Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (2024)

Colcannon ~ it’s the authenticIrishrecipe pairing comforting mashed potatoes with healthy kale ~ try this easy side dish in place of plain old mashed potatoes for your Thanksgiving and holiday meals.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (1)

What is Colcannon? (Irish: cál ceannann, or white cabbage)

  • Colcannon is a classic Irish recipe for potatoes with the addition of milk, butter, and greens like kale, cabbage, leeks, green onion, or chives.
  • It’s an old recipe that’s made all over Ireland because it’s cheap and nutritious using plentiful potatoes and greens.
  • Colcannon makes an unexpected (and healthier) alternative to mashed potatoes and is no more trouble to make.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (2)

Plain mashed potatoes can be great, of course, but I love the addition of greens for a bit of interest and added health benefits. I used a whole bunch of kale in this recipe (8 loosely packed cups!), and you can see that it does not overpower the potatoes at all. Like a lot of greens, the sauteed kale cooks down quite a bit. You could definitely get away with adding even more.

Is Colcannon healthy?

  • Yes! Potatoes get a bad wrap from some of the popular diets these days because they’re relatively high in carbohydrates, but potatoesare low in calories and are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. They’re a vegetable, after all, and a whole food, which gives them lots of nutritional cred in my book. It’s all in how you prepare them.
  • We all know that kale is a superfood, and I like to add lots to my Colcannon for a nutritional boost. Remember that it cooks down, so you can add more than you think.
  • For a leaner version of Colcannon use buttermilk and omit the butter.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (3)

The other thing I added to this recipe was a bit of horseradish. I love the flavor of horseradish in my mashed potatoes, it gives a great little subtle kick. But you can definitely leave it out, or adjust the amount to your taste.

Colcannon flavor variations

  • mustard, either creamy or grainy
  • garlic, fresh or dried
  • crumbled bacon (!)
  • sour cream
  • fresh herbs like thyme, parsley or rosemary

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (4)

Other veggies to use in Colcannon

While kale and cabbage are traditional, there are so many other greens you might use if you want to get creative…

  • spinach
  • watercress
  • chives
  • leeks
  • chard’
  • radiccio
  • shaved Brussels sprouts
  • other types of cabbage such as red cabbage, Savoy, or Napa

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (5)

The best potatoes for mashing

  • Russets! They have the most starch and mash up to the creamiest texture.

The best way to mash potatoes

How do you mash your potatoes? I’m partial to an old-fashioned potato-masher. They make quick work of well-boiled potatoes, and allow you a little more control over the final texture. I don’t like my mashed potatoes to be perfectly smooth, in fact, I usually don’t even bother to peel my potatoes (although I did for this recipe.)

If you do like a perfectly smooth texture, you can use electric beaters, just be careful not to over beat them, over beating can cause your mashed potatoes to become ‘gluey’. Not a good thing.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (6)

How many potatoes per person for dinner?

  • If you’re feeding a crowd, plan on 1/3-1/2 potato per person.

Make Colcannon ahead

  • Colcannon can be made up to a few days ahead of time
  • reheat, covered with foil, in a 350F oven, or in the slow cooker. You may need to add additional liquid and butter to loosen them up. You’ll want to stir a few times while reheating so they heat evenly.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (7)

These mashed potatoes would make a great accompaniment to so many meals this fall and winter, you can basically swap them out wherever you’d serve regular mashed potatoes. I could definitely see them on a Thanksgiving table, or served with a Christmas roast or holiday ham.

More traditional side dishes with a twist from the archives…

  • Maple Candied Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
  • Butter Pecan Pumpkin Souffle
  • French Potato and Onion Gratin
  • Buttered Rutabagas
  • Braised Red Cabbage

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (8)

Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes with Kale)

4.73 from 11 votes

Colcannon ~ it's the authenticIrishversion of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes teamed up with healthy kale ~ try this healthy side dish in place of plain old mashed potatoes for your Thanksgiving and holiday meals.

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Prep Time:10 minutes minutes

Cook Time:25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • Potato masher

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 5 Tbsp butter, divided, plus more for serving if desired
  • 8 cups chopped kale, about 1 large bunch (remove the tough stems first)
  • 1 cup half-and-half or buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or, to taste
  • 4 tsp horseradish sauce

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the chopped potatoes, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. (The tip of a sharp knife should slide in easily.)

  • Drain the potatoes and set them aside.

  • In the same pot, melt 2 Tbsp of butter, and sautee the chopped kale over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until soft.

  • Take off the heat, add the potatoes back to the pot along with the rest of the butter, half-and-half, salt, and horseradish sauce. Mash together with a potato masher until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

  • Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve with more butter if desired.

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Irish

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: easy, Irish, kale, potatoes, recipe, side dish, Thanksgiving

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you've made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (9)

Authentic Irish Colcannon Recipe (Mashed Potatoes with Kale) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between colcannon and Champ? ›

What is the difference between Colcannon and Champ? Both Irish dishes, Champ is mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions (scallions) and milk. Colcannon is Champ with the addition of cabbage and sometimes some herbs.

What is the Irish colcannon made of? ›

Colcannon is an Irish dish that's made of mashed potatoes, shredded cabbage or kale, green onions and tons of butter and whole milk. Sometimes crumbled bacon is added for an extra-succulent, salty flavor.

What is the difference between colcannon and bubble and squeak? ›

He comments that although the basic ingredients of bubble and squeak and colcannon are similar, the two are very different dishes, the former being traditionally made from left-overs and fried to give a brown crust, and the latter "a completely separate dish of potato, spring onion and cabbage, served almost as creamed ...

What is the Irish word for colcannon? ›

Colcannon (Irish: cál ceannann, meaning 'white-headed cabbage') is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage.

Why is colcannon important in Ireland? ›

Colcannon is a hearty dish that has been eaten on Halloween night for years. Traditionally, a ring was hidden in the dish, and whoever was to find it would be likely to marry in the upcoming year! Colcannon was even paired with a little poem: Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?

What did the Irish eat instead of potatoes? ›

Grains, either as bread or porridge, were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn't really taken off yet).

What is the Irish word for mashed potatoes? ›

Mashed potatoes, brúitín m. Mashed potatoes, brúitín m, prátaí brúite.

Do they eat mashed potatoes in Ireland? ›

Irish people began to mash their potatoes too, often with kale or cabbage in a traditional Irish recipe known as Colcannon. The mashed potato has remained an incredibly popular dish in Ireland for more than 200 years and is still found on most dinner tables throughout the country.

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Whereas most home cooks will use a pinch of butter, a couple of shakes of salt, and a bit of milk, steakhouse chefs aren't afraid to go all out with the dairy. There's no room for 2% or even whole milk in their mashed potatoes -- the thinness of plain milk just isn't creamy enough to cut it. And creaminess is key!

Why add baking soda to mashed potatoes? ›

Directions. Throw just a pinch of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda into potatoes while mashing to make them fluffier.

Why do people put an egg in their mashed potatoes? ›

Adding egg yolks to a pot of mashed potatoes is an easy, dairy-free texture and taste upgrade that doesn't require any special techniques. The yolks harbor all the flavorful fats and emulsifying components and will thus effectively unify the fat and water in potatoes, translating to a smoother, uniformly creamy pot.

What is the name of the dish similar to champ but made from kale or cabbage rather than scallions? ›

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. This budget-friendly dish can be served as an entrée or side dish, often alongside boiled ham or corned beef.

What do they call mashed potatoes in England? ›

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American, Canadian and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper.

What is colcannon in English? ›

Colcannon is a mixture of cooked and shredded cabbage and mashed potatoes. The word colcannon is derived from the Gaelic term cal ceannann, which means "white-headed cabbage" — the vegetable most commonly mixed with potatoes in this dish.

What does champ mean in Ireland? ›

Champ (brúitín in Irish) is an Irish dish of mashed potatoes with scallions, butter and milk. Champ. Alternative names. Poundies.

What is champ called in English? ›

Champ is shorthand for champion — in other words, a winner or a victor. You might describe your favorite football team as a bunch of champs after they win the World Series. Another way to use the word champ is as a verb meaning "chomp," especially the way a horse bites nervously or eagerly at its bit.

Which country would you be in if you ended up eating colcannon and champ? ›

Colcannon and Champ

Champ: Native to Northern Ireland, Champ looks similar to Colcannon. It differs though, in that it's made with scallions (or spring onions) and creamy mashed potatoes. Champ is great on its own, served steaming hot with extra butter. It's also the perfect side dish for good-quality sausages.

What does champ mean on a menu? ›

Champ (brúitín in Irish) is an Irish dish,[1] made by combining mashed potatoes and chopped spring onions with butter andmilk, and optionally, salt and pepper.[ 2] It is simple and inexpensive to produce. In some areas the dish is also called "poundies".[

References

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