This St. Patrick's Day butter flight is the most fun you can have with a stick of butter. Three flavored compound butters, aptly named The Garden, The Pub, and The Island, all served on one board with all the best Irish-inspired pairings. It's festive, it's shareable, and it tastes amazing!
Why You'll Love It
A butter flight sounds fancy. But ya'll, it's actually so easy to throw together!
All you're doing is softening butter and stirring things in. That's the whole move. So easy, right?! But the result is a board that looks like you put in serious effort and tastes like a St. Patrick's Day pub crawl in the best nonalcoholic possible way.
The Garden butter is bright and herby. Fresh dill, green onion, marjoram, and garlic make it feel like spring. The Pub butter is deeply savory and sweet. Caramelized onion and grainy mustard melt into every bite. The Island butter is tangy, smoky, and a little nostalgic. Think burger sauce meets compound butter. It sounds odd, i know, but i honestly think it's my favorite one of them all!
Now we need to talk about the pairings because they do the heavy lifting. Pan-fried potatoes soaked in butter. My Guinness Corned beef for the classic St Patrick's Day protein. Red sauerkraut, Swiss, white cheddar, rye bread, pretzel balls, and dill pickle potato chips to round it out.
It works as a St. Patrick's Day appetizer, a party spread, or an excuse to eat a lot of butter in one sitting! Let's get to it, shall we?!?
Ingredients & Substitutions
Each butter uses Land O Lakes salted butter as the base. Softened, not melted. The salt is already built in, so no extra needed. Here are the other things you'll need:
The Garden
- Land O Lakes Salted Butter: Two sticks, softened. The base for all three.
- Fresh Dill: Bright and herby. Dried will work in a pinch but fresh is better here.
- Green Onion: Mild, fresh bite. Chives are a great swap.
- Marjoram: Subtle and slightly sweet. Oregano is a close substitute.
- Garlic: One grated clove for sharpness. Roasted garlic softens the bite if you prefer.
The Pub
- Land O Lakes Salted Butter: Two sticks, softened.
- Sweet Onion: Caramelized low and slow until golden and jammy. Don't rush it. Feel free to use my shortcut caramelized onion recipe.
- Grainy Mustard: Adds tang and texture. Dijon works too but changes the look.
The Island
- Land O Lakes Salted Butter: Two sticks, softened.
- Ketchup: A little goes a long way. Don't skip it.
- Sweet Pickle Relish: Adds sweetness and texture. Finely chopped bread and butter pickles work too.
- Sweet Smoked Paprika: Smoky depth without heat. Regular smoked paprika is fine.
- Yellow Mustard: Classic tang. This is intentional. It's the Island.
The Board Pairings
- Boiled Potatoes Pan-Fried in Butter: The most essential thing on this board. Crispy edges, soft centers, butter everywhere.
- Corned Beef: Thinly sliced or pulled apart. The Pub butter was basically made for this.
- Red Sauerkraut: Tangy and vibrant. Cuts through the richness of the butter.
- Swiss Cheese: Mild and nutty. Pairs with corned beef like it was always meant to.
- White Cheddar: Sharp and crumbly. Great with The Garden butter.
- Rye Bread: Sliced thin for spreading. Essential for the full experience.
- Pretzel Balls: Soft and chewy. The Pub butter is incredible on these.
- Dill Pickle Potato Chips: Salty, crunchy, and a little unexpected. They belong here.
How to Make It
Make the butters first. They can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Pull them out 30 minutes before serving.
- SOFTEN THE BUTTER: Leave all six sticks out at room temperature until fully softened. About an hour. Do not microwave.
- MAKE THE GARDEN BUTTER: Combine softened butter with fresh dill, green onion, marjoram, and grated garlic. Mix until evenly combined.
- MAKE THE PUB BUTTER: Caramelize the sweet onion in a pan over low heat until golden brown and jammy, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool for 20 minutes or so. Mix into softened butter with grainy mustard.
- MAKE THE ISLAND BUTTER: Combine softened butter with ketchup, sweet pickle relish, smoked paprika, and yellow mustard. Stir until smooth and fully incorporated.
- SHAPE AND CHILL: Transfer each butter to a cute serving bowl or wrap them in parchment paper, roll into a log, twist the ends, and refrigerate until firm. Or press into small ramekins for a more rustic look.
- PAN-FRY THE POTATOES: Boil small potatoes until fork tender. Drain and let steam dry. Smash slightly and pan-fry in butter over medium-high heat until golden and crispy on each side.
- BUILD THE BOARD: Arrange each butter on a large board with labels if you want to get cute about it. Add corned beef, sauerkraut, cheeses, rye bread, pretzel balls, and dill pickle chips around the butters.
- SERVE: Serve immediately with extra bread and a cold Guinness nearby.
What to Serve It With
This board is a full spread on its own. If you want to add more, keep it simple.
- Cold Guinness or Irish stout
- My St. Patrick's Day Cheesy Beer Bread
- Stone ground mustard for dipping
- Cornichons or dill pickles
- A hot bowl of Irish Cheddar Beer Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Simple Beer Cheese Dip
Recipe
St. Patrick's Day Butter Flight
Equipment
Ingredients
THE GARDEN BUTTEr
- 2 Sticks Land O Lakes Salted Butter Softened
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill
- ¼ Cup Chopped Green Onion
- ¼ teaspoon Chopped Marjoram
- 1 clove Grated Garlic
THE PUB
- 2 Sticks Land O Lakes Salted Butter Softened
- ⅓ cup Caramelized Onions (1 whole onion roughly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Grainy Mustard
THE ISLAND
- 2 Sticks Land O Lakes Salted Butter Softened
- 2 teaspoon Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
- ¼ teaspoon Sweet Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Yellow Mustard
THE BOARD
- Boiled Potatoes Pan-Fried In Butter Corned Beef Red Sauerkraut Swiss Cheese White Cheddar Rye Bread Pretzel Balls Dill Pickle Potato Chips
Instructions
- Soften all butter at room temperature for one hour. Mix each butter separately with its ingredients until fully combined. Shape into logs or press into ramekins or serving bowls and refrigerate until firm.
- Boil potatoes until tender, then pan-fry in butter until crispy.
- Arrange butters on a large board with corned beef, sauerkraut, cheeses, rye bread, pretzel balls, and dill pickle chips. Serve with extra bread.
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