Colcannon

Name: Colcannon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken stock; 2 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces); 6 slices thick cut bacon; 1/2 head of cabbage (chopped); 1 large yellow onion (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup milk; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted); scallions (diced for serving (optional))

Colcannon, a delicious Irish potato recipe, is going to be your new favorite comfort food. Made with bacon and cabbage, I could make a full meal out of this amazing recipe.

close up overhead of a bowl of colcannon with two pads of butter and diced scallions

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

I’m going to make the hard sell that you need to make this recipe all year round and not save it for St. Patrick’s Day. This is one of those recipes that I could eat right from the serving bowl and have no shame about that. It’s that good.

Traditionally, colcannon potatoes are made with either cabbage or kale and bacon mixed into mashed potatoes. There are sometimes herbs thrown in and occasionally scallions are added too. In this recipe I added a little garlic. While not traditional, it brings a little something special to the dish.

Reader Review

Thank you so much for this recipe. All my favs in one dish, cabbage, crispy fried bacon and onions, and best of all heaps of mashed potatoes. This is by far the most delicious combination of all them put together I have yet heard of. Will become a firm favorite on our dinner table.

How to Make Colcannon

This is a brief overview of how easy this recipe is, for the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card in the bottom of the post.

Boil potatoes: Start by boiling Yukon gold potatoes in chicken stock.
Cook bacon: Not only are we crisping up bacon, we are rendering it’s fat, something that adds so much flavor to this great recipe.
Cook the onions and cabbage: In the rendered bacon fat, we are going to sauté our vegetables.
Mix it all together: After mashing the cooked potatoes and beating them with some milk, we add in the bacon, vegetables, and top it all with melted butter.

overhead of a bowl of mashed potatoes with cooked bacon crumbles and sautéed cabbage on top

What Potato to Use

For this recipe, and any mashed potato recipe, we use Yukon Gold potatoes. Their buttery texture is ideal for mashing.

If you are unable to get Yukon Gold, you could use Russet potatoes in this recipe.

Cabbage vs. Kale

As mentioned above, this recipe is often made with kale. If you would prefer that, go for it! It adds a gorgeous green to this recipe.

Buy a large bunch of kale.
Cut out the thick stems and then cut the kale into bite sized pieces.
Sauté it the same way that the cabbage is sautéed in this recipe. Obviously, it won’t become translucent, but it will become soft and tender and need closer to 5 minutes.

What to Serve with Colcannon

This makes a great side dish to any main course, but you will definitely want to make it when making my Slow Cooker Corned Beef. It is the perfect dish to add to the table and bulk out that meal.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Slow Cooker Corned Beef is an easy and delicious all in one dinner. With only 10 minutes of preparation you will love this corned beef and cabbage all year.

view recipe

FAQ

Can colcannon be frozen?

Yes! The combination of butter and milk in this recipe makes it a good candidate for freezing. Once it is completely cool, scoop out individual servings and freeze on a baking sheet for an hour. Transfer to an air tight container and freeze for up to three months.

Can colcannon be made ahead of time?

Yes! Make the recipe as written. Allow it to cool and then store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. To reheat, put it in a covered baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

side view of a bowl of colcannon recipe with scallions on top

Other Great Potato Recipes

If you are as obsessed with potatoes as I am, check out some of these other great potato recipes.

If you make this amazing Colcannon recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

5 from 10 votes

Colcannon

Serves: servings

(tap # to scale)

Prep: 10

Cook: 20

Total: 30

Colcannon, a delicious Irish potato recipe, is going to be your new favorite comfort food. Made with bacon and cabbage, I could make a full meal out of this amazing recipe.

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Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 head of cabbage chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
scallions diced for serving (optional)

Instructions

Add the potatoes to a large saucepan or dutch oven and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
While the potatoes are boiling, cook the bacon in a large heavy bottomed skillet. Remove the bacon from the pan, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Once cool, crumble.
Add the cabbage, onion, and garlic to the skillet and sauté in the remaining bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and mash. Mix in the milk and beat until you get the desired consitency. Stir in the cabbage and onion mixture and the bacon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl, top with the melted butter and scallions (if using) and serve.