Growing up in Pittsburgh, we often went to the St. Patrick’s Day parade. My godfather was a city detective, and while he was Italian, his wife was Irish, and I always enjoyed celebrating St. Paddy’s Day with them. Of course he would cook spaghetti at the post-parade social after the parade, but we all wore green and celebrated the Irish!

Food Celebrations

I still love embracing every culture’s “day” by celebrating with food. When I moved to a small town years ago, the tradition changed to a tiny parade on the Saturday around March 17th, and a stop at a local pub for a corned beef sandwich and a Guinness.

Another pub served stuffed boxty (a potato pancake folded over some yummy sandwich stuffings). Or, we might enjoy some corned beef or a reuben sandwich at home (even if it’s questionable how “Irish” corned beef may be), and if there was a gathering to go to, I’d make colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage) or Shepard’s Pie.

Mini Bites

This year is not the usual – still no parades or pub gatherings. However you can still cook up a simple snack, Irish meal, or sandwich at home to celebrate. Now that I’m living in the Sunshine State, I’m cooking up these little potato bites for a small, outdoor, golf league gathering.

These can be made ahead (and can be frozen). You can even get creative with the filling, depending on your preferences, or create different fillings depending on the season. Enjoy!

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Stuffed Mini Potato Bites

These little stuffed red potatoes make a great appetizer. They are low in saturated fat, high in potassium and vitamin C, and a source of fiber. You can make them ahead and freeze them before the second baking.

Author Rosanne Rust MS RDN, www.rustnutrition.com

Ingredients

  • 10 small red potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded Irish cheddar cheese or another favorite sharp cheese
  • 1/2 cup deli corned beef, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup plain, lowfat or nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake potatoes on an ungreased baking sheet for 35 minutes.

  • Remove potatoes from oven, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, until you can handle them. Carefully slice each potato in half.

  • Using a small spoon, scoop some of the flesh from each potato half, leaving about 1/4 inch around the skin, and place flesh into a small mixing bowl. Carefully slice a sliver from the bottom of the potato half so it’ll sit nicely on baking sheet.

  • Chop the corned beef and set aside.

  • Mash the scooped potato in the mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and all but 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese, the salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the corned beef and combine.

  • Spoon the corned beef-potato mixture back into the potato skins on the baking sheet, dividing evenly until all potato halves are filled. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese among the potato halves.

  • Return to the oven for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Notes

At Step 6, you can freeze the potatoes before putting them back into the oven. Carefully place the potatoes into a zippered freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, place the frozen potatoes onto a baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden.





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