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Rich, creamy mashed potatoes loaded with cooked cabbage and green onions make the perfect Irish Colcannon! This traditional recipe puts a tasty twist on the classic mashed potato.
Ever heard of colcannon?
We never had, until we traveled to Ireland a few years ago.
Dublin was amazing and my family had the best time exploring. Especially when it came to exploring restaurants and new to us foods. The food is definitely my favorite part of travel and we were not disappointed in Ireland!
Colcannon was one of those foods that everyone fell in love with and I immediately came home and set out to recreate our own colcannon recipe, aka Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage! Same goes for our Irish soda bread.
There are a million different ways to make colcannon – with cabbage or kale being the standard.
What Is Colcannon?
This Irish recipe is pretty much just mashed potatoes but with cooked cabbage or kale mixed in! You might be a little leary about adding cabbage to your beloved mashed potatoes, but somehow it truly does make them even better!
Cabbage is pretty mild flavored and sweet when cooked down and the green onions add a lot of fresh flavor.
The cabbage adds a bit of texture, of course, but we cook the cabbage until it’s nice and soft so it doesn’t take away from the creaminess of these Irish mashed potatoes.
This is truly a universally loved dish and it’s definitely worth giving a try!
Colcannon
Ingredients
- 8 medium Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt plus more to taste
- 8 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 cups lightly packed shredded cabbage
- 3 green onions minced
- 1/2 cup milk plus more as needed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the salt to the water.
- Bring water to a boil and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and set aside.
- Return the pot to the stove along with 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted add the cabbage to the pot and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute more.
- Return the potatoes to the pot along with the milk and cream. Mash over low heat until smooth and creamy. Add additional milk or cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with remaining butter.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
What We Love About This IRISH COLCANNON Recipe:
- Comfort Food: Is there anything more comforting than a big pile of buttery mashed potatoes? This colcannon is no different, but at least you can claim it is “healthy” with some cabbage or kale.
- Gatherings: This is a great side dish to serve up for a St. Patrick’s Day gathering, or really for any holiday occasion! It’d be just as good on Thanksgiving, or for weeknight dinners.
Colcannon Ingredient Notes:
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Potatoes – You may use either Yukon gold or russet. We prefer Yukon gold ourselves.
Cabbage – You’ll want to finely chop the cabbage so that it almost melts into potatoes after cooking.
Butter – Lots of it. These are Irish mashed potatoes after all. 😉
Milk & Cream – For all that rich, creamy flavor!
Green Onions – We cook the green onions with the cabbage and also sprinkle more on top before serving.
How To Make Colcannon:
Cook the potatoes: The first step is to get those potatoes cooking. Boil them until fork tender, drain, and set aside.
Cook the cabbage: Add butter to the pot that had the potatoes and let it melt. Stir in the cabbage and cook until it’s softened and wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green onions.
Combine: Add the potatoes, milk, and cream to the pot with the cabbage and start mashing the potatoes until they’re smooth and creamy.
Helpful Tip!
Mashing Potatoes
- You can do a rough mash for more texture in your potatoes or mash longer until they’re creamy.
- Add additional milk or cream until they’re as loose as you’d like.
Season: Taste your potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with pats of soft butter and dig in!
What To Serve With Colcannon:
This Irish mashed potato recipe will go well with whatever you’d normally serve with mashed potatoes. Which is just about anything!
It’s a versatile side dish that you can serve up as traditional St. Patrick’s Day fare or for your weeknight dinner if you’re craving something a little different than the usual mashed potato recipe.
Enjoy this creamy colcannon recipe with some of my favorite entrees:
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Crockpot Spiral Ham
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Crock Pot Pork Roast and Gravy
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
Leftover Hack!
Ever had a potato pancake? Mix 1 cup of cold potatoes, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Fry in butter until golden brown on each side. Top with sour cream, if you like.
FAQ’s:
You can store this colcannon recipe in the fridge in a covered container for about 3 to 5 days.
Yes, you can prepare this dish ahead of time and serve it later. That makes it a popular choice for holiday gatherings or when you just need to save some time!
Sure! Just about any other greens would work here. Kale is a popular choice, but spinach, chard, and watercress are also good choices.
We prefer Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe! They mash well and they’ve got the perfect golden color. You could also use russet potatoes or even red skinned potatoes.
MORE EASY POTATO RECIPES!
- Funeral Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Amish Potato Salad
- Baked Potato Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
rose Ahern says
i can use any potato,like roosters
Karly Campbell says
Any potato that is good for mashing should be fine here.
Dawn Hanson says
Question: Do you drain the cabbage before adding & mashing the potatoes? Seems like there will be a lot of liquid, making the mash runny.
Karly says
Nope! There isn’t a lot of liquid. 🙂
Carla G Skidmore says
This recipe from Ireland is fantastic and so easy. I use the already mashed potatoes to which I add the soft cabbage that I sauteed in butter and we had a new way to serve a veggie to those who dislike veggies.