St. Patrick's Day Picks

If you haven’t already noticed, we are big on celebrating holidays by enjoying cheesy, decadent food.  Or maybe, we are big on finding a reason to enjoy all these cheese-inspired recipes, and we use the holidays as an excuse.  Either way, it works for us.  We are firm believers that you can never have too much cheese in your life, so why not use the holidays to enjoy.

St. Patrick’s Day may not be a holiday that everyone celebrates, but you don’t have to be Irish to take part in these good eats.  Here are some of our favorite Irish-inspired recipes to help you get into the celebrating mood.

 

Something To Nosh On

Hosting a party and want to keep the appetizers Irish-themed?  We have some snacks worthy of any St. Patrick's Day celebration!  To start, we suggest serving Gouda and Bacon Irish Soda Bread from Homebaking.org.  We love using our buttery, sweet, melty Cherubic Gouda in this soda bread.  If bacon is not your thing, try the Gouda and Thyme Irish Soda Bread from Hungry Couple NYC.  No matter which loaf you make, we suggest serving some rich, Irish butter on the side to double down on the dairy!

Handheld snacks are always some of our favorite appetizers because you spend less time in the kitchen doing dishes, and more time with your guests.  BA’s Beef Pasties with Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese is our go-to app.  These Pasties may be finger food, but they sure are filling.  We love to use our AmaBlu in this recipe and serve slightly warmed so the Blue cheese melts and covers every bit of steak and onions!

Lastly, we love any take on one of our favorite snacks, NACHOS.  Our recipe for Sheet Tray Irish Nachos uses our Cherubic Gouda, potatoes, bacon, scallions, chives and more to create a flavorful appetizer that will please the masses!

 

Chilly Spring Days

Though we always hope that the luck of the Irish will bring in a beautiful spring day on the 17th, we also are not fools.  Being in Minnesota, we know a blizzard could hit and we will want to warm our bellies with comfort food.  One of the best ways to do that is with a hearty stew.  The Runaway Spoon’s Beef and Stout Stew with Blue Cheese Dumplings is the perfect stew for chilly nights.  Our bold St. Pete’s Select is our pick for the best Blue cheese to use in these dumplings.  It’s strong enough to stand up to the Irish Stout and beef, but light enough that it doesn’t overtake the entire soup.  We like to say St. Pete’s Select “plays well with others” in recipes because it hits all the notes of Blue cheese flavor you need, but doesn’t overpower.

Ooey gooey fondue is another way to warm up on colder nights.  And it’s just our luck that the OG hostess with the mostess, Martha Stewart, has an Irish Blue Cheese Fondue.  We prefer to feature our AmaBlu in this recipe.  Its piquant flavor melds perfectly with the Irish Lager and dry mustard ingredients.

Sometimes you find yourself needing to warm up, but do not necessarily want a meal.  If you follow our blogs, you’ll know one of our most unique favorite pairings is Blue cheese and coffee.  If you have a hankering for a piece of cheese, and need an afternoon pick-me-up, try our AmaGorg cheese with the infamous Irish Coffee from The Buena Vista in San Francisco.  This winning combo is an unbeatable energizing snack!

 

Use Up Those Leftovers     

Traditionally, most Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Corned Beef and Cabbage.  We know you can add some cheese to that meal, but instead we like to keep it classic on actual St. Patrick’s Day.  It’s on March 18th that we get creative with the leftover corned beef.

If you indulged in a bit too much beer or Irish Whiskey on the 17th, have no fear; The Inspired Home’s recipe for Rueben Corned Beef Hash is the best way to start your day.  With the help of our St. Helga’s Swiss, leftover corned beef, potatoes, sauerkraut, rye bread and eggs, you will be ready to take on whatever the day throws your way.  If you celebrated smart, but still have a hankering for some corned beef, we suggest making a mile-high Rueben Sandwich using our St. Helga’s Swiss and your leftovers.  Delish has a simple, yet tasty recipe for your March 18th Rueben Sandwich.

Grab a pint of your favorite Irish beer, a cup of Irish coffee or whatever your drink of choice, and dig into these tasty bites!