Colcannon Potatoes are a traditional Irish dish. They’re considered to be classic Irish comfort food. When you eat these creamy, buttery Irish mashed potatoes, you’re also eating your greens (since cabbage is mixed into them). My husband comes from a 100% Irish family, and this is one of their favorites.
What is Colcannon?
Colcannon is an Irish and Scottish dish comprised of mashed potatoes made with either cabbage or kale. Butter, milk, green onion and salt and pepper are typical added ingredients. It’s considered a cheap, year-round staple food.
Traditional Irish Colcannon is made with potatoes and cabbage. This recipe uses pancetta in place of bacon and plenty of green onions to make it extra delicious!
For individual servings, a depression is made in the middle of the Colcannon on your plate, and a pat of butter is placed into that spot. When you eat the Colcannon, you dip a forkful of potato in the melted butter before eating. Yum!
What’s the difference between Colcannon and Champ?
Colcannon is known for its combination of mashed potatoes and cabbage. Champ is another Irish mashed potato dish. In a traditional Champ recipe, you’ll find plenty of green onions substituted for the cabbage.
Tradition:
Although Colcannon is often served with many Irish meals all year long, it’s customary to eat on October 31st in Ireland. There are a couple of “tales” as to how this came to be.
- A very long time ago, bowls of colcannon were left on the front doorsteps of Irish homes on October 31st for the wandering spirits who in search of a place to reside.
- Traditionally, a ring was hidden inside a bowl of colcannon on Halloween. Whoever was to find the ring in their serving would be likely to marry in the upcoming year.
Things to serve with Colcannon:
Enjoy serving these Colcannon potatoes as a side dish to boiled ham, Irish bacon, sausages, corned beef or lamb. They’re also terrific served with Irish Stew.
What can you add to Colcannon?
- Add chives or leeks.
- Substitute crispy, smoky bacon for the pancetta.
- Use half parsnips and half potatoes.
What’s the difference between Colcannon and Bubble & Squeak?
Both dishes include mashed potatoes and cabbage. But Colcannon is an Irish creamy mashed potato dish that is made with some added fresh ingredients. Bubble and Squeak is a British dish that has leftover vegetables added in, and it’s fried into a pancake.
Potato Cooking Tips:
- Start with cold water. The potatoes will cook more evenly when they start the cooking process in cold water.
- Salt the water that the potatoes are cooking in.
- Dry potatoes are ideal for finishing up this recipe.
- After cooking, let the potatoes stand in a colander for 5 minutes to let the steam dissipate and give the potatoes a chance to dry. You want the potatoes to be thirsty! Then they’ll soak up the milk and butter easily, and your colcannon potatoes will be perfect.
If you happen to be planning an Irish Dinner Party with friends, you might like to check out my Irish Dinner Party Menu. It’s a menu I used when I planned a dinner with a gourmet dinner group.
Colcannon
Ingredients
- 3¾ pounds (about 6 large) Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ounces chopped pancetta
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup water
- 2 heads (about 9 cups) cabbage, sliced thinly
- 1½ cups milk, warmed
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cut potatoes in large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, saute the pancetta and onions in a large saute pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the cabbage and water and saute until the cabbage is tender and a bit caramelized.
- Drain the potatoes. Place in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the milk, butter and cabbage. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN-FREE, just be sure to use a brand of pancetta that is known to be GF. You can also use prosciutto in place of pancetta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello there would this colcannon recipe freeze well do you think?
No idea- I have never frozen it. It’s worth a try 🙂