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    Colcannon

    Colcannon is an easy and nutritious Irish side dish featuring mashed potatoes mixed with sautéed cabbage. Some variations include bacon, and we just couldn’t resist adding it to ours!

    For more potato side dishes, be sure to check out our crispy fried Latkes and herb-infused Batata Harra.

    Colcannon is an easy and nutritious Irish side dish featuring mashed potatoes mixed with sautéed cabbage. Some variations include bacon, and we just couldn't resist adding it to ours!

    Why You’ll Love It

    Not only is Colcannon a hearty and delicious side dish, but it’s also very budget-friendly. Potatoes and cabbage are just about two of the cheapest ingredients out there.

    What we especially love is how versatile it is. It can go with a huge range of main courses. We’ll give you some ideas later in the post.

    Side view of a bowl full of this classic Irish side dish.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Potatoes – Russet are the ideal choice here, as with any mashed potatoes. Yukon gold would be our second choice.
    • Cabbage – The traditional choice, though kale works as well.
    • Bacon – This is optional, and many colcannon recipes do not have it. But having tried both ways, we’re stuck on adding bacon.
    • Milk – Preferably whole milk.
    • Butter – Both for sautéing the cabbage and adding to the mashed potatoes.

    How to Make Colcannon with Bacon

    1. Mash the potatoes: Place peeled and cubed potatoes into a large pot full of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes, then drain.

    Mash the potatoes with a hand masher, and add in milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper. Note that the mashed potatoes will not be as creamy, nor need they be as smooth, as American mashed potatoes.

    Potatoes mashed in a pot.

    2. Fry the bacon: While the potatoes are cooking, fry bacon to your desired crispness. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan. Crumble the bacon once cooled.

    3. Sauté the cabbage: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the bacon grease in the pan. Once it has melted, add chopped cabbage, along with a little salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has started to soften, while still retaining a little crunch.

    Chopped cabbage sautéing in a skillet.

    4. Finish and serve: Fold the cabbage and crumbled bacon into the potatoes. Serve with additional melted butter.

    Final product, before serving.

    Serving Suggestions

    As I said earlier, this Irish side dish goes with a number of different mains. With St. Patty’s day just around the corner, how about some Corned Beef and Cabbage or Dublin Coddle?

    Or, think anything you would have with regular mashed potatoes. Some of our top pics are Cast Iron Steak, Meatball Stew, Country Style Beef Ribs, and Pot Roast.

    Bowlful of Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage and bacon.

    Leftovers and Storage

    Leftover colcannon can be refrigerated for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop over medium-low heat, along with a little extra milk.

    Make sure to stir frequently whichever method you choose, in order to reheat evenly, and avoid scorching in the case of stovetop.

    And guess what? We have two great recipes you can make with leftover colcannon. One is another classic dish from the British Isles, Bubble and Squeak.

    Bubble and squeak.

    The other is Stamppot, the national dish of the Netherlands.

    Dutch stamppot.

    If you try our colcannon recipe, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you.

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    Featured image for colcannon recipe.

    Colcannon Recipe

    Yield: 8 servings
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes

    Colcannon is an easy and nutritious Irish side dish featuring mashed potatoes mixed with sautéed cabbage. Some variations include bacon, and we just couldn't resist adding it to ours!

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
    • 4 slices bacon
    • 3 Tbsp melted butter, divided (plus more for serving)
    • ½ medium head cabbage, chopped
    • ½ cup milk
    • salt, to taste
    • pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1. Place peeled and cubed potatoes into a large pot full of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes, then drain.
    2. While the potatoes are cooking, fry bacon to your desired crispness. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan. Crumble the bacon once cooled.
    3. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the bacon grease in the pan. Once it has melted, add chopped cabbage, along with a little salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has started to soften, while still retaining a little crunch.
    4. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher, and add in milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper. Note that the mashed potatoes will not be as creamy, nor need they be as smooth, as American mashed potatoes.
    5. Fold the cabbage and crumbled bacon into the potatoes. Serve with additional melted butter.
    Nutrition Information
    Yield 8 Serving Size 1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 241Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 18mgSodium 236mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 4gSugar 3gProtein 7g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

    Picture of Alpana, blogger and recipe developer at GypsyPlate

    Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.

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