What Is Colcannon?
Have you ever had colcannon? A St. Patrick's day favorite, colcannon is an Irish potato recipe, a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes and usually kale or cabbage.
I first encountered colcannon potatoes while doing research on traditional Irish cooking. Not surprisingly the Irish have all sorts of ways of cooking potatoes, with festive names like champ, bruisy, pandy, boxty, and this one, colcannon.
![Colcannon Irish Potatoes with Melted Butted in Serving Dish](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/thmb/fn9qmDJx7H7JL6eE_gC-_bjDYm8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__simply_recipes__uploads__2015__03__colcannon-horiz-a-1200-ebbf636d726c4d8384a3d216c341e499.jpg)
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Irish Mashed Potatoes
In the following colcannon recipe, we mix the mashed potatoes in with chopped cooked kale, green onions, milk or cream, and lots of butter.
To serve, make a depression in the middle of the mashed potatoes and put a knob of butter in it. To eat it, you dip a forkful of the potatoes in the melted butter.
If ever there was a recipe to get one to eat one's greens, this is it!
More of Our Favorite Irish Recipes
- Colcannon Soup
- Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew
- Chocolate Guinness Brownies
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Irish Soda Bread
Learn More About Irish Cooking
By the way, if you are looking for books on traditional Irish cooking, I can recommend two excellent ones. The first is Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen, of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork. The second is The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews, which won the James Beard award for cookbook of the year in 2010.
![Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes) in a white bowl topped with butter](https://www.simplyrecipes.com/thmb/xYsFLxLeGOPKsRX-C0o1CCNqEpA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__simply_recipes__uploads__2015__03__colcannon-vertical-a2-1200-d4c20db957e7403ca0a32e3d8f9dc935.jpg)
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Colcannon
For a variation, sub out half of the potatoes with parsnips. Can add chives, leeks, or bacon too.
Ingredients
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4 russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
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Salt, to taste
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5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
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3 lightly packed cups chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green
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3 green onions, minced (about 1/2 cup)
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1 cup milk or cream
Method
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Boil the potatoes:
Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil.
Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.
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Cook the greens and the green onions with butter:
Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and once it's hot, add the greens.
Cook the greens for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are wilted and have given off some of their water.
Add the green onions and cook 1 minute more.
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Mash the potatoes with milk or cream and greens:
Pour in the milk or cream, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium.
Use a fork or potato masher and mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens.
Add salt to taste and serve hot, with a knob of butter in the center.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
378 | Calories |
26g | Fat |
33g | Carbs |
5g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 378 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 26g | 33% |
Saturated Fat 16g | 82% |
Cholesterol 75mg | 25% |
Sodium 129mg | 6% |
Total Carbohydrate 33g | 12% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 13% |
Total Sugars 3g | |
Protein 5g | |
Vitamin C 25mg | 124% |
Calcium 70mg | 5% |
Iron 2mg | 10% |
Potassium 877mg | 19% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |