Irish colcannon is, in short, mashed potatoes with cabbage. But believe you me, it is SO much more than that. This traditional side dish is so full of flavor and texture. It really is a gem masquerading as a humble potato dish.
There are a lot of different variations on colcannon, some use kale in place of the cabbage, some use green onions, some use a bit of ham to flavor it. This version consists of fluffy mashed russet potatoes mixed with green cabbage and a little bit of yellow onion that are simmered in milk, butter, and salt. The cabbage cooking liquid is mixed in when the potatoes are mashed for a creamy dish that packs in tons of flavor.
This would be an excellent side dish at your St. Patrick’s Day meal. Here are a few meal(HERE, HERE), snack(HERE, HERE), and dessert(HERE, HERE,HERE) ideas if you are still on the lookout.
- 5 Small Russet Potatoes(about 2 lb.)
- ½ small Green Cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
- ¼ Yellow Onion, diced
- ½ C. Milk
- 1 T. Butter
- 1½ t. Coarse Salt(or 1 t. table salt)
- Butter, for garnish
- Parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Peel the potatoes and cut into a ½" cubes. Place in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place back in pot.
- While the potatoes are cooking, place the cabbage, onion, milk, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until cabbage is tender. There should still be a few tablespoons of liquid in the pan.
- Pour the remaining liquid into the pot with the potatoes and mix with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. You could do this in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or you could mash the potatoes by hand, as well.
- Add the cabbage to the potatoes and mix in until well distributed. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a few pats of butter and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
These sound great! I can’t wait to give them a shot!
Thanks Susan! I hope you get a chance to try them!