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irish potatoes and cabbage with chives and cheese in a white bowl.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Irish Potatoes and Cabbage (Colcannon Recipe)

Try delicious Irish cabbage and potatoes or colcannon! Mashed potatoes, tender cabbage, and cheddar cheese make a flavorful side dish. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day or family dinners.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: Irish
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 474kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large pot for the potatoes
  • Large skillet for the cabbage
  • Potato masher or ricer

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs floury potatoes 1 kg, Note 1
  • 12.5 oz cabbage 250 g/ about 2 ½ cups finely sliced, Note 2
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided, salted or unsalted
  • ½ cup heavy cream 125 ml, Note 3
  • 3 scallions spring/green onions, divided
  • ½ cup cheddar 50 g, Note 4
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • small bunch of chives

Instructions

  • Cook potatoes: Peel and cube them. Place them in the pot, cover them with cold water, and add some salt. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them well.
    2 lbs floury potatoes / 1 kg
  • Chop cabbage: In the meantime, finely slice the cabbage and finely chop the onion, but keep them separated.
    12.5 oz cabbage / 250 g + 1
  • Cook cabbage: Heat one tablespoon of butter and cook the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, stir well, and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender and slightly golden. Stir often while the cabbage cooks.
    1 tablespoon butter
  • Mash the potatoes, adding cream and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the cabbage, 2 of the sliced scallions, shredded cheddar, and most of the chives. Transfer the colcannon to a serving bowl.
    2 tablespoons butter + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper + 2 scallions + most of the chives + ½ cup cheddar / 50 g
  • Serve colcannon: Place the remaining butter, in smaller knobs, on top of the mash and let it melt. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions and chives. Serve immediately.
    1 tablespoon butter

Notes

  1. Potatoes: Floury or starchy varieties like Russet or Yukon Gold in the US and Maris Piper or Kind Edward potatoes in the UK.
  2. Cabbage: Any type of cabbage can be used for colcannon, but traditionally, Irish recipes often call for green cabbage. I use white cabbage most of the time. However, you can also use savoy cabbage or even kale for a slightly different flavor and texture.
  3. Cream: Heavy cream is the best choice as it makes the potato and cabbage mash extra creamy and rich. However, feel free to use single cream or whole milk to save some calories.
  4. Cheese: While stirring cheddar into colcannon isn't traditional, it is delicious.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 1214mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1124IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 2mg