Colcannon

A traditional Irish side dish, colcannon is a filling and delicious combination of potatoes, cabbage and bacon. Great anytime but so perfect with dinner each St Patrick’s Day.

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I love this Irish side dish not just to serve each March 17th but also because colcannon is a satisfying compliment to many meat or chicken entrees. Inexpensive to prepare, it is a delicious way to stretch the grocery budget without sacrificing flavor.

Really… does this look incredibly satisfying! Creamy mashed potatoes plus all of those crispy bacon morsels. Yes, please!   🙂 

If you should have any leftover, it makes great potato cakes or spooned on top of Shepherds pie.

How to make Colcannon 

There are many ways to make colcannon and each family has their own favorite. It can be made with a variety of potato types such as red-skinned, Yukon gold as well as others. I like to use russet potatoes in this recipe.

Begin by rinsing the head of cabbage then shredding or chopping. A simple box grater works well for this but you can also use a knife. If you prefer, kale can be substituted for the cabbage.

Chop the onion.

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Chop some chives or fresh parsley to use as garnish when serving.

Cooking bacon

Bacon isn’t a necessary ingredient in colcannon but we love the crunchy, saltiness with the potatoes. Skillet-frying bacon can be messy so I lay the slices onto a foil lined baking pan with low sides and bake in a 400 F degree oven. For smaller amounts I bake in the toaster oven turning maybe once or sometimes not at all. 

Cook the bacon until desired crispiness, remembering that it continues to cooks slightly after removing from the oven. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels and allow to cool before chopping into small pieces.

Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks.

Add the cabbage to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer about 10 minutes.

Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Set the cabbage aside.

In the same pot, combine the potatoes and the reserved cabbage cooking liquid. Add additional water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cook, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. I prefer to cook the potatoes with a lid slightly ajar but you can cook uncovered.

While the potatoes are cooking, add heat the milk, green onions, salt and pepper either in a small saucepan or microwavable measuring cup/bowl until hot.

Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl and mash. Add milk mixture; beat just until blended. Add additional milk until desired consistency.

If adding sour cream, stir in with the milk.

Stir in the cabbage.

To serve colcannon, drizzle with butter; top with chives/parsley and crumbled bacon.

 
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Colcannon

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 medium head cabbage (about 1 pound), chopped
• 2 pounds medium russet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• butter, melted to taste (about 2 tablespoons)
• Chopped chives or fresh parsley
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Add cabbage to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Set the cabbage aside.

In the same pot, combine the potatoes and the reserved cabbage cooking liquid. Add additional water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and cook, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. I prefer to cook the potatoes with a lid slightly ajar but you can cook uncovered.

While the potatoes are cooking, add heat the milk, green onions, salt and pepper either in a small saucepan or microwavable measuring cup/bowl until hot.

Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl and mash. Add milk mixture; beat just until blended. add additional milk until desired consistency. Stir in cabbage.

To serve colcannon, drizzle with butter; top with chives/parsley and crumbled bacon.

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