Colcannon

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that combines creamy buttery mashed potatoes with tender sautéed cabbage. You can enjoy it for St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as family weeknight dinners year-round.

What is Irish Colcannon Made Of? 

Colcannon is a classic Irish dish that consists of creamy mashed potatoes and green cabbage and scallions for a hint of onion flavor. Every cook in Ireland and beyond, has their own version of this humble, yet delicious side dish, popular for serving for holidays and special gatherings with family and friends. There’s plenty of room to customize adding leeks, crispy bacon or ham to expand the flavor profile.

Ingredients You’ll Need to make Colcannon Recipe

Ingredients to make easy Irish Colcannon: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)

• Potatoes – I’m using cubed russet potatoes. You can leave the peel intact, if preferred.
• Cabbage – Plain ole green cabbage cut into long strips.
• Onion – Thinly sliced green onions for a mild onion flavor.
• Garlic – Minced garlic enhances the onions and amps up the flavor.
• Seasonings – Salt and black pepper enhance the flavor.
• Fennel – Fennel seed add a hint of sweetness. Fennel seeds work their magic in the cabbage and add depth of flavor. They’re optional, but I highly recommend including them.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted butter for richness.
• Liquid – Half and half or whole milk to mash the potatoes and add moisture.

How to Make the BEST Colcannon Recipe

• Cube Potatoes – Peel and cut the potatoes into similar size chunks.
• Boil the Potatoes – Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-high heat and continue to cook until they’re fork tender.
• Sauté Cabbage – Meanwhile, Cook cabbage, green onions and fennel seeds in the melted butter until tender.
• Add Milk to the Vegetables – To the cabbage add the milk, remaining salt and black pepper, simmering on low until heated through.
• Drain the Potatoes Well – Drain the potatoes, then mash.
• Combine – Add the cabbage-milk mixture to the mashed potatoes.
• Serve – Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then serve.

Tips for Making Easy Colcannon

• Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need: Large skillet, large pot, sharp knife and chopping board, large serving bowl, colander, measuring cups, measuring spoons and potato masher.
• The Potatoes Will Thicken As They Sit: When combining the warm half and half and sautéed cabbage mixture with the mashed potatoes, the creamy texture should thicken as you stir. That’s why it’s not necessary to add any liquid to the potatoes prior to combining the two or they could become soupy.
• How to Serve Colcannon: This dish will complement any entree that goes well with mashed potatoes. You may enjoy it alongside corned beef, barbecue brisket, fried chicken, kielbasa and sauerkraut or Guinness beef stew.

Recipe Variations

• Cabbage: You can make this simple dish using Swiss chard, curly kale or leeks. You could also go Southern and add sautéed collard greens.
• Potatoes: In place of russet potatoes, you could use Yukon gold potatoes or white potatoes.
• Butter Substitution: You can use bacon drippings in place of butter to cook the cabbage. When doing so, decrease the butter to 1/4 cup.
• Liquid: You can use heavy cream in place of half and half.
• Protein: You could add crispy bacon or diced ham to the potatoes to make this a one dish meal.
• Spice: You could add crushed red pepper flakes to the cabbage for a hint of spice.
• Onion: You can swap out the green onions using shallots or sweet onion, instead.
• To Peel or Not to Peel: You may opt to leave the potato skins intact, this is personal preference.

Storage and Leftovers

• Storage: Store leftover Colcannon in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave in single servings or in a saucepan over medium heat. Add additional half and half to thin, if needed.
• Freezing: You can freeze leftover Colcannon for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Easy Side Dish Recipes to Make

• Light and fluffy Southern Spoon Bread.
• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole elevated cabbage to a side dish the whole family will love.
• Cajun Mac and Cheese is creamy and flavorful.
• Easy Irish Soda Bread is a must-make for St Patrick’s Day.
• Dublin Coddle was introduced to me by my Irish friends, and it’s become a family favorite.
• Kielbasa and Sauerkraut can be served as a side dish or an entree.
• Creamed Potatoes and Peas are a retro dish that never gets old.
• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes from Food Network.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Saucepan
• Potato Masher
• Measuring Set
• Chopping Board

Print

Colcannon

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Irish-inspired, Southern

Keyword best-colcannon-recipe, Irish-colcannon-recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 306kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3-4 cups green cabbage (Cut into thin 3-inch strips)
• 2 tsp salt divided use
• 1/2 cup butter divided use
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion plus additional for garnishing
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds optional
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk
• 2 large garlic cloves minced

Instructions

• Peel and cut the potatoes into large even size chunks. Slice cabbage into 3-4 inch strips around 1/2-inch wide.
• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with 1-2 inches of cold water. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
• Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-high heat and continue to cook with a lid offset, for 10-12 minutes or until fork tender.
• Meanwhile, melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, green onions and fennel seeds to the melted butter. Sauté over medium-heat stirring occasionally while the potatoes cook, until tender.
• To the cabbage add the half and half (or milk), remaining 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, simmer gently on low for the flavors to blend, around 5-8 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes well, and return to the pot, then mash.
• To the mashed potatoes add the cabbage and onion mixture. Mix well until fully combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
• Serve immediately garnished with reserved green onion and pats of butter, if desired.

Notes

• Cabbage: You can make this simple dish using Swiss chard, curly kale or leeks. You could also go Southern and add sautéed collard greens.
• Potatoes: In place of russet potatoes, you could use Yukon gold potatoes or white potatoes.
• Butter Substitution: You can use bacon drippings in place of butter to cook the cabbage. When doing so, decrease the butter to 1/4 cup.
• Liquid: You can use heavy cream in place of half and half.
• Protein: You could add crispy bacon or diced ham to the potatoes to make this a one dish meal.
• Spice: You could add crushed red pepper flakes to the cabbage for a hint of spice.
• Onion: You can swap out the green onions using shallots or sweet onion, instead.
• To Peel or Not to Peel: You may opt to leave the potato skins intact, this is personal preference.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 606IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg

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