Potato Bar: Potatoes are a staple in Irish cuisine, so a potato bar is a perfect catering idea for St. Patrick’s Day. You can serve baked potatoes with a variety of toppings like bacon bits, chives, sour cream, and cheese. You can also serve potato skins, French fries, or potato chips with different dips. Potatoes have been a significant crop in Ireland for centuries, and serving them in different ways is a tribute to their importance in Irish cuisine.
Desserts: For dessert, you can serve traditional Irish treats like Irish coffee, Irish cream cheesecake, or Irish whiskey cake. You can also serve green desserts like mint chocolate chip cookies, green velvet cake, or lime sherbet. Another fun idea is to serve rainbow-colored desserts like cupcakes or fruit skewers. Desserts are a sweet way to round off a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and the rainbow-colored desserts signify the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in Irish folklore.
Guinness Bar: Guinness is an Irish beer that’s popular all over the world. Setting up a Guinness bar is a fun way to incorporate this iconic drink into your St. Patrick’s Day catering. You can serve Guinness on tap or in bottles, and offer different varieties like Guinness Extra Stout or Guinness Blonde American Lager. You can also serve Guinness-infused cocktails like a Black and Tan or a Guinness Bloody Mary. Guinness is a symbol of Irish beer culture, and serving it in different ways is a way to honor that tradition.
Irish Coffee Bar: Irish coffee is a classic St. Patrick’s Day drink that’s perfect for warming up on a chilly March day. Setting up an Irish coffee bar is a great catering idea that’s sure to please your guests. You can serve Irish coffee with different types of whiskey, like Jameson or Bushmills, and offer different toppings like whipped cream or chocolate shavings. Irish coffee is a staple drink in Irish pubs, and serving it is a way to bring that tradition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Fruit and cheese platters: This is a popular choice at any party and a great way to offer healthy options for St. Patrick’s Day catering. You can offer a range of cheeses, such as cheddar, Gouda, and brie, and pair them with various fruits.