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A Well Crafted Pantry

Bangers and Mash Bites

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Often when having friends and family over for traditional holidays, I try to stick to tradition while giving it my own spin. St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect opportunity to give a spin to the more traditional dishes. Bangers and Mash is a favorite Irish dish with mashed potatoes, pork sausage, and a wonderful onion brown gravy. I wanted to make an appetizer that would give that same flavorful punch in a bite! These Bangers and Mash Bites take some effort, but they are completely worth it!

Bangers and Mash Bites

You can really get creative with this idea and do a version of potato skins or even a version of Irish Nachos. But, I love how these little potatoes look so interesting and pack a lot of favor in a single bite. This recipe makes approximately 24 bites depending on the size of your potatoes. I did have leftover filling.

Ingredients:

  • 24-28 mini potatoes (a few extra helps in case you make a mistake while hollowing them out.)
  • 2 tablespoon Irish butter
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 links of good quality pork sausage. I used a smoked sausage.
  • 1 packet of brown gravy + 1.5 cups water
  • 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion diced
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Irish cheddar (more for garnish)
  • Parsley to garnish

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

  1. Wash your potatoes and take out any eyes you see. Put in a pot of salted water to boil.
  2. Be careful to not over-cook your potatoes. They are done when you can easily poke a fork into them, but are overdone if the mash under the weight of the fork. Strain and rinse in ice cold water. This will make them cool enough to work with.
  3. Cut a small sliver off the bottom and top of each potato. This way they will stand up and you’ll be able to easily access the inner potato.
  4. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the potato. Don’t throw the innards out! That will be your “Mash.” Put all the filling in a bowl. Place the hollowed put potatoes in a lightly greased baking dish.
  5. Make your mash by adding the cream and butter to the mixture of potato and mashing it with a fork. Set aside.
  6. Dice your sausage and onion and fry in a pan over medium heat. Stir so it doesn’t stick or get too brown. Once cooked through (the sausage and onions will be slightly browned and will smell awesome) you’ll add in the packet of brown gravy mix and water. Stir and let thicken.
  7. Mix in the mashed potatoes until all is incorporated.
  8. Scoop the mixture into each potato. You may have some filling left over.
  9. Place potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes. Pull out, top with cheese, and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
  10. Serve warm!

What’s your favorite St.Patty’s Day dish? Comment below!

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A Well Crafted Pantry

Irish Cream Truffles

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A sweet treat with an Irish twist? These Irish Cream Truffles are easy to make and a tasty way to finish off a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Irish Cream Semi-Sweet Chocolate Truffles

While I chose to go the semi-sweet chocolate route these truffles would be equally tasty with a white chocolate. You can make these adults-only treats using Irish Cream liquor or use Irish Cream coffee creamer instead to make friendly to those who do not drink. I chose to dip these treats in chocolate, but you could also roll in cocoa powder or sprinkles.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Bags of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
  • 1/3 cup Irish Cream Liquor (or creamer)
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

  1. Put one bag of chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.
  2. Slowly bring cream to boil (be careful not to scald) and mix in Irish Cream.
  3. Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. If the mixture is not entirely melted, then you’ll want to slowly heat the mixture in the microwave in 15-second increments.
  4. Mix in the coconut oil (or butter) until mixture is smooth and shiny.
  5. Pour the mixture into a shallow 9×9 pan or dish and put in the fridge to firm up for approximately 1 hour.
  6. Once firm, use a spoon to scoop out small quarter size balls of the truffle mixture. Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Note: you’ll get sooooooo messy! Try putting a bit of cocoa powder on your palms to help the process work a tad better. Set the completed balls of truffle mixture on a parchment paper covered plate and then set in fridge to firm while you melt your chocolate for dipping. If you are choosing to roll in sprinkles or cocoa powder instead of dipping, you can do so now.
  7. Melt your chocolate slowly in the microwave or over a double boiler so that it does not burn and coats nicely. I tend to put in a tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil to get it a better consistency.
  8. Dip your truffle balls into the mixture and set on a sheet of parchment paper to firm. Top with sprinkles for fun!

This dessert is a classic candy with an Irish twist. What is your favorite dessert to enjoy on St. Patty’s Day? Comment below!

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Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party
A Well Crafted Party

Valentine’s Day Favorite Things Party

4 Comments A Well Crafted Party

After a full and happy holiday season, the month of January is a welcome reprieve from entertaining in my home. However, usually around the end of January, I start to feel the itch to celebrate! Thankfully, Valentine’s Day is around the corner. There are so many fun things to celebrate when it comes to the holiday of love. While I of course love to celebrate with my husband, Valentine’s Day for me has always been a fun opportunity to celebrate ALL the people I hold dear. This year I wanted to celebrate some lady friends with a ‘Favorite Things’ Valentine’s Day Party. Or, if you are a fan of Parks and Rec, a Galentine’s Day Party!

This post is created in partnership with Oriental Trading. All opinions are my own. I’ve been a customer of Oriental Trading for years! It is one of my go-to resources for party goods. The party color scheme was inspired by Oriental Trading plates. Scroll below for links to each of the products that I used within this party, or gather even more inspiration from Oriental Trading’s Galentine’s Day Party Supplies. This post contains affiliate links (marked at each link) which help provide income for this blog with each purchase at no cost to my readers. 

Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted PartyValentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party

I knew right off the bat that I wanted to celebrate with a Favorite Things party this year. Have you ever been to a Favorite Things party? They are GREAT! Everyone leaves the party knowing more about the other attendees and with a great parting gift!

Favorite Thing Galentine’s Day Party

I’ve done Favorite Things parties in three different ways. With each party every guest is asked to bring some of their “favorite things” to exchange. Here are three ways to host a Favorite Things Galentine’s Day Party:

Multiple Favorite Things Gifts- One for Each Guest

If you are having a smaller party of friends then this would be a fun option for a Favorite Things Party. Each guest would bring one small item for each of the other guests. Usually, the items are inexpensive, but still special to the person. For a party of six, the guest would be asked to bring six of their favorite things to share with the guests. Items like fingernail polish, pens, candles, and bath salts would be great to give away at this type of party. Encourage guests to stay within a budget of a couple dollars per item so that no one feels like they overspent. Don’t forget to have guests share why they chose what they brought!

Mini-multiple Favorite Things Gifts- Three for Each Guest

I think this might be the most popular version of this gift exchange because it allows everyone to go home with a few favorite things, but doesn’t require buying one for EVERY guest. Each guest brings three gifts. Then at the exchange, each person puts their name into a bowl three times. Each guest has a turn at handing out their three gifts to the three names that they draw from the bowl.

Single Favorite Things Gift – One to be Drawn by Each Guest

Sometimes it is easier to think of a single gift than getting multiples of a favorite item. If you are having a larger party this might be the way to go. Each guest is encouraged to bring one gift within a budget (I typically set a $15 budget) that includes one or more of their favorite things. Each gift is numbered and set out and then everyone draws a number. As guests get their gift it is fun to hear why each person picked the gift that they brought. This is the type of party I hosted and I brought some favorite stationary items such as pens, sticky notes, and some office artwork. (The flamingo is just a regular fixture in my home!)

Don’t forget to get some fun bags for the guests to bring home their new goodies in! I ordered these great Galatine’s Day tote bags (affiliate link) to act as party favors for guests.

Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party

Pink and Red Valentine’s Day Decor

As I said above, I was inspired by the Heart of Gold plates  (affiliate link) with pink, red, and gold stripes. My living room is filled with bright colors, so I wanted to take advantage of the overall color scheme (keeping things pretty simple), but still highlight the theme with a bold red and pink wall.

Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party

Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party

Some of my favorite decor details from this Galentine’s Day party include:

  • The LOVE trays (affiliate link) filled with pink and red candies. This was an absolute hit! It took approximately 1 bag of candy to fill each letter (the O took just over a bag) and I am thrilled with how they looked on my coffee table. What’s great is now that they are empty I’m able to actually use them as decor in my living room! The heart confetti (affiliate link) sprinkled on the table helped set the letters apart from my white table.
  • I’ve recently become obsessed with balloon arrangements. I’ve created them in everything from huge garlands to tiny arrangements. (Look forward to a tutorial on these soon!) They are easy to make and such a fun element. I used 5-inch balloons (affiliate link) to create these arrangements and filled in the gaps with fresh flowers.
  • The DIY backdrop wall was seriously SO simple to make and was stunning to look at. (See my easy party backdrop tutorial.) I utilized painters tape, red plates (affiliate link), and pink plates (affiliate link) in order to create this wall.
  • What can I say? I love it when there are decent looking paper products for a party. While I am a big fan of utilizing reusable items, sometimes it just makes more sense for time/space/effort to use paper goods. The napkins and golden plasticware (affiliate link) helped just as much with the decor as it did with the food!

Valentine's Day Favorite Things Party | A Well Crafted Party in partnership with Oriental Trading

Like this party?

Tell me… what is the best Valentine’s Day party you’ve ever been to?

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