Colcannon is an Irish tradition made of creamy mashed potatoes and colorful greens. This delicious dish is perfect for St. Patrick’s day or a new Halloween tradition!
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Colcannon is Irish mashed potatoes, filled with creamy butter and greens like curly kale or cabbage. As with most traditional recipes, there are hundreds of variations of this delicious dish, but with a base of potatoes, dairy and cooked greens, it’s difficult to mess it up!
The beautiful green color of this traditional Irish dish makes it a perfect addition to a St. Patrick’s day meal, but this flavorful side dish is traditionally served on Halloween. Truthfully, it is easy enough to prepare and enjoy any time of year!
This version includes bacon and cream, giving each bite a creamy and savory flavor that will have you swooning.
You can serve this tasty side dish with a nice piece of meat like corned beef or a hearty Irish stew and fry up the leftovers for a delicious breakfast in the morning! Serve Irish Potato Candy for dessert for a great Irish meal!
Recipe Origin
Potatoes are a staple in Irish cuisine, but no one is quite sure how that came to be. Some credit Sir Walter Raleigh with introducing potatoes to Ireland, but the timeline of that story is often disputed. It was probably Spanish trade ships that brought the hearty vegetable to Ireland in the 1600s.
Since then, potatoes have been a staple for the working-class in Ireland because they are a hearty, filling, and inexpensive ingredient, and they have made their way into many traditional Irish recipes including colcannon.
Naming Colcannon
“Cal ceannann” means “white-headed” or “white-faced” in Gaelic. Some believe this is where the name colcannon comes from, referring to the white of the potatoes. Another theory is that the name comes from the Irish words “cal” and “cainnenin” which means cabbage and garlic.
Colcannon and Halloween
The diary of William Bulkeley, a Welsh politician who was visiting Ireland in the 1700s, gives the first written mention of colcannon when he was served the tasty dish on Halloween night.
The ancient Gaelic festival Samhain, which has been celebrated for thousands of years, recognizes the changing of seasons. On the last night of October many believed the veil between the living and otherworldly would open, allowing messages from the dead to pass on to the living.
As part of this celebration, many activities involved a fortune-telling element. Traditional Irish colcannon was often served with several items hidden in the mash. The item that was dished up on your plate was a sign of things that may happen in the coming year.
- A button or thimble meant you would be single forever
- A ring meant a marriage was in the future
- A stick symbolized an unhappy marriage
- A coin meant riches
- A rag meant poverty
There may be regional variations for which items were hidden or their meaning.
Some single ladies would also fill a sock with colcannon and hang it on a door. It was said the next bachelor to walk through the door would be meant for them.
In the mid 1800s there was a great famine in Ireland when many potato crops were ruined. This caused thousands to leave the country and many ended up in America.
In 1737 a group of Irish immigrants got together for the first large St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Since that time, St. Patrick’s day has been celebrated all over the United States and colcannon has become a popular dish for the celebration because of its beautiful green color and its use of the famous Irish potato.
Why Make This Recipe
- Dress up Your Mashed Potatoes: It’s always a good idea to get a little more green in your diet and this is an easy way to do it.
- Test Your Luck: I love the idea of serving this dish at a dinner party with small trinkets hidden in the mash. It’s an easy way to add some fun to the meal! Just make sure your guests know about the surprises that may be hidden!
- Taste of Ireland: Colcannon is a popular dish in Ireland and potatoes are a staple of Irish cuisine. If you’ve been wanting to visit Ireland but aren’t able to make the trip, this recipe is an easy way to get a little taste of the country.
What Do I Need To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes have just the right amount of starch and water to produce a nice, fluffy mash, but you could also use yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes.
- Kale: Remove the stems and take a little extra time to massage your kale before cooking it. If you want to make a more traditional version of this recipe you could use green cabbage instead of kale. You could also substitute Swiss chard, leeks or green onions.
- Bacon: Bacon is not always included in colcannon, but some more modern recipes include it. I love it and encourage it!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Whipping cream is also optional but if you decide to skip it it’s a good idea to substitute butter or whole milk for the best flavor. The cream does make for a fluffier mash.
Tools
- Large Pot
- Frying Pan
How to Make This Recipe
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Step 1: Cook Your Potatoes
In a large pot, add the cubed potatoes. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes.
Salt the water, then place a lid on the pot.
Turn the heat to high, bringing the water to a boil.
Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon and Veggies
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the kale and bacon.
[Optional but Recommended Step] To soften your kale, do the following: Place the kale in a large colander and rinse it until it is clean. Drizzle the 1 tbsp of olive oil and the ½ tsp of sea salt onto the kale. Use your hands to massage and squeeze the kale for about 2-3 minutes until you can feel it soften.
Use a knife to mince the kale, chopping it into tiny pieces.
In a skillet, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the heat to a paper-towel lined plate. Keep the remaining grease in the pan.
Turn the heat to low. Once the bacon grease has cooled a bit, add the garlic into the pan and saute for about 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
Then, add the chopped kale into the bacon grease with the garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the kale has turned a bright green color and has cooked down a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Chop the now-cooled bacon until small bacon bits.
Step 3: Assemble Your Mash
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the excess water off of them. Return the cooked potatoes to their warm pot, and add the butter and heavy cream in with the potatoes.
Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth. Next, add the bacon, kale, and scallions into the pot with your potato mixture.
Stir to combine. Then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add a knob of butter to the middle of the mashed potatoes on each plate.
Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Some recipes do not include bacon or cream. You can omit these if you’d like.
- If you cannot find kale, green cabbage or Swiss chard would work as a substitute.
- This dish is great when served alongside sausage, lamb or beef.
- Make sure to cool the bacon grease before adding the garlic. If not, the garlic will burn and crisp instead of becoming fragrant.
What to Do with Leftovers
A great way to use leftover colcannon is to make colcannon cakes.
To do so, mix 3 cups of the leftover mashed potatoes with a cup of flour and one egg. Form the mash into patties and fry in a small amount of vegetable oil until nice and golden brown on each side.
Add a poached egg on top to complete the meal!
How to Make this Recipe using the Instant Pot
If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can prepare the potatoes with the help of the Instant Pot. To do so, follow these instructions:
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potato into eighths, making equal sized pieces.
- Add 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot and add your potatoes.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, then set to MANUAL or HIGH for 6 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, perform a Quick Release.
- Drain any remaining water, then follow the rest of these instructions as written .
FAQs
Champ and colcannon are both mashed potatoes, but the greens mixed in the potatoes vary slightly. Champ features only green spring onions while colcannon includes kale or cabbage.
Colcannon is a popular addition to holiday meals like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day, but it has also been served with breakfast as part of a hearty full Irish Breakfast.
Colcannon is a great side dish to serve with sausage, lamb chops, brisket or Irish beef stew.
Do you need a Keto Irish dish? If so, check out this Keto Shepherd’s Pie! Did you enjoy this Colcannon Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Horseradish Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Stoemp from Belgium
- Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Oto from Ghana
- English Breakfast Tea vs Irish Breakfast Tea
- What To Serve with Corned Beef and Cabbage
Colcannon
Equipment
- Pot(s)
- Frying Pan
- Potato Masher
- Strainer/Colander
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 oz green kale, leaves of kale removed from the stem and chopped
- 5 pieces uncooked bacon
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 stalks scallions, chopped (both white and green parts)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil, optional
- ½ tsp sea salt, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the 2.5 lb cubed potatoes. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Salt the water, then place a lid on the pot. Turn the heat to high, bringing the water to a boil.
- Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the kale and bacon.
- [Optional but Recommended Step] To soften your kale, do the following: Place the 4 oz kale in a large colander and rinse it until it is clean. Drizzle the 1 tbsp of olive oil and the ½ tsp of sea salt onto the kale. Use your hands to massage and squeeze the kale for about 2-3 minutes until you can feel it soften.
- Use a knife to mince the kale, chopping it into tiny pieces.
- In a skillet, cook 5 oz bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the heat to a paper-towel lined plate. Keep the remaining grease in the pan.
- Turn the heat to low. Once the bacon grease has cooled a bit, add 2 sliced garlic cloves into the pan and saute for about 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
- Then, add the minced kale into the bacon grease with the garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the kale has turned a bright green color and has cooked down a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Chop the now-cooled bacon into small bacon bits.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the excess water off of them. Return the potatoes to their warm pot, and add the 6 tbsp butter and ¼ cup heavy whipping cream in with the potatoes.
- Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth. Next, add the bacon, kale, and 4 stalks chopped scallions into the pot. Stir to combine. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes have just the right amount of starch and water to produce a nice, fluffy mash, but you could also use yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes.
- Kale: Remove the stems and take a little extra time to massage your kale before cooking it. If you want to make a more traditional version of this recipe you could use green cabbage instead of kale. You could also substitute Swiss chard, leeks or green onions.
- Bacon: Bacon is not always included in colcannon, but some more modern recipes include it. I love it and encourage it!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Whipping cream is also optional but if you decide to skip it it’s a good idea to substitute butter or whole milk for the best flavor. The cream does make for a fluffier mash.
- Some recipes do not include bacon or cream. You can omit these if you’d like.
- If you cannot find kale, green cabbage or Swiss chard would work as a substitute.
- This dish is great when served alongside sausage, lamb or beef.
- Make sure to cool the bacon grease before adding the garlic. If not, the garlic will burn and crisp instead of becoming fragrant.
Aunt Laura says
You are the best! Ingrediens, tools, substitutions, step by step instructtons!! I’m trying those wondeful-looking potatoes asap!
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Thank you Aunt Laura! It’s a lot of work to include all of that (especially the step by step photos) so it means a lot when people notice. I hope you like them! 🙂