3 Tips for St. Patrick's Day Party

From sweet to savory, you can easily transform simple party fare into St. Patrick’s Day-worthy snacks and sippers.

Bring on the fruit! Party fare can be tasty and healthy – Green Fruit Kabobs anyone? Thread 6-inch wooden skewers with green grapes, kiwi slices, green apple slices and slices of green Anjou or Bartlett pears. A sweet honey-cream cheese dip (8 ounces softened cream cheese blended with 4 teaspoons tablespoon honey and ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract) is St. Patrick’s Day-appropriate when tinted with green food color.

Complement the sweet kabobs and dip with salty DIY Shamrock Tortilla Chips. It’s as simple as using a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter ( easy find at stores that sell baking equipment, but you can also use a handmade cardstock shamrock stencil and a sharp kitchen knife to trace the shamrocks) to cut out shamrock shapes from flour tortillas. Spray both sides of chips with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 375ºF for 8 or so minutes, turning chips over after 4 minutes. Chips are done when lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Guacamole (DIY or store-bought) or salsa verde makes the perfect green dip!

Every party needs a festive punch to accompany the food. Clear punch bowls or pitchers are best for serving. (It’s fun to see the green!) Stir together 2 liters ginger ale and 46 ounces pineapple juice for your St. Paddy’s Day Punch. Adding a scoop or two of lime sherbet to each glass ups the festive, fizzy and fruity feel. The over-21 crowd is welcome to add a splash of vodka for an extra punch. If possible, serve either version in clear glasses that have been rimmed in green sugar and add a green straw for extra decoration.