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A close up of Colcannon Potatoes topped with bacon and green onions.
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4.80 from 30 votes

Irish Colcannon Potatoes

This classic Irish Colcannon Potatoes recipe combines creamy red-skinned mashed potatoes with sautéed cabbage, crumbled bacon, and green onion. This dish is far too delicious to save for St. Patrick's Day!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 10
Calories: 190kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds red-skinned potatoes scrubbed clean and quartered
  • 3 teaspoons salt divided, plus additional to taste
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ of a good sized head of green cabbage roughly chopped (about 5 to 6 cups)
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper plus additional to taste
  • ½ to ¾ cup slightly warmed milk as needed
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Add potatoes to a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with cool water by about 1-inch Add 2 teaspoons salt, cover, and turn heat to HIGH. Watch closely and when water reaches a boil, reduce heat to MEDIUM and cook at a low boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, but not falling apart. Remove from heat and drain well. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter to dry pot, place over MEDIUM heat and when melted add garlic. Sauté until fragrant and add chopped cabbage. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat.
  • Add cooked potatoes back to the pot with the cabbage. Add about half of the milk, onion powder, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Use a potato masher to smash the potatoes to a slightly chunky consistency (they should not be completely smooth), adding additional milk as needed.
  • Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle over the potatoes. Garnish with green onion.

Video

Notes

To cleanly and easily cook your bacon place it on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until it reaches the desired crispness. Remove from oven and transfer cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Blot grease with additional paper towels. 
I used 2% reduced fat milk with an excellent result. If you want a richer dish, use whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 845mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.1mg