Colcannon
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This Colcannon is my take on the traditional Irish comfort food dish! Creamy mashed potatoes fused with fresh, crunchy cabbage, seasoned with salt and bold white pepper.
Easy Colcannon Recipe
There’s nothing better than a big heaping bowl of mashed potatoes, unless you’re in Ireland, then there’s nothing better than a big heaping bowl of colcannon! This is my take on a traditional Irish comfort food classic. Simple yet so good!
Crunchy green cabbage amidst creamy, dreamy mashed potatoes seasoned to perfection. With only a handful of common ingredients and spices you probably already have at home, this dish is incredibly easy to make! It’s the perfect accompaniment for your next dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Irish Colcannon
- Easy Recipe! This is a super simple side dish recipe made with just 8 affordable ingredients! And it requires no fancy electric mixer or potato ricer to mash the potatoes.
- Irish Mashed Potatoes! Made with rich and creamy buttery mashed potatoes mixed together with perfectly sauteed crunchy cabbage, colcannon is the ultimate Irish comfort food.
- Make Ahead Side! Mashed potatoes keep incredibly well in the fridge for days and freezer for months! So you can make this recipe days ahead of time to gear up for Saint Patrick’s Day.
- Potatoes – Such as russets or my favorite Yukon Gold.
- Butter – I used unsalted because this way I can control how much salt goes in my dish.
- Cabbage – Green cabbage – shredded, outer leaves removed.
- Milk – I used 2% for extra creamy potatoes. Feel free to use half and half or even heavy cream.
- Salt and White Pepper – To taste. I used white pepper because I love the flavor of it, but black pepper can be used as well.
This Irish classic doesn’t take much effort at all! It’s pretty much just a matter of making some buttery mashed potatoes and mixing them together with some cooked cabbage.
The first step is to make the mashed potatoes. To do this, peel and cut all the potatoes into equal size chunks. Next, put them into a large pot with about 2 teaspoons of salt and cover them with cold water. Now, bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook them for about 15 minutes or until they are fork-tender. Then once they are done, drain the potatoes and use a potato masher to mash them right away while they are still hot with half of the unsalted butter.
Once you get the potatoes boiling, start cooking the cabbage. To begin, melt the rest of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Next, add the shredded cabbage along with the 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Then simmer the cabbage, stirring it occasionally for about 5 to 7 minutes or until it has softened and is fully cooked.
To finish the dish, add the cooked cabbage to the mashed potatoes along with the milk, parsley, salt, and white pepper. Then stir everything together until it’s fully combined. You can add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Now, taste and add more salt and white pepper if needed. Then serve the Irish colcannon potatoes garnished with some green onions paired with some Slow Cooker Corned Beef if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Colcannon?
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made up of mashed potatoes with bits of kale or cabbage incorporated. The word “colcannon” comes from the Gaelic term “cal ceannann” translated to: white-headed cabbage. It is also believed to be a derivative of the old Irish “cainnenin” translated as: garlic, onion, or leek.
What Is The Difference Between Champ and Colcannon?
Champ is mashed potatoes with spring onions and milk while colcannon is mashed potatoes with cabbage.
What Does Colcannon Mean?
It means white headed cabbage.
Expert Tips
- Potatoes: Use the correct potato! Such as Yukon golds or Russets.
- Salt the Water: Just like you would salt your pasta water, you need to salt the water that the potatoes cook in. The starch granules in the potatoes will swell and absorb water and salt! Therefore, when you add salt while cooking the potatoes, you won’t need to add as much later on!
- Draining Potatoes: Make sure to drain your potatoes well after cooking to avoid mushy-ness.
- Room Temperature Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature instead of straight out of the fridge! This will allow it to disperse and melt evenly into the hot potatoes.
How To Serve
An awesome side dish! Colcannon adds a little health kick (alongside the butter, salt and pepper) in the form of cabbage. Other options to add into your mashed colcannon are
- Kale
- Scallions
- Leeks
- Chives
Traditionally, colcannon is served as a treat with boiled ham or Irish bacon. Served alongside a delicious protein such as short ribs or chicken breast is the way to go! I served mine with homemade sausages and it was to die for!
Leftovers
Leftover colcannon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When you are ready to reheat it, simply scoop the desired amount of colcannon into a microwave-safe bowl or dish and heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If the colcannon seems dry, you can add a little bit of milk or butter to moisten it.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
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Colcannon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes (such as russets)
- 4 ounces butter (unsalted (1 stick))
- 1 pound green cabbage (shredded, outer leaves removed)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until fork tender. Drain the water. Mash with half the butter while hot.
- In a saucepan melt the remaining butter, add the shredded cabbage and add the water. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the cabbage has softened and is cooked through.
- Add the cabbage to the potatoes. Add the milk, parsley, salt and pepper and stir everything together. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Add more milk if necessary.
- Top with a pat of butter and serve.
Notes
- Potatoes: Use the correct potato! Such as Yukon golds or Russets.
- Salt the Water: Just like you would salt your pasta water, you need to salt the water that the potatoes cook in. The starch granules in the potatoes will swell and absorb water and salt! Therefore, when you add salt while cooking the potatoes, you won’t need to add as much later on!
- Draining Potatoes: Make sure to drain your potatoes well after cooking to avoid mushy-ness.
- Room Temperature Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature instead of straight out of the fridge! This will allow it to disperse and melt evenly into the hot potatoes.
- Store leftover colcannon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- You can also freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 10 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Made this dish last night – first time making Colcannon. My husband and 2 guest just loved it. It was absolutely delicious! I’ll be saving this recipe.
So glad you liked it!
This is an old family recipe but ours has turnip really good with bacon, ham or fried bologna or all three.
Jo – This looks wonderful, but what are the homemade looking sausages you show with it in your last picture – and do you have the recipe for the them. They look perfect to accompany the Colcannon. Thanks so much.
I do have the recipe for the homemade sausages and they will be coming on the blog in the next couple weeks.
This is an awesome idea!