Irish Colcannon
This creamy Irish Colcannon is made with braised cabbage, crispy bacon, and leeks for an amazing alternative to classic mashed potatoes. I have it warm on the table in just 40 minutes, making it an easy side for any meal. Once you try it, you may never want mashed potatoes any other way.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces sliced bacon, thickly sliced
- 1 thinly sliced leek
- 1 head thinly sliced savoy cabbage, stem removed
- 2 pounds peeled and thinly sliced russet potatoes
- 2 pounds peeled and thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 bunch thinly sliced green onions
- salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter, milk, and cream to a medium size pot, and heat over very low heat. Keep warm.
- Next, add the bacon to a large rondeau pot or frying pan over medium heat and cook until very crispy and browned, which takes about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, and then add the leeks to the pan and cook them in the rendered bacon fat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the cabbage, season with salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 6-7 minutes or until very tender. Keep warm.
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes or until tender. They should cook in that amount of time if you thinly slice them.
- Before removing the potatoes, quickly mix in the green onions with the warm milk and butter mixture just to heat them up.
- Strain the potatoes completely and then mash them through a food mill.
- Fold in the butter-milk and green onion mixture until combined and then fold in the cabbage, bacon, salt, and pepper until combined. Serve.
Notes
You should keep in mind that for the creamiest Irish Colcannon, the butter, milk, and cream mixture should stay warm before blending it into the potatoes. Using cold liquid can make the texture heavy instead of silky and smooth.
Mashing: A food mill creates the smoothest texture, but a hand masher or electric beaters work just as well. Use whatever you have on hand.
Dairy Swap: Whole milk and heavy cream can be replaced with half and half. It keeps the dish creamy while simplifying the ingredients.
Cabbage Matters: The cabbage should be gently cooked until tender, not caramelized. Sweating it brings out its natural sweetness.
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten when it is done cooking.
How to Store: They can be stored in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen covered for up to 2 months; however, they will lose quite a bit of moisture and flavor if frozen.
How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small saucepot with a little bit of butter or milk and heat over low heat until hot. In addition, you can simply add them to the microwave and heat them until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 9gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 196mgPotassium: 1054mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1768IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2mg