Irish Party Appetizers
St. Patricks party food! Easy and fun.
Here are a few Irish appetizers starting with this one made with Irish cheddar cheese! I love them because they are easy and fun Irish appetizers.
We all have a little bit ‘o Irish when March rolls around, or at least we can pretend, right? So lets start with this is a pretty Irish appetizer made with Irish cheddar cheese! Easy to put together and fun and healthy St Patricks party food.
So here I’m sharing a fun but delicious menu AND a few casual hosting tips!
Green food is just fun…but there is a way to get there without a bunch of green food coloring. And this is a healthy Irish Enter my green grazing board featuring and Irish cheddar cheese. And grazing boards are perfect for entertaining because you can make it mostly in advance.
But even more important then the green food is good food with a hint of Irish. My menu has a bit of both..so take a look and make it all or pick your favorite and keep it super simple. OR, when your friends ask what they can bring….have them make one of these recipes for the gathering.
Green Grazing Board with Avocado Spread
This board is all about the green and letting guests graze throughout the evening. The star here is the Irish Cheddar Cheese. I also made a Creamy Avocado Spread. Perfect for dipping your crackers or veggies in. Click here for the recipe
Beer Cheese Fondue With Irish Cheddar Cheese
Next, the Beer Cheese Fondue With Irish Cheddar Cheese
Now don’t worry if you don’t have a fondue pot. I have made fondue 3 different ways without the traditional fondue pot, and they all have turned out great! The key to any fondue is the heat source. Below are the three alternative methods you can use to make a great fondue meal when you don’t own a Fondue Pot.
Use your crockpot! The crockpot is ideal for fondue because the whole premise of the crockpot is low and slow. This method takes approximately 1 and ½ hours.
Use a double-broiler! This method is most similar to the heating style of a fondue pot. The simmering water at the bottom of the pot indirectly heats the cheese which allows it to melt slowly.
Use a thick-bottom pot. This method is the fastest method for making fondue, but you have to be sure that your heat source is VERY, VERY low. This method is almost foolproof if you monitor the heat. Take it off the burner when it gets too hot, and keep the burner on LOW.
Beer Cheese Fondue With Irish Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese
- 4 ounces Irish Cheddar cheese (or cheddar of your choice)
- 1 clove garlic, grated with a microplane or grater
- 1 cup Irish beer
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of pepper
- assorted dippers
Instructions
- Bring beer and garlic to a low simmer
- Toss all shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the cheese a small handful at a time over low heat until melted. Stir in a figure 8 pattern until smooth before adding more. Do not try to rush this process or your cheese will not melt properly.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients except the bread.
- Arrange an assortment of bite-size dipping foods on a platter. If necessary, carefully pour the fondue into a fondue pot. Serve with fondue forks or wooden skewers. Dip and enjoy!
Notes
When it comes to choosing your own signature cheese combination, just make sure to choose soft, easy-to-melt cheeses with high-fat content for the best cheese fondue. Brie is another great creamy addition to fondue.
• Dipper Options:
Boiled baby new potatoes in their skins — quartered if large
Blanched broccoli florets
Blannched cauliflower florets
Blanched asparagus
Button mushrooms — wiped clean and stems removed
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced firm apples — such as Granny Smith
Cooked sliced hot sausage
Cubed French, sourdough, and/or pumpernickel bread
- Cheese fondue can be made 1 day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently over a double boiler, adding additional beer as needed to thin
the fondue and reach the right consistency
- If your sauce separates, you might end up with clumps. This is easy to fix!
Simply use an immersion blender or transfer the entire mixture into a
blender and process it until no more clumps are visible. Strain and add a
few tablespoons of cream to the cheese sauce and warm it up over very
gentle heat while stirring.
- Even in a fondue pot, you will need to stir the sauce so it occasionally
doesn’t stick and burn on the bottom.
- If you don’t have fondue forks, use cocktail forks or skewers.
- Cube your bread several hours before serving and lay it on a cookie sheet
so that it can dry out. It’s easier to fondue:) Alternatively, use stale bread.
Nutrition varies based on toppings.
Reuben sliders
Now for the star of the show.
Reuben sliders
These little Reuben sliders are so stinking good, they were all gone within the first 30 minutes so you may want to make a double batch.. You can prep them all in advance. And you know what that means???? You get to party at your own party! YAS!!
Reuben Sliders
Ingredients
- One package slider buns, or Hawaiian slider buns (12-count)
- 1/2-1 pound deli or prepared corned beef
- 1 can sauerkraut, well-drained
- 12 slices Swiss cheese, Provolone or a combination (about 8 ounces)
- Topping:
- 1/4 cup (stick) butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup or chili sauce
- 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Make spread by whisking together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Take the lid off the buns but don't separate them. Place the bottom buns on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- On the bottom bun, add a layer of cheese, sauce, corned beef, the sauerkraut (you may not use the entire can) another layer of cheese and more sauce if desired.
- Brush the tops of sandwiches with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are heated through or at least 130 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
Notes
- If making ahead of time, be sure your sauerkraut is well drained. Also, add a layer of cheese to the lid section and the bottom section of the buns. The cheese will keep the bread from getting soggy while in the refrigerator.
- You can purchase corned beef uncooked with cured and with seasoning already on it and cook it yourself using package directions. I toss it in the slower cooker. Or, buy ready-to-eat, sliced corned beef is available in the deli
- Serve with my Guinness mac and cheese for a delicious St. Pat's meal.
- You can build the sliders early in the day and bake them off when ready. To be sure the bread doesn't get soggy, have a layer of cheese on all the bread.
- Serve with a Guinness beer, a light beer with a drop of green food coloring if you feel festive.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
247.13Fat (grams)
22.68 gSat. Fat (grams)
8.08 gCarbs (grams)
2.99 gFiber (grams)
1.22 gNet carbs
1.76 gSugar (grams)
1.37 gProtein (grams)
8.04 gSodium (milligrams)
685.44 mgCholesterol (grams)
42.07 mgIrish Guinness Mac and Cheese
Now for a few of my party tips!
Make it ahead of time. Make and prepare ingredients as much as you possibly can the day before your gathering. And the good news, I share just how to do that. It makes all the difference in the world and is what will make you fall in love with entertaining.
Don’t plan to make too many things. Keep it simple. And take help from the store. I still have to remind myself of this. For this gathering, I was planning the menu above and was also going to make Irish Soda bread. Welp, my day got a bit busy and I simply didn’t want to go to the trouble. Instead, I found an awesome loaf of Italian bread with everything bagel spice on top. And it actually was perfect!
Don’t forget the music! One thing that people often forget when entertaining is setting the mood, and that is where a good playlist comes in. It’s just fun and gets everyone in the mood. Here are a few of my favorite St. Patty’s lists from Pandora. Or goes to iTunes and search for bagpipes or Irish Music. St. Paddy's Day Party Music Patrick's Day CelebrationIrish Celtic Music
The drinks. Finally, doesn’t every St. Pat’s party need a good drink? I always have beer on hand and to make the beer festive, add one drop of green food coloring to each glass! Although green beer is nice, I prefer a pint of Guinness for a more authentic Irish experience. If beer isn’t your thing, try one of these festive cocktails.
Decor. You can do as much or as little as you’d like, But for me, this year I’m buying a bunch of flowers with a hint of green in them and unpacking it and putting it in a few vases to be scattered around. I’ll also pull out my springy green napkins or you can buy some green paper napkins. And finally, no matter what time of day, I always have a few votives flickering away. They just make me happy.
Clean up: To m make things easy, start the party with an empty dishwasher and sink, and empty garbage cans. It makes a big difference and you DON’T want to be doing dishes when you should be celebrating with your friends and family!
So it’s time to get your party on, celebrate the coming of spring, make a few memories and connect with those you love. Because that’s what it’s really all about, right?? Feel free to email me with any questions or thoughts
xx, L