*This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. That means if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out our Privacy & Disclosure Policy.
All the leprechauns in your house will love this rainbow dinner for St. Patrick’s day!
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Tradition
One of our favorite ways to celebrate smaller holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo is by having a festive dinner. We’ve all got eat dinner, so why not make it a celebration?
For years my husband and I have made green chicken tacos for St. Patrick’s Day. But last year, we tried something new: a rainbow dinner!
I whipped up a batch of our favorite homemade Hawaiian Haystack sauce , set out an assortment of rainbow-colored toppings and colored some rice green and we had quite the festive meal! By tweaking it just a bit, it was an easy, but festive dinner for St. Patrick’s Day. And we’re all about simple.
Everyone at our house loves this meal because they can add whatever toppings they like. And having everyone love a meal is just about as good as finding gold at the end of the rainbow.
Rainbow Dinner toppings:
- red tomatoes
- orange peppers
- orange mandarin oranges
- yellow pineapple
- blue coconut (a stretch, but fun!)
- black olives
- green rice
- other toppings: green peppers, green onions, chow mein noodles, cheddar cheese
Having a festive St. Patrick’s Day dinner doesn’t have to be stressful. Here’s a meal plan and recipes to make it simple for you!
Rainbow Dinner Meal Plan + Recipes
- Hawaiian Haystack Sauce + shredded chicken
- Green (brown) rice – I just throw 2 cups of brown rice with 5 cups of water into my rice cooker. Super simple!
- Shamrock jello- use a heart cookie cutter and place hearts together to form a clover or Rainbow Jello
- Pot of Gold- Rolo candy
- Green Mean Machines
Tips
- The sauce freezes pretty well. Make a big batch and then thaw and warm on St. Patrick’s day.
- Cook and shred the chicken in advance to add to the sauce.
- You can pre-cut the veggies and put the toppings in bowls to make for a quick dinner if you’re in a hurry.
Tag your fun St. Patrick’s Day meals on Instagram with #sofestivestpatricksday. I’d love to see them!