Colcannon – Irish Mashed Potatoes

Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato dish that feature a mixture of buttery mashed potatoes and sauteed cabbage. 
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Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato dish that features buttery mashed potatoes and fried cabbage. It’s a comforting side dish that you can serve any time of the year, not just on St. Patrick’s Day! My colcannon recipe also includes bacon, leeks, and scallions for more flavor. 

Enjoy more of comforting Irish recipes like Dublin Coddle and Bangers and Mash.

Colcannon in a bowl with butter and green onions as garnish.

What is colcannon?

Colcannon is a traditional Irish potato and cabbage dish. Traditionally, it is a very simple dish that includes fluffy Mashed Potatoes made with a hearty addition of butter and milk. Then, you mix the mashed potatoes with Fried Cabbage and onions. The seasoning is simple – just salt and pepper.

Cál ceannann is where the dish got it’s name, which means “white headed cabbage.” Cabbage and potatoes are commonly grown vegetables in Ireland and that’s why many Irish dishes feature both.

This potato dish has been traditionally served year-round because it’s simple and inexpensive to make. Colcannon can be served on a side of protein or on its own. 

If you’re wondering whether Colcannon is Irish or Scottish, you’re not the only one. I was wondering that as well and I turned to my Scottish friend for answers. Turns out that “cál ceannann” is actually an Irish dish, but there’s a potatoes and cabbage dish in Scotland that is almost identical. The Scottish name for this dish is Rumbledethumps

Many European and Eastern European countries actually have some variation of a potatoes and cabbage dish. Both vegetables are commonly grown in those regions so the combination of two seems unavoidable.

Ingredient Notes

Labled colcannon ingredients on a wood surface.

PotatoesRusset (also called Idaho) potatoes are the best to use for mashed potatoes because they’re soft, fluffy, and fall apart easily.

Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter. I recommend using unsalted, that way you can sprinkle in salt to taste and control the amount of sodium in your dish.

Whole Milk – This gives the mashed potatoes a great creamy consistency that’s not too heavy.

Bacon – Regular pork bacon is best to use in this comforting dish. Feel free to use turkey bacon if preferred.

Vegetables – you will need cabbage, leeks and green onions to make the fried cabbage! Use green cabbage and slice it thin.

Leek – use 2-3 leeks (depending on size). Remember, the only edible part of a leek is the white and slightly green part. Root and dark green leaves are discarded before cooking.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Colcannon

Collage of 2 images of making colcannon boiling potatoes in a pot, mashing potatoes.

Prepare the potatoes. Peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes so they cook faster. Add potatoes to cold water and season water with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes. Cook potatoes until fork-tender (1) and drain off the cooking liquid. Make sure to reserve some cooking water from cooking potatoes, don’t drain it all completely.

Mash the potatoes. Add butter and milk to the mashed potatoes while it’s still hot. If needed, add a little more water, a little at a time, checking the thickness while mashing potatoes (2). Taste to see if more seasoning is needed. 

Collage of two images cooking bacon in a pan, cooking the leeks in a pan with the bacon.

Cook the bacon. Dice bacon into small pieces and add it to a pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil if needed. Sauté bacon until browned and fat is rendered (3). 

Leek. Add sliced leeks (4) and sauté until softened.

collage of two images cooking cabbage in a pan with bacon, and the cabbage cooked.

Cabbage. Add cabbage (5) and season with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is fully cooked and soft (6).

collage of two images of combinging the fried cabbage into the mashed potatoes.

Combine with potatoes. To combine potatoes and cabbage, simply add sauteed cabbage and bacon to the pot with mashed potatoes (7) and carefully mix until combined (8).

Add green onions. Stir in fresh scallions into the mixture. 

colcannon mashed potaotes in a bowl with a slice of butter and green onions on top as garnish and a set of wooden serving spoons to the left.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with Colcannon?

You can always enjoy this as a side dish with main dishes like Roasted Chicken, Honey Guinness Chicken Drumsticks, Corned Beef Brisket, Beef Brisket, steaks, and many more! You can use Colcannon in Bangers and Mash instead of the classic mashed potatoes.
When you have leftover Colcannon, you an easily make some mashed potatoes cakes with it!

Can I use purple cabbage?

While the taste won’t be affected if you use purple cabbage instead of green, it will look quite different. So for aesthetic purposes, it’s better to use green cabbage.

Can I freeze Colcannon?

Yes, this dish is easy to freeze. You can freeze cooled prepared potatoes and cabbage in a freezer bag or airtight freezer food storage container. Get all of the air out and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Mix well once thawed and reheat until warmed through.

Colcannon in a bowl and scooping some out of the bowl with a fork.

Storing and Reheating Recommendation

Storing: Store colcannon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will last 3-5 days. Remember to always use a clean utensil when scooping out leftovers from the storage container and don’t leave utensils in the container while storing.

Reheating: Much like any other mashed potato dish, you can easily reheat it in the microwave. The microwave is better to use for reheating of individual servings

If you need to reheat a large amount, you can transfer the potatoes into a casserole dish and reheat it in the oven. Cover the dish with aluminum foil so that it doesn’t dry out and reheat at 350°F until hot in the middle, about 30 minutes.

You can also reheat a large amount in a slow cooker. A slow cooker is good to use if you need to keep this dish warm for a longer period of time. If you notice that potatoes don’t have enough moisture, add a little bit of milk.

Make Ahead Instructions

Make Ahead: You can make the entire dish according to the recipe and transfer it into a casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to serve it, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up.

You can reheat it in the oven or in a slow cooker. Before reheating, take off the plastic wrap. In the oven, you can cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and reheat at 350°F for 15-30 minutes, just until heated through.

In a slow cooker, spread the cold Colcannon and cover with the lid. Let it heat up on LOW heat setting for about 30-40 minutes, until heated through.

Colcanon irish mashed potatoes in a bowl with butter on top and green onions as garnish.

More Comforting Potato Recipes

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Colcannon in a bowl and scooping some out of the bowl with a fork.

Colcannon Recipe- Irish Mashed Potatoes

Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato dish that feature a mixture of buttery mashed potatoes and sauteed cabbage. 
5 from 2 votes
Print Video Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Irish
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes:

  • 3 lbs Russet or Idaho potatoes
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cooking water less or more if needed
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper

Fried Cabbage:

  • 1/2 lb bacon
  • 14 oz cabbage (1/2 of a medium head of cabbage)
  • 2 large leeks
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/3 cup diced scallions

Instructions

Potatoes:

  • Peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes so they cook faster. Add potatoes to cold water and season water with salt and pepper.
  • Cook potatoes until fork-tender and drain off the cooking liquid. Make sure to reserve some cooking water from cooking potatoes, don’t drain it all completely.
  • Add butter and milk and mash potatoes while it’s still hot. If needed, add a little more water, a little at a time, checking the thickness while mashing potatoes. Taste to see if more seasoning is needed. 

Cabbage:

  • Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat. Thinly slice leek and cabbage and set it aside. 
  • Dice bacon into small pieces and add it to the pan. Add a little bit of canola oil if needed. Saute bacon until browned and fat is rendered. 
  • Add leek and saute until softens. Then, add cabbage and season with some salt and pepper. 
  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is fully cooked and soft. It will take about 10-15 minutes. 
  • To combine potatoes and cabbage, simply add sauteed cabbage and bacon to the pot with mashed potatoes and carefully mix until combined.
  • Stir in fresh scallions into the mixture. 

Video

Notes

  • Storing: Store colcannon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will last 3-5 days. Remember to always use a clean utensil when scooping out leftovers from the storage container and don’t leave utensils in the container while storing.
  • Freezing: You can freeze cooled prepared potatoes and cabbage in a freezer bag or airtight freezer food storage container. Get all of the air out and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Mix well once thawed and reheat until warmed through.
  • Make Ahead: You can make the entire dish according to the recipe and transfer it into a casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to serve it, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up.
  • Reheating: You can reheat it in the oven or in a slow cooker. Before reheating, take off the plastic wrap. In the oven, you can cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and reheat at 350°F for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size of the dish), just until heated through.
    In a slow cooker, spread the cold Colcannon and cover with the lid. Let it heat up on LOW heat setting for about 30-40 minutes, until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 40.3mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 6.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles or tag #willcookforsmiles!

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2019.

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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

5 from 2 votes

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We loved this recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    1. So glad you liked it, Tracey!

  2. I found your recipe a few months ago. I’m of Irish decent but had never heard of it, and was intrigued to give it a try. I’m glad I did! I DID add my own little touch to it by adding shredded carrots and chopped asparagus.. I enjoyed it so much, and have been craving it since!! So, I just did another huge pot tonight! Last time, I had some leftovers, so I filled some eggroll wrappers and a stick of cheddar…!! Fried them and dipped in ranch!!! WOW…!! Thanks!!

    1. I am so glad you liked the recipe! I am going to have to try those eggrolls, that sounds so good!

  3. 5 stars
    This was yummy!!! And easy to make. I’ll be making this again for sure!

    1. You’re so welcome! I am glad you liked it!

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