Colcannon Recipe – It’s no wonder these ultra buttery, garlicky mashed potatoes with tender kale mixed in are an Irish favorite. It’s a mouthwatering side fit for any occasion.
You can never have too many potato recipes, right? And this recipe is a real star. Who knew you could sneak kale into mashed potatoes? Even the kids will devour it! (The bacon crumbled on top helps, too. 😆)
Not only is this colcannon recipe tasty, but it looks beautiful, too. If you ever want to add a little color to your meal, colcannon is a perfect side.
What Is Colcannon?
Colcannon is an Irish dish that is essentially super buttery mashed potatoes mixed with shredded cabbage or kale and onions. It’s sometimes called “Irish mashed potatoes.” Plenty of folks like to make it when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes – You’ll need about two pounds of potatoes. Choose your favorite variety. I like using red or gold potatoes, but russet potatoes also work.
- Kale – Kale, green cabbage, and even savoy cabbage work here, but I like the color the deep green kale adds to this dish.
- Dairy – Milk and butter add richness for extra creamy mashed potatoes.
- Flavor – Garlic and green onions are present in many traditional recipes.
- Bacon – A classic ingredient sprinkled on top for more deliciousness.
How to Make Colcannon Potatoes
Prep Ingredients
- Prep Potatoes – Peel, wash, and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes, then add the potatoes to a large pot of cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt to season. (Photo 1)
- Boil Potatoes – Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15-18 minutes. Drain in a colander. (Photo 2)
- Bacon – While the potatoes boil, saute the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until it’s golden and crispy. Remove the bacon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. (Photo 3)
- Kale – Add the kale (or cabbage) and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until kale wilts. Stir in the green onions, season with half the remaining salt and pepper, and continue sautéing for another minute. Remove from heat. (Photo 4)
Mash It Up
- Mash Potatoes – Return the drained potatoes to the pot. Then, mash them with a potato masher. Or you can run them through a potato ricer.
- Assemble – Add the milk, butter, garlic, and kale. Mix the ingredients well with a spoon until smooth. Avoid overworking the potatoes to keep the texture creamy rather than gluey—season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately topped with butter, bacon, and green onions if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Swap out the greens. You can use cabbage or any other greens (collards, callaloo, etc.) you like for this recipe.
- Make it dairy-free. Use dairy-free milk and butter, or substitute the milk with chicken broth.
- Leave out the greens. It won’t technically be colcannon, but it will definitely be delicious! 😋
- Irish colcannon soup. Saute the aromatics in olive oil, add vegetable broth, and simmer the potatoes, kale, and other veggies until tender. Add a half cup of heavy cream and heat through for a delicious potato soup. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- You can use a potato masher, hand mixer, or potato ricer to mash your potatoes. But please don’t use a food processor because it will make the colcannon potatoes gummy.
- I highly recommend peeling the potatoes for this recipe. It makes for a creamier dish, but there’s still plenty of texture with the greens.
- Even if you don’t crumble bacon on top of the colcannon, cooking the kale and garlic in some bacon grease adds serious flavor to this dish. Highly recommend! 👌
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. You can freeze cooked potatoes in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve colcannon warm as a side to your favorite meal. Store leftover colcannon potatoes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave.
What Goes With Colcannon
Colcannon goes great with just about any main dish. Corned beef and cabbage or ham are a holiday tradition, but I like it with steak tips or oven-baked pork chops. It also plays well with other sides, like blanched green beans, Southern collard greens, and cornbread.
More Satisfying Potato Side Dishes to Try
Colcannon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) potatoes
- 2 teaspoons (12g) salt, divided
- 4 slices bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 3-4 cups (200-275g) kale or cabbage, stems removed, then chopped
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup (237ml) milk, warmed
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon (3g) black pepper
- More butter, bacon, and green onions or parsley for optional garnish
Instructions
- Peel, wash, and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Put the chopped potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Add about a teaspoon of salt to season.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15-18 minutes. Drain in a colander.
- While the potatoes are cooking, place the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook it for 6-8 minutes or until bacon is golden and crispy. Remove it from the pan and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Add the kale (or cabbage) and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until kale wilts. Stir in the green onions, season with half the remaining salt and pepper, and continue sautéing for another minute. Remove from heat.
- Return the drained potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher. Add the milk, butter, garlic, and kale.
- Mix the ingredients well with a spoon until smooth. Avoid overworking the potatoes to keep the texture creamy rather than gluey. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately topped with butter, bacon, and green onions if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- You can use a potato masher, hand mixer, or potato ricer to mash your potatoes. But please don’t use a food processor because it will make the colcannon potatoes gummy.
- I highly recommend peeling the potatoes for this recipe. It makes for a creamier dish, but there’s still plenty of texture with the greens.
- Even if you don’t crumble bacon on top of the colcannon, cooking the kale and garlic in some bacon grease adds serious flavor to this dish.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Bri D. says
I made this recipe but I was too lazy to peel and cut the potatoes. So I made it as twice baked potatoes and it was DELICIOUS! A great way to get the kids to eat kale.
Imma says
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback, Bri.