While potatoes are Peruvian and did not come to Ireland until the late 1600s, these tubers have become synonymous to Eire. Since the earliest times they were cultivated on Irish soil, potatoes have become a staple item in the Irish diet. In fact, a lot of food in this particular cuisine will not be complete without potatoes.

When eaten plain, potatoes have zero fat and are low in calories. They are rich in nutrients and are an excellent source of folate, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. All these make potatoes an excellent choice when you are trying to eat clean.

However, we can't seem to eat potatoes plain. Most of the time we eat them fried as in french fries, with heavy dressing as in potato salad, or with some other greasy food. This is when eating potatoes become unhealthy.

Even then, we should not give up on this tuber. Since it is St. Patrick's Day, there is no better way to join the celebration than with guilt-free and easy potato dishes.

Spring Baby Potato Salad

This is definitely not your usual potato salad.

While listed as an entrée, a bowl of this healthy potato salad by Honest Cooking can pass as a complete meal. Aside from the baby potatoes, this salad features fresh greens which is very symbolic of the spring season. Lastly, instead of heavy cream or dressing, the recipe uses skyr (a.k.a. Icelandic yogurt) for the dressing.

You can readily replace the sirloin steak with your choice of protein for this recipe. Grilled chicken should be a decent substitute.

Homemade Hash Brown

Store-bought frozen hash brown patties or even drive-thru hash browns may be convenient. However, the guilt factor for these are off the charts. Your best resort is to make your own like what @FoodBully on Instagram did. Of course, homemade hash is indeed among the most well-loved easy potato dishes.

Tip: get rid of the excess starch from the potato shreds before frying. Soak shreds in a bowl filled with cold water. Drain water after about 10 minutes. Repeat until the water in the bowl becomes clear. When cooking the hash, go for a cookware that allows you to use as little oil as possible.

Turmeric Infused Baked Potatoes with Garlic

This recipe by Jehan of IslandSmile.com is testament that smart selection of ingredients will give you a filling and flavorful potato dish without the guilt. Inspired by her Sri Lankan heritage, the presence of turmeric in this dish gains it several healthy points.

Sri Lankan inspired baked potato dish that's as healthy as it is yummy? Why not!

Spiralised Potato Wrapped Cod with Herbs Recipe

Bacon wrapped potato recipes are quite common. This time, let's use fish instead of pork and we let the tuber become the wrap. Now that is something new!

Maris Piper potatoes are fantastic for this easy potato recipe because its white flesh takes some time to discolor even when cooked at high temperatures. Its fluffy and floury texture also compliments the flavors of the entire dish.

Oven-baked Potato Chips

But of course, we cannot go without one of the world's favorite snack - the potato chips! While this does not often hit the dinner table on St. Patrick's Day, it will be good to treat your guests to these than your usual hors d'oeuvre.

Homemade, of course. No excess salt, unwanted preservatives, artificial colors and flavors. Just tasty potato crisps.

Use a mandolin kitchen slicer to produce rounds of potatoes with even thickness. Soak and rinse in cold water to remove excess starch. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush both sides with grass-fed butter or olive oil, season with garlic powder and salt. Arrange in a nonstick pan or dish for baking. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200°C or until light brown and crispy. Serve as is or with dip.

Bet you now have a handful of easy potato dishes not only for St. Patrick's but for just about any day you crave for one. Good luck!