3 BEST Healthy St. Patrick's Day Recipes and Menus

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Whether you want to serve traditional Irish fare, cook with beer or go with a green theme, we have a variety of healthy St. Patrick's Day recipes for you to choose from. We hope a few of these St. Patty's dishes make it onto your table for a delightful—and healthful—celebration this March 17.

1. Corned Beef Hash

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups diced cooked potatoes, or frozen hash-brown potatoes
• 1 cup chopped lean corned beef brisket, (4 ounces, see Tip)
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 large eggs

• PREPARATION

  1. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute; until it starts to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring, until they brown in spots and become crusty, about 8 minutes more. Stir in corned beef and broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 5 to 8 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, fill a large skillet with 2 inches salted water and bring to a gentle simmer. Break eggs, one at a time, onto a saucer and slide into the simmering water. Poach eggs until set to desired firmness, 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Divide hash among 4 plates. Place eggs on top of hash.

TIPS & NOTES

• Tip: Corned beef can be purchased at your supermarket deli. Be sure to specify lean: it has 1 gram fat per ounce and an ounce of regular corned beef has 5 grams fat.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 320 calories; 13 g fat ( 4 g sat , 6 g mono ); 240 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrates; 15 gprotein; 3 g fiber; 493 mg sodium; 695 mg potassium.

Cheddar-Ale Soup

Our cheese- and beer-lover's potato soup has only a fraction of the fat and sodium of a traditional recipe. We use low-fat milk and only a little oil and keep the flavor strong with zesty, sharp Cheddar cheese. Precooked diced potatoes, which you can get at many supermarkets, keep this recipe super speedy. Regular diced red potatoes also work—you'll just need to increase the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
• 2 18-ounce bags precooked diced peeled potatoes, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped

• PREPARATION

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beer; bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, broth and water; cover and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher to the desired consistency.
  2. Whisk milk and flour and add to the soup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 1/4 cups Cheddar and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and bell pepper.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Ingredient note: Look for precooked diced potatoes in the refrigerated section of most supermarket produce departments—near other fresh, prepared vegetables. To make your own, peel 2 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and boil until tender (about 15 minutes).

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 389 calories; 12 g fat ( 5 g sat , 2 g mono ); 32 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrates; 16 gprotein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 238 mg potassium.
  3. Mini Shepherd's Pies
  
  
  
  
  
  In EatingWell's take on Shepherd's Pie, we replace the potato topping with convenient, delicious frozen squash puree. And they're baked in individual ramekins to guarantee perfectly sized servings and help you get it on the table fast. 
  
  
  
  

  INGREDIENTS

  
  

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 6 ounces baby spinach, chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
  • 2 12-ounce packages frozen winter squash puree, thawed
  • 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

  PREPARATION

  1. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in beef, flour and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until the beef is mostly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth is the consistency of thick gravy, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
  3. Place squash in a fine-mesh sieve and gently press on it to extract excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Divide the meat mixture among four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the squash. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
  4. Broil until heated through and bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until it is just melted, about 3 minutes more.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 310 calories; 13 g fat ( 5 g sat , 3 g mono ); 70 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 29 gprotein; 5 g fiber; 708 mg sodium; 421 mg potassium.