Colcannon Potatoes (Irish Mashed Potatoes)
Colcannon Potatoes are a traditional Irish mashed potato dish. It’s a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes with buttery cabbage and crisp bacon. It’s a true comfort Irish dish that we love to serve for St. Patrick’s Day!
Our Colcannon Irish Bacon Potatoes recipe is a version of traditional Irish Mashed Potatoes (Colcannon), made up of potatoes, cabbage, leeks and bacon! Traditionally it’s made up of four ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk and cabbage.
It’s one of our family favorites for any time of year, but specifically St. Patrick’s Day. It’s usually served with boiled ham or Irish bacon. But for sure, serve it as a side with stew or a corned beef meal.
This dish is also a great side dish for any occasion—yes, we even make it for Thanksgiving! Colcannon is an Irish dish made from potatoes and greens. Irish historian Patrick Weston Joyce describes these potatoes as “potatoes mashed with butter and milk, with chopped up cabbage and pot herbs”. Yum!
What do Irish people call mashed potatoes?
In Ireland, mashed potatoes are commonly referred to “pandy or mash” while a traditional recipe for mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale is called “colcannon.” When you add spring onions, they are called “champ.”
Every Irish family has its own Irish potato recipe, and our classic potato and cabbage dish is made with bacon. My husband’s parents were Irish imigrants and this recipe comes from Grandpa Tom’s family in Kimmage. Kimmage is a suburb on the south side of the city of Dublin in Ireland.
This Colcannon Potatoes (Irish Mashed Potatoes) is always on our St. Patrick’s Day menu, along with Irish Beef & Lamb Stew, and Irish Soda Bread.
What’s the difference between colcannon and mashed potatoes?
Colcannon potatoes is way more than mashed potatoes. It starts with a creamy mashed potato recipe, with lots of butter, but then you add in tender cabbage (kale or chard, or other leafy greens). Take it to the next level by adding crispy bacon or pancetta, ending with green onions or chives. We also add leeks to our recipe–a definite addition!
What is colcannon made of?
- Russet potatoes: you will need about 3 1/2 cups cut into small pieces
- Butter: we love to use Irish butter
- Green cabbage
- Whole milk
- Fresh chives and garlic
- Bacon: thick cut bacon (hickory flavor is delicious) – the Irish call bacon “rasher”
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How do you make cabbage and potatoes?
- Place potatoes in a 6-qt. saucepan and cover with cold water, about 1’’ above potatoes. Bring water to a simmer and cook until tender. Make sure the outside of the potato does not disintegrate while cooking, as this means the water temperature is too high.
- When potatoes are tender but still intact, drain and return to pot. Mash until almost smooth, then add butter and mix until creamy. Add in the milk and cream; continue to mix; taste for salt.
- In a separate pan, melt remaining butter over medium low heat, then add the crushed garlic. Cook garlic, then add cabbage. Cover with a lid and cook down until bright green and tender.
- Transfer the cabbage to the potatoes along with chopped bacon and chives; stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve hot with additional butter on top! Optional to serve in a slow cooker.
Bacon Cabbage and Potatoes in Slow Cooker
- You can make this recipe ahead, and keep warm in the slow cooker if you are planning a St. Patrick’s Day potluck.
- Keep on LOW setting. Add butter right before serving (so it melts into the potatoes, like the photos show here).
Tips and substitutions:
- What potatoes are best for colcannon? We use Russet potatoes because they are starchy and fluffy for mashing, but you can use a combination of Russet and red potatoes.
- You can leave out the leeks, but we really love the combo of both cabbage and leeks. Leeks and bacon pair so well with potatoes.
- Optional to make this dish vegetarian and leave out the bacon.
- Try making this dish with sweet potatoes. OH, so good!
- What to do with leftovers? Serve any potato leftovers on this Classic Shepherd’s Pie!
More Irish recipe to try?
True Irish dishes include Irish stew (made with lamb, mutton, or beef), bacon and cabbage (with potatoes), or colcannon (mashed potato, kale or cabbage, and butter), and of course, the beloved Best Corned Beef and Cabbage. You may want to try some of these recipe!
- Irish Pub Salad
- Pastrami Irish Mac and Cheese
- Irish Barmbrack Bread Recipe
- Cheesy Irish Sliders Charcuterie Board
- Guinness Beef Chuck Roast
- Irish Soda Bread Scones
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Colcannon Irish Potatoes with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces, about 3 ½ cups
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for serving
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 oz bacon, cooked to desired crispiness
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 8 oz green cabbage, chopped
- ⅔ cup chives, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Boil the potatoes:
- Place potatoes in a 6-qt. saucepan and cover with cold water, about 1’’ above potatoes. Add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil; simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
- When potatoes are tender but still intact, drain and return to pot. Mash until almost smooth, then add 5 Tbsp butter and mix until creamy. Add in the milk; continue to mix; taste for salt.
- While the potatoes are cooking, saute the bacon and leeks in a large saute pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and cook additional minute. Add the cabbage and ⅛ cup water and saute until the cabbage is tender and a bit caramelized. The cabbage will be bright green and tender.
- Transfer cabbage to the mashed potatoes and add the chives; stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve hot with additional butter on top!
Notes
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I’ve made this recipie for the last five years at our annual little friends and family gathering for St. Patty’s Day! This recipie is just supurb! and has been enjoyed by everybody at the party! You can serve it with Irish Stew, Salmon, Beef Tenderloin, Corned Beef……
Give it a try and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!!
This was spectacular! Between the bacon, the garlic, and the cream I’m in heaven. I’m definitely bookmarking to make this again!
This recipe takes mashed potatoes to a whole new level! Love the added veg from the cabbage while the salty bacon is perfection along with the creamy buttery potatoes!
I had been wanting to try Colcannon forever and it was a real hit! I used vegan bacon and it worked great. Thanks for another winner!
My family loved this recipe! We are an Irish family but I had never heard of this recipe. They will become a regular addition to the menu.
Loved these! I wouldn’t have thought to put potatoes and cabbage in the same dish, but why not? It was delish! So much better than regular potatoes. Loved all your suggestions – I’ll try it with leeks next time!
It is good, trying it with Leeks sounds amazing. Thanks for the idea!