17 Things to do with Guinness for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Also known as National Drink a Guinness Day (I totally just made that up) St. Patricks Day takes on new meaning as you get older.

In college, St. Patrick’s Day meant skipping class to drink beer (or if you lived near campus, drinking beer before class). There was no corned beef or cabbage and the only potatoes involved in celebrating the holiday were late night French fries at the bar.

When you’re in your twenties, St. Patrick’s Day becomes something of a blur – if you live in a city that holds a celebration, it might mean an exhausting whirlwind of parades and pub crawls.

It might mean a baked Irish Soda Bread to bring into work, maybe a brunch that involves alcoholic beverages because, hey – it’s a holiday – but other than the occasional celebratory cocktail, St. Patrick’s Day falls a little short on the Exciting Holiday Spectrum.

When you’re in your thirties, sometimes you forget it’s going to be St. Patricks Day altogether.

Enter, Foodily.

As you know, I’ve been working as a brand ambassador for Foodily for the past several months and have spent a lot of time exploring the site, which lets you search for recipes based on individual ingredients.

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, Foodily is a great way to mix up your holiday menu this year.

Because I feel fairly strongly that there is more to St. Patrick’s Day than green beer and bagels, I searched Foodily for recipes featuring Guinness, an infamous Irish stout that adds depth to numerous recipes.

Mix and match them for your St. Patty’s Day festivities – just don’t forget to buy some extra for sipping while you cook.

For Dinner

Guinness Marinated Bison Steak Sandwiches: Bison meat is leaner than beef and makes for a fantastic steak sandwich marinated in Ireland’s finest brew.

Steak, Guinness & Cheese Pie: Steak, cheese and beer. If you’re trying to impress a guy (excuse the chauvinism) this St. Patrick’s Day then there is no way you won’t adore this dish – a modern day Shepherd’s Pie with a notch more sophistication than the favorite you remember.

Stout-Braised Short Ribs: Embrace your inner carnivore with a recipe that will stick to your ribs — and leave you wanting more at the same time. Serve with roasted potatoes and a green vegetable (for penance).

Guinness Burger with Irish Cheddar and Bacon: Instead of corned beef and cabbage, keep it simple on St. Patrick’s Day with traditional hamburgers flavored with your favorite stout. As a bonus? You can drink the leftovers.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Dark Beer, Honey & Thyme: Leg of lamb is a perfect springtime main dish — but before the trees start blooming, put your oven into practice and use the light flavors of honey and thyme to contrast with a rich, deep beer.

Guinness Marinated Beef Ribs: By the middle of March, it should be just warm enough that you can stand to hang out in your backyard or on your patio just long enough to cook a batch of perfect spare ribs. Using dark beer in your marinade will make them even better.

Guinness Pulled Pork: The “luck of the Irish” is a very real thing if this recipe for Guinness pulled pork is any indication. The best part is that it cooks slow and slow – an

For Dessert

Guinness Float with Irish Cream Ice Cream: Even though Guinness is probably on tap at your favorite restaurants and pubs, it’s more than just a beer for drinking. Add Irish cream ice cream and a chocolate syrup drizzle to make it the perfect dessert..

Chocolate Guinness Cake: Nigella Lawson whips up a chocolate cake laced with Guinness – perfect for any day, but especially a holiday that honors all things Irish.

Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Frosting: Skip Irish soda bread this year in favor for something sweeter. Like its cake cohort, this recipe doles out rich chocolate flavor in miniature form – perfect for portion control at parties.

Guinness Milk Chocolate Ice Cream: People like to sip stout for its rich flavor and creamy texture. Sounds pretty similar to ice cream, right? Use your ice cream machine to whip up a chilly treat – even if the sun hasn’t come out from behind the clouds for the season.

Guinness Bread: If you love carbohydrates as much as I do, you’ll have no problem making your way through a loaf of Guinness laced bread. Perfect alongside dinner – or serve toasted in the morning for a speedy breakfast.

Guinness Pudding with Whiskey Cream: What could be better for an Irish-inspired celebration than a dessert that features Guinness? A dessert that features Guinness and whiskey.

Guinness Brownies: Bittersweet chocolate. Creamy stout. Need I say more?

Snacks and More

Guinness Beer Battered Onion Rings: Recreate your favorite Irish pub fare at home with deep fried onion rings that even the adamant onion hater will adore.

Spicy Stout Mustard: If you are going the traditional corned beef route, make some spicy mustard to slather on your next-day leftover sandwiches.

Guinness French Onion Soup: If you’re looking for a light lunch or appetizer that’s both festive and delicious, opt for a creamy, comforting cheese soup. Because everyone loves cheese (and who doesn’t love soup) this will be a hit no matter how you serve it.

Disclosure: I am a paid brand ambassador for Foodily.com. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.