St. Patrick’s Day is a great excuse for anyone to get friends round for a good time, so here celebrity chef Andrew Rudd offers top planning tips.
To celebrate St Patrick’s Day this year, Pringles has introduced a limited edition St. Patrick’s Day themed tube for its sour cream & onion flavour. Marking the occasion, Pringles invited top TV chef Andrew Rudd to come up with the ideal recipe for an effortless party.
Get ready to party – preparation tips
“Make sure that you have everything that you need to avoid any pre-party panics,” says Andrew. “In the kitchen this means making sure you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment such as a good knife, chopping board, measuring jug, pots and pans, etc. On the night itself, try to have everything complete two hours before your guests are invited to give you time to get ready, look beautiful and relax before your guests arrive.”
Planning The more time and effort that you spend on the planning, the more likely it is that the food and drinks will be a success with your guests. Being prepared in advance will help ensure that you are relaxed as possible so you can be the perfect host spreading Irish cheer this St. Patrick’s Day!
Easy to eat bites! There is no need to prepare a complicated three course meal, it’s much more sociable to have finger food. Serve Pringles and canapés when you’re having a party at home with friends and family so people can catch-up and mingle.
Dips Bring your Pringles to life by creating a range of green dips this St. Patrick’s Day and garnish the dishes with shamrock! Green dips look great alongside Pringles and green vegetables like celery, cucumbers, green peppers and zucchini etc.
Invitations You don’t have to spend money on invitations. It’s simple to create a St. Patrick’s Day themed email invite or use social networking sites like Facebook to connect with your guests.
Decorate Use green tablecloths, napkins and cups and sprinkle shamrock and confetti on tables and other flat surfaces to create a green theme for your guests. Place gold chocolate money into a container to create a ‘pot of gold’ and make sure you download or have a good CD with plenty of classic Irish songs. Don’t forget your Pringles St. Patrick’s Day themed tubes to add instant colour to your table.”
Top-tips for finger food
• Keep portions small so they are easy to serve and look more attractive.
• You don’t always have to cook and spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. Sour Cream & Onion Pringles, olives, dips, cured meats, breads and salads are deliciously tasty and easy to put together if you’re pressed for time
• Mix cold with hot dishes
Don’t miss Andrew’s five easy finger food ideas in our recipes section!