Amp up your St Patrick’s Day dinner with this Colcannon with Bacon! This side dish recipe is packed with cabbage, onion, and bacon for a slight twist on an Ireland classic.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Irish food is known for their potatoes and cabbage, and this recipe highlights just that!
This Colcannon with Bacon is a perfect dinner idea option for your favorite St Paddy’s Day Irish foods like our Guinness Corned Beef! I also love to serve it up with my Beer Braised Chicken!
Simple to make, gluten free, and tons of flavor.
Find a list of more of our St Patty’s Day recipes below the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make Irish Colcannon:
- Russet Potatoes
- Green Cabbage
- Yellow Onion
- Bacon
- Butter
- Whole Milk
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Equipment
This is the equipment you need for the recipe:
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Vegetable Peeler
- Large Skillet
- Large Pot
- Masher
- Spatula or Mixing Spoon
- Colander
Instruction Overview
This is a brief overview of the steps that are needed to make this recipe. For full instructions and quantities, see the full recipe card below.
To make the Colcannon with Bacon, first make the cabbage mixture.
Cook the bacon and set aside.
Then cook the cabbage and onion in the bacon fat.
Crumble the bacon and add it back into the cabbage.
Make the potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into large chunks.
Cook them in boiling water until just fork tender.
Mash the potatoes with butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
Add the cabbage and bacon mixture into the potatoes and stir to combine.
Season to taste as needed.
Serve warm!
Modifications and Substitutions
Kale is a great swap for the cabbage!
Whole milk is better than lighter, low fat milks as it has more flavor and less water. Heavy cream can also be used.
Easily skip the bacon altogether!
Kim’s Tips
Be careful not to over season anything until it is all mixed together at the end!
This reheats extremely well.
I like to leave the cabbage in large pieces because it cooks down but still gives you great pockets of flavor. If cut really small, the cabbage will almost disappear into the potatoes.
If you feel like you have leftover cabbage and bacon mixture that you do not want to mix it, just serve it up on the side!
FAQs
What is colcannon made of?
Colcannon is made of potatoes, cabbage, onion, milk, and butter. And in this recipe we also use bacon!
What is the difference between colcannon and Champ?
Colcannon is a version of champ.
Champ is potatoes with onions.
Colcannon adds in cabbage or kale.
Why is it called colcannon?
It comes from a Gaelic word that means cabbage.
Colcannon with Bacon
Equipment
- Knife
- Colander
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon
- ¾ pound green cabbage about 1/2 of one small head
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bacon and cook on both sides, approximately 7-10 minutes total.½ pound bacon
- Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside to cool.
- While bacon is cooking, dice your onion and cut the cabbage into large chopped pieces.¾ pound green cabbage, 1 cup yellow onion
- In the same skillet, with the bacon fat still in it, add the cabbage and onion.
- Cook the cabbage and onion, tossing occasionally, until softened, approximately 10-12 minutes total.Note: The cabbage and onion will be soft but still have some texture and shape to it. If you want to cook it down more and make it very soft, you can.
- Chop or crumble the bacon into pieces and add back into the cabbage.
- Remove the cabbage mixture from the heat and set aside.
- Heat a large pot full of water to a boil over high heat.
- While the water is boiling, peel the potatoes.3 pounds russet potatoes
- Chop the potatoes into large chunks.
- Add the potatoes to the water and cook until they are just fork tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add the potatoes back into the now empty pot, off of heat.
- Add the milk and butter to the pot and mash the potatoes to your desired consistency.4 Tablespoons butter, ½ cup whole milk
- Add the salt and pepper and stir. Add more milk if desired to get the consistency you want.½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the cabbage mixture into the pot of potatoes and stir to combine.
- Season to taste as desired with salt and black pepper. Serve warm.
