Colcannon Irish Bacon Potatoes
Looking for Irish side dishes? Try our Irish mashed potatoes–Colcannon Irish Potatoes–made with cabbage and bacon, for St. Patrick’s Day.
Friends, this easy Colcannon Irish Bacon Potatoes recipe is a version of traditional Irish Mashed Potatoes (Colcannon), made up of potatoes, cabbage, and bacon! It’s one of our family favorites for any time of year, but specifically St. Patrick’s Day. You can also make a colcannon recipe with leeks and bacon!
Colcannon Irish Bacon Potatoes
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 recipe is always on our St. Patrick’s Day menu, along with Irish Beef & Lamb Stew, and Irish Soda Bread.
Why we love this recipe
- Any time of year, this recipe is a true crowd-pleaser!
- We love these mashed potatoes!
- The recipe is so easy to make, and we love enjoying it as a family tradition.
What is Colcannon Irish Potatoes made of?
A St. Patrick’s day favorite, colcannon is an Irish potato recipe, a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes of kale or cabbage.
It’s a fluffy and warm mashed potatoes side dish with bacon, garlic and tender cabbage–the perfect side dish for any Irish meal.
In my opinion, these are the best mashed potatoes, ever.
Ingredients for Colcannon
This dish is a great side dish for any occasion—yes, we even make it for Thanksgiving! The creamy, buttery texture is combined with crunchy cabbage and crispy bacon to create a side dish with a hardy kick.
- Russet potatoes
- Butter
- Green cabbage
- Whole milk & heavy cream
- Fresh chives and garlic
- Bacon: use a sturdy, thick cut bacon (hickory flavor is delicious)
- 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.
What do you eat Colcannon Potatoes with?
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.
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:
Swap out the cabbage for leeks. Leeks and bacon go hand and hand and are scrumptious 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
- Dublin Coddle
- Pastrami Irish Mac and Cheese
- Irish Barmbrack Bread Recipe
- Cheesy Irish Sliders Charcuterie Board
- Guinness Beef Chuck Roast
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Colcannon Irish Potatoes with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1’’ half moons
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for serving
- 8 oz thinly shredded green cabbage
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 ⁄3 cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup chives, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 oz bacon, cooked to desired crispiness
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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, 20-25 minutes or so. 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 5 Tbsp butter and mix until creamy. Add in the milk and cream; continue to mix; taste for salt.
- In a separate pan, melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter over medium low heat, then add the crushed garlic. Cook garlic for 3 minutes, then add cabbage. Cover with a lid and cook down until bright green and tender, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer cabbage to 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!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
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!