Colcannon – Irish Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes – Russet (also called Idaho) potatoes are the best to use for mashed potatoes because they’re soft, fluffy, and fall apart easily.

Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter. I recommend using unsalted, that way you can sprinkle in salt to taste and control the amount of sodium in your dish.

Whole Milk – This gives the mashed potatoes a great creamy consistency that’s not too heavy.

Bacon – Regular pork bacon is best to use in this comforting dish. Feel free to use turkey bacon if preferred.

Vegetables – you will need cabbage, leeks and green onions to make the fried cabbage! Use green cabbage and slice it thin.

Leek – use 2-3 leeks (depending on size). Remember, the only edible part of a leek is the white and slightly green part. Root and dark green leaves are discarded before cooking.

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Prepare the potatoes. Peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes so they cook faster. Add potatoes to cold water and season water with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes. Cook potatoes until fork-tender (1) and drain off the cooking liquid. Make sure to reserve some cooking water from cooking potatoes, don’t drain it all completely.

Mash the potatoes. Add butter and milk to the mashed potatoes while it’s still hot. If needed, add a little more water, a little at a time, checking the thickness while mashing potatoes (2). Taste to see if more seasoning is needed. 

Cook the bacon. Dice bacon into small pieces and add it to a pan over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil if needed. Sauté bacon until browned and fat is rendered (3). 

Leek. Add sliced leeks (4) and sauté until softened.

Combine with potatoes. To combine potatoes and cabbage, simply add sauteed cabbage and bacon to the pot with mashed potatoes (7) and carefully mix until combined (8).

Add green onions. Stir in fresh scallions into the mixture. 

Storing and Reheating Recommendation

Storing: Store colcannon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will last 3-5 days. Remember to always use a clean utensil when scooping out leftovers from the storage container and don’t leave utensils in the container while storing.

Reheating: Much like any other mashed potato dish, you can easily reheat it in the microwave. The microwave is better to use for reheating of individual servings. 

If you need to reheat a large amount, you can transfer the potatoes into a casserole dish and reheat it in the oven. Cover the dish with aluminum foil so that it doesn’t dry out and reheat at 350°F until hot in the middle, about 30 minutes.

You can also reheat a large amount in a slow cooker. A slow cooker is good to use if you need to keep this dish warm for a longer period of time. If you notice that potatoes don’t have enough moisture, add a little bit of milk.

Make Ahead Instructions

Make Ahead: You can make the entire dish according to the recipe and transfer it into a casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for 1-2 days. When you’re ready to serve it, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up.

You can reheat it in the oven or in a slow cooker. Before reheating, take off the plastic wrap. In the oven, you can cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and reheat at 350°F for 15-30 minutes, just until heated through.

In a slow cooker, spread the cold Colcannon and cover with the lid. Let it heat up on LOW heat setting for about 30-40 minutes, until heated through.