St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year so I think Saturday, March 16 would be the perfect night to host a party at home. Make it a family friendly event or adults only, don your best green attire, and let the fun begin with these 6 ideas for a festive Saint Patrick’s Day party.
FOOD:
There are an array of dishes that reflect the Irish theme, like fish & chips, Reuben sandwiches, and Irish stew. Shepherds pie is another traditional meal and the idea of making mini pies for individual servings takes this Irish dish to another level. Use ceramic ramekins (get them for a $1 at the Dollar Tree) or look online for a resource for disposable mini pie tins to make them in.
Individual Shepherds Pies
Serves 8 individual ramekins, or 4 small baking dishes.
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 – 15 oz can Beefy Mushroom soup
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup cooked peas
- 1 cup sliced carrots, cooked
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
- Cook ground beef all the way through, and drain excess fat. Add soup and cornstarch to beef and continue cooking on high until it reaches a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes while stirring; reduce to low until thickened.
- Add peas and Worcestershire to meat mixture, and combine.
- Begin layering in small ramekins or baking dishes: meet mixture, carrots, mashed potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, and serve.
To make this recipe even easier, I used steamer bags from the frozen vegetable section, and prepared mashed potatoes from the refrigerator section. This dish is not only delicious, but filling too, so smaller servings might be better if you’re serving several other items.
BAR:
Everyone wants to find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so why not set one up at the party! This idea is perfect for the bar or drink station, and adds whimsy without being too kitschy. For this idea I hung strips of ribbon in rainbow colors, as the backdrop. A gold tray is filled with gold coins (from the party store) and drinks are nestled inside. Make it a cocktail or fill glasses with green fruit punch for the kids.
DRINK:
A signature cocktail is always in order for a themed party. A “green leprechaun” can be served and topped with gold edible glitter for garnish. Here’s a recipe that will work for any green themed occasion…
Green Leprechaun
- 1 oz Midori
- 1 oz pineapple flavored vodka
- 3 oz Sprite
Combine over ice and strain into martini glass.
ACTIVITY:
There seem to be so many traditions around St Patrick’s day that revolve around “finding” things. Finding a pot of gold, finding a 4 leaf clover, finding a leprechaun… If you want to introduce an activity to your party that doesn’t involve much actual activity (my favorite kind) then this “find the lucky shamrock” will be up your alley. The idea is to let guests pick out a shamrock from the bag. Whoever picks the lucky number 7, wins a prize. I would suggest having at least 3 lucky shamrocks in the bag to make it more interesting. This could work well for adults and children alike, just tailor your prize to the audience.
SWEETS:
Make these shamrock cookies to add to the dessert table. All you need to do is start with this shortbread cookie recipe and add green food coloring to the dough. Cut out the cookies using a shamrock cutter from the craft store, and bake. Other options are cupcakes with green tinted frosting, rice krispies treats cut out with the shamrock cookie cutter, and of course, Irish coffee to wash it all down.
FAVORS:
Send guests home with favors that continue the theme of the night: shamrocks, gold coins, and the color green. Fill small muslin bags with chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. Embellish the bag with felt shamrock stickers and place them together in a bowl for guests to grab.
Each of these ideas is simple to re-create and together they form the basis of a fantastic themed party. For more ideas for all occasions visit my blog, Celebrations At Home. Cheers!
