Creamy Irish Colcannon
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Bring your potato mash to a whole new level by turning it into creamy Irish colcannon! Mix buttery mashed potatoes with sautéed kale and leeks, top it with spring onions and a knob of butter. This is the perfect potato side dish.
What a better way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day than making some Irish food? You can start with something easy like this traditional colcannon recipe.
Or you can make some of these classic Irish recipes:
I am sure your Irish friends or family members would love them. Especially the jambons! Guys! It is a quick snack/breakfast that can be found in every single deli. They are not green and they don’t have the word “Irish” in the title but they are the thing! Trust me.
But let’s get back to Irish colcannon. By the way, this traditional Irish side dish is called cál ceannann in Irish.
How to make colcannon
Making Irish colcannon is very simple. You start with boiling potatoes and turning them into potato mash. Now to boil the potatoes I recommend peeling them and dicing first – this way it will take less time to cook them.
Meanwhile: Sauté kale and leeks. You can also use savoy cabbage but bear in mind that this cabbage is quite hard so you should par-boil it first.
Once they are cooked, you will need to mash them until smooth. Then it’s time to stir in butter and milk + add seasoning if needed.
Finally, stir in the sautéed kale and leeks and you are ready to serve!
What to serve with colcannon?
I’d say it is entirely up to you but here are some suggestions: Boiled ham (this is the traditional way it would be served in Ireland), chicken dishes or sausages.
Useful tips:
- Top this colcannon with fried bacon pieces if you like!
- If you don’t like kale, use savoy cabbage instead. However, the cabbage might need more time to cook and I also suggest boiling it before sautéing.
- Spring onions or scallions can be used as well as leeks.
- Try stirring in shredded/grated cheese for extra flavor!
- Sour cream, crème fraiche or cream can be used instead of milk.
Creamy Irish Colcannon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes (900 grams)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup leek , sliced (100 grams)
- 2 cups fresh kale
- ½ stick unsalted butter (60 grams)
- ½ cup milk
Optional garnish: Spring Onions or Chives
Instructions
- Wash, peel and dice the potatoes. Throw them in a pot and pour water in (add just enough water to cover all the potatoes). Add 2 teaspoons of salt and cook until they are done.
- Meanwhile: Sauté the leek and kale in a frying pan with half of the butter (over low-medium heat). Make sure not to burn the butter.
- When the potatoes are done, drain the water and using a potato masher or fork mash them until smooth. Stir in the rest of the butter and milk. Add black pepper and salt to your taste.
- Finally, add in the sautéed veggies and give it a good stir.
- Optional: top with chopped spring onions or chives.
- Best served warm!
Notes
- This recipe can be easily doubled or halved.
- Instead of kale, savoy cabbage can be used (I highly recommend par-boiling the cabbage first as it is quite hard. It might also need more time to sauté).
- Leek can be substituted for scallions or green onions.
- If you don’t have milk on hand, use sour cream, crème fraiche or cream.
- Shredded or grated cheese can also be stirred into the mash, as well as fried bacon.
I’m not very good about eating my greens but I’d definitely eat them mixed in with creamy potatoes like this! And I’d definitely top these with bacon :)
:) I like your thinking :)
such a simple way to take mash to a new level – and a good tip about parboiling savoy cabbage. Makes me think of eating bacon and cabbage when we visited Ireland.
Glad to hear you found the tips useful!
Ohhh yum! That looks so good! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day :)
Thank you, Liz!
I’ve never heard of colcannon before. This definitely has me intrigued. Looks and sounds absolutely delicious.
Hope you give it a go! :)
I love the tips at the end, I would definitely use cream instead of milk and add some bacon on top! Love the recipe! Such a treat! :)
Cream and bacon are great choices :)