Irish Colcannon with Bacon

Happy St. Patrick’s week! I’m so excited to share a few of my favorite Irish and Irish-inspired recipes with you this year.  I have a lot of Irish heritage on both sides, so I grew up celebrating St. Paddy’s every year and it has become one of my very favorite holidays.  Growing up, my dad always made corned beef and cabbage and I still eat that dish every year along with Irish soda bread and Guinness stew.  And this year, I decided to perfect my recipe for colcannon – A comforting and traditional Irish dish consisting of potatoes mashed with a good amount of butter and cream and mixed with green onions and cabbage or kale. 

The History of Colcannon

Potatoes, cabbage, and kale are recognized as core foods of the ancestorial Irish diet and colcannon perfectly highlights all of these.  Colcannon is said to have come about during the 18^th century when it emerged as a hearty and filling staple to keep people satiated for a good stretch of time. 

With this dish being mentioned in children’s songs, colcannon became quite adored as a fundamental part of Irish cuisine.  It is traditionally served on Halloween night in Ireland as part of a litany of “fortune telling snacks.”  Certain trinkets were cooked into colcannon to signify certain things for your future.  I.e., if a coin was found, that signified wealth in the coming year. 

My Take on Colcannon

Although I’ve never had colcannon on Halloween, I enjoy making it throughout the year.  It’s one of my favorite comfort foods and feels like home.  I keep my recipe traditional.  I peel and chop up russet potatoes and boil them in salted water. I drain the potatoes in a colander and set them aside.  Next, I melt butter in the same pot and sauté cabbage with a touch of salt and pepper just until it is wilted and slightly browned.  I add the potatoes back into the pot and mash them up with butter, cream, and more salt and pepper if needed.  Next, I mix in sliced green onions and crispy crumbled bacon, warm through, and serve.

What to do with Leftovers – Colcannon Potato Cakes!

I love making a big batch of colcannon so I can have leftovers throughout the week.  It is great heated up as is or made into potato cakes.  To make colcannon potato cakes, I mix a couple tablespoons of flour into the cold potatoes.  Next, I lightly coat my hands in flour and form the potato mixture into golf ball-sized balls and then smash into discs.  I lightly coat a skillet with oil and heat over medium heat.  I cook the potato cakes for a few minutes on each side until they are lightly browned and crisp on the outside.  These are great on their own or served with shredded cheese and sour cream. 

This hearty and comforting recipe is so easy and only uses one pot, making for easy clean up.  It’s great on its own and pairs wonderfully with corned beef, ham, or any protein. It's also perfect served with my Irish Beef Guinness Stew.

Comment below some of your favorite St. Patrick's Day traditions! I'd love to hear them!

Éirinn go Brách! Ireland forever!

Ingredient Details and Abby's Tips

• The Potatoes – I use russet potatoes for this recipe.  They are usually readily available, budget-friendly, and hold up well for mashed potatoes. I peel the potatoes for this recipe but of you prefer a chunkier mashed potato, you can absolutely leave the skin on.  The recipe is great either way! 

• The Salt for the Potatoes – You don’t want to skip this step!  Potatoes can be very bland so salting during the boiling stage will help season them without making them too salty.  

• The Butter – I use salted butter for this recipe.  However, you can use unsalted if you prefer.  I also like to use Irish grass-fed butter, such as Kerrygold, because it has a richer taste that pairs well with the potatoes.  If you are only able to find regular butter, that works great too!

• The Cream – I use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for this recipe.  If you prefer to use milk, I would refrain from using anything with less than 2% milkfat.  It may affect the texture and richness of the recipe.   

• The Cabbage – Traditionally, cabbage or kale is used in colcannon.  I use regular green cabbage for this recipe but savoy cabbage also works great! Kale is also delicious if you’d like to try that instead.  You would use the same amount and the same cook method.  It’s totally up to you! 

• The Green Onions – These are a great addition to colcannon!  If you have an aversion to onions, however, you can omit them from the recipe. 

• The Bacon – I prefer very crisp bacon from this recipe so it doesn’t get too soggy when mixed into the potato mixture.  I like to chop up the bacon when it is raw and sauté it in a skillet until crisp. 

• The Salt and Pepper – These are added to taste.  Because salt is added at the beginning of the recipe, I would taste the potatoes after mixing in the green onions and bacon and add more salt and pepper if necessary.