If you’re planning on preparing a traditional Irish Christmas celebration this year, you’re probably hunting for decadent recipes to serve your loved ones.
Beyond preparing the meals for Christmas lunch, it’s also a great idea to browse through Irish gift ideas and unique St Patrick’s day gifts. These gifts will be the perfect way to tie your Irish-themed Christmas celebration together.
Nevertheless, there’s quite a variety out there when it comes to traditional Irish meals, and we’ve rounded up some of the tastiest options.
Traditional Irish Dinner
Traditional Irish dinner doesn’t consist of one food or one recipe but rather a variety. The traditional dinner is a collection of recipes that creates a full-on family meal buffet.
Roast turkey is the perfect Irish meat, but you’ll also want to prepare a boiled ham. Both portions of meat should be served with a gravy that’s best if homemade.
In addition, cranberry sauce and bread sauce are also essential for an Irish Christmas feast. Bread sauce is made with cream and onions and thickened with bits of bread.
Next, prepare carrots, green beans, sprouts, turnips, and of course, baked potatoes to complete the feast. Serve each veggie in its own dish for a buffet table setting.
Irish Christmas Cake
Christmas lunch is simply not complete without Christmas cake; it’s the center of any festive occasion. This cake is rich and filled with sweet fruits. Even though it’s not everyone’s favorite type of cake, it does serve as the most decorative table topper as well.
With this, Christmas cake is relatively challenging to prepare, so don’t feel bad if you decide on a store-bought Christmas cake that’s beautifully decorated instead.
All The Potatoes And More
Potatoes are a well-known Irish favorite. But you should go the extra mile by preparing regular baked potatoes and baked sweet potatoes as well. Sweet potatoes will also add a bit more color to your dish and a ton of flavor.
There are tons of different ways to prepare potatoes as well, so browse a few recipes before deciding which herbs and spices are best.
Sherry Trifle
Trifle is another beloved Christmas pudding that’s become essential around the table. This wobbly jelly pudding is even more decadent with sherry, custard, whipped cream, and decorative berry topping.
Sherry trifle is also exceptionally easy to prepare, so you won’t need to invest all that time in figuring out the recipe.
Christmas Pudding
Another mouth-watering dessert you can add to your festive meal is Christmas pudding. This iconic festive pudding contains similar ingredients to Christmas cake, although it’s steamed for hours and then served with warm custard, brandy, or white sauce.
Once again, there’s no shame in picking up a Christmas pudding from the store if you aren’t too sure how to prepare one at home.
But keep in mind that traditional Irish Christmas pudding is smothered in brandy and then set alight for a grand and exciting statement.
Mince Pies
Mince pies are a fabulous snack to add to the table buffet. These little pies are not filled with mince, though, despite what the name suggests. Instead, mince pies are filled with dark fruits.
Atop the pies, the pastries usually showcase a star, tree, or another festive pattern. These pastries are also reasonably easy to find in-store, so you can focus your energy on preparing the main course instead of battling to uncover any hidden baking talents you might have.
Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is essential at most Irish celebrations; there’s no better warm beverage to serve your guests during a chilly traditional Christmas. This coffee is a regular strong brew with no milk and a shot or two of Irish whiskey instead. Add a bit of cream on top, and serve.
Other beverages to serve for a traditional Irish Christmas are Bailey’s, rich Irish whiskey liqueur, and cream and cocoa for the little ones.
A traditional Irish Christmas meal is pretty easy to prepare. There’s no right or wrong way to prepare each element of the main course, although it’s best to stick to recipes when preparing the selection of desserts. Otherwise, you can simplify your efforts by opting for store-bought traditional desserts and focusing on preparing the main course.
Moreover, it’s also best to start preparing the main course early in the morning. Roast turkey and boiled ham can take several hours to prepare to perfection.
That said, you can also consider making Christmas gift baskets for your loved ones to take home after the festive buffet.
