Kale Colcannon
You're going to love these Irish mashed potatoes with kale. This colcannon recipe is the perfect side dish for St. Patrick's Day. So creamy and delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
If youโre like me, you might think of mashed potatoes as holiday-only food. And if youโre like me, you might often wish for more holidays that call for mashed potatoes.
Today, Iโm happy to introduce you to one more excuse to eat mashed potatoes. Meet colcannon! Colcannon is Irish mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage.
So, in case you need more justification to pull out your potato masherโthese mashed potatoes have greens in them.
Did you know that St. Patrickโs Day is coming right up? Letโs make some colcannon!
Colcannon Recipe Notes
I based this colcannon recipe on my great-grandmotherโs old-school mashed potatoes. Her recipe calls for cream cheese and sour cream instead of milk (or cream) and lots of butter.ย Iโm obsessed with its tangy flavor and creamy texture, and I donโt want mashed potatoes any other way.
I assumed these ingredients would produce an untraditional twist on colcannon, but maybe I was wrong. I just found an Irish song about colcannon on Wikipedia that mentions โpickledโ cream. Apparently pickled cream is buttermilk, which is similarly tangy. Maybe cream cheese and sour cream arenโt such crazy substitutions after all.
The Colcannon Song
Here are the first few lines of the song โColcannonโ, also called โThe Skillet Potโ:
Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?
Wondering specifically what to serve with colcannon? Unfortunately, I donโt have any Irish entrรฉes, but this roasted carrot, chickpea and farro dishย would pair well with it.
Looking for more St. Patrickโs Day recipes? You definitely donโt want to miss my Irish coffee recipe.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Iโm always so eager to hear from you.
Kale Colcannon
Youโre going to love these Irish mashed potatoes with kale. This colcannon recipe is the perfect side dish for St. Patrickโs Day. So creamy and delicious! Recipe yields 8 modest side servings, or 6 medium.
Ingredients
- 3ย pounds Russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt*, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1 large bunch kale, preferably Tuscan/Lacinato, ribs removed and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces (3 to 4 cups)
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces (ยฝ cup) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion, divided
Instructions
- To prepare, pull the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it warm up on the counter while we cook the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into even chunks about 2โ in size (see photos).
- Place the potato chunks in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking, reducing the heat as necessary to prevent overflow, until the potatoes are easily pierced through by a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carefully drain off all of the water and leave the potatoes in the colander for now.
- Return the empty pot to the stove over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the chopped kale. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 4 minutes, until the kale has wilted and turned dark green. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the drained potatoes. Mash the potatoes and kale until the potatoes reach your desired consistency (I like mine a little chunky, but you can mash them completely smooth if you prefer).
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter,ย and 1 teaspoon salt. Mash it together until the mixture is mostly combined, then add 2 tablespoons of the green onions and stir until everything comes together.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl. Top with a couple pats of butter and the remaining tablespoon of green onions. Serve while warm.
Notes
*Salt note: If youโre using regular table salt instead of fine sea salt, scale back a bit. You can always add more salt, to taste, at the end.
Change it up: You can easily substitute chard, collard greens or cabbage for the kale.
Make it dairy free/vegan: I havenโt tried this, but I think these potatoes would be good if you cooked the kale in olive oil, and stirred in 1 to 1 ยฝ cups vegan sour cream in place of the cream cheese and sour cream combination. Skip the extra butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I will try to veganize this and let you know how it turns out. Sounds good!
Please do, Maggie!
Delicious. And leftovers great the next day: cold with veggie sausages.
I make this vegan all the time! I use Kateโs vegan sour cream recipe, and grab either Trader Joeโs or Tofuttiโs dairy free cream cheese. Itโs one of my absolute FAVORITES!!! No one (including carnivores) could tell it was vegan on Thanksgiving!!! And they all asked for the recipe!!!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle! Iโm excited you enjoyed it with my vegan sour cream.
Well these look pretty amazing! Iโve never heard of Colcannon or had any veggie, other than peas, in my mashers. I think they would also make a perfect side dish for Easter. I am going to veganize them with your vegan sour cream recipe. Will let you know how it goes!
Oh yes! Let me know what you think with the vegan sour cream. Thank you, Dani!
I love this dish and usually make it with cabbage. If you use carrots itโs called Hutspot. It always great to up the nutrition and I love the garnish of spring onions which made the colcannon presentation pop!
Thanks for sharing, Heide!
Hi Kate! I make this often, but with a twist: I form the potato mixture into patties, then FEB them (flour, eggs, bread crumbs โ panko) then shallow fry them. They are delicious with a little extra crunch on the outside. I then put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them and put them in a zippered bag to take out as needed. Reheat in the oven and yum! Havenโt made them in a while, so thanks for bringing it back into my head and I will make it soon!
Thanks for sharing your take, Rose!
Rose, so appreciate your comment. I was just wondering if this recipe might be freezer friendly in any way.
Wonder if alternatively once could take the original recipe and scoop it into silicone muffin cups and freeze portions?
Hi Jessica, did you mean to reply to me? Or were you hoping Kate would reply? If the former, as mentioned in my comment, I freeze mine and it freezes beautifully. Once thawed, though, the patties really need to be heated in an oven (vs. say, a microwave) so the Panko crumb coating really crisps up. I donโt see why you couldnโt โscoop and freezeโ, but you might want to ask a pro like Kate and not โjustโ a home cook like me. Good luck!!
Hi all, this dish is always served with fish in Ireland. AND we always add a big knob of butter on top of the potatoes!!!!
cheers
Jackie
Thanks for sharing, Jackie!
Iโm interested to try your version! I came across the recipe โIrish Veg Stew with Kale Colcannon Mashโ from Irish cooks & brothers David & Stephen Flynn (โThe Happy Pearโ) on Jamie Oliverโs site. You can serve the mash alongside the stew or drop some right in for yummy goodness!
Let me know what you think, Beth!
This looks crazy good. i wish i could have this โcolcannonโ for lunch today!!
Make it and have it tomorrow! :)
This comment is not about this recipe but I donโt know where else to leave you a note. Can you post a scalloped potato recipe sometime soon?
I will add it to my suggestion list, Annie!
What recipe plug in do you use!? I love your blog and style!
Hi! Itโs called WP Tasty and I customized the display myself. :) Glad you like it!
SO good! We had it tonight with veggie Swedish meatballs and salad. My son (who is a sworn enemy of kale) said that he liked it!!! He even asked if I could make it again! Hooray! You are a genius!
Hooray!! This dish has that power. :) Thank you for your review!
These look delicious! I love finding ways to make our St. Patrickโs Day food โgreenโ in healthy ways! Thanks!
Youโre welcome, Jennifer!
Another winner recipe. I made it vegan and used cabbage and Yukon potatoes instead of russets, because thatโs what I had on hand. I think a drier potato like russets are the better choice but dang, it was still delicious. Next time, Iโm using kale, too
Thank you for sharing, Jeanne!
The family loved this version of Colcannonโฆit had a nice tang and was a good addition to our potluck dinner. Next time I will half the recipe for just my husband and I. Thank you for posting it in time for St. Paddyโs Day!
Youโre welcome, Mary!
Hi Katie!
Iโve been getting your recipes for a few months now, I think.
Thoโt it was time I โmade your dayโ and wrote you! ~ LOL
I made the fresh potatos and kale dish, and LOVED IT! Thank you!
We get our kale around these parts, in huge packs of already washed and cutโฆ I use it for my green drink.. usually. But itโs become boring after months โ and Iโm so glad, as it made me try your mix.. I need the greens, bcz WITH them, I donโt have diabetes anymore! WithOUT them, itโs right back! LOLโฆ
I love how you chat, like writing a letter with the recipes, as I live alone, am now getting old (had a stroke and cancer in the last 1.5 yrs โ over them both, mostly, now) and it feels like you are some company, come for coffee in the AMโฆ lol.
Thanks tho. I never had time to cook as a divorced working mom, (My kids now ignore me, the gist of that being that they feel I โignoredโ them, while I worked too much to bring them upโฆ) and my mom wouldnโt let me in the kitchen as a girl, so you are actually giving me cooking hintsโฆ TEACHING me how to cook, almost.. Thanx for that too..
Like โ โblendingโ a bit of the veggie soup to make a sauce! Wonderful news! and cutting the potatoes in chunkies to cook faster.. Wow! I didnโt know! ..And mixing the potatoes with the kale! What a treat! Thank you so much! This poor old lady appreciates you sooooooo much! I am subscribed for life!! ~
Love you, Dear Girlie!! ~ Sonlit
Thanks for commenting, Sonlit! Iโm so happy you are enjoying the recipes and blog content.
I made this for my familyโs Christmas dinner and everyone loved it. My sister-in-law said, โThese potatoes are unreal!โ Super simple to make too, which is a huge plus on Christmas. The only swap I made was spinach for kale, because my brother did the grocery shopping and he didnโt know what kale was. Haha!
Made this last night. Due to a potato shortage at the grocer, I used potatoes, white sweet potato & celeriac. For the same reason used curly kale. Also made it vegan w/ vegan butter & sour cream. It was delicious. The vegan sour cream added a tang that went so well with the root vegetables and kale. Husband requested a bit more garlic next time, but that would be the only change. Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Way to be creative, Jennifer! I love it. I appreciate your comment and review.
First recipe involving Kale that I actually was able to get some of my kids to eat! Thank you! :) I personally found it delicious.
Holy cowโthese mashed potatoes are delicious!! I veganized them by subbing in the vegan sour cream and adding a tablespoon of vegan butter at the end. Iโve been obsessed with them since I whipped them up. They are, without a doubt, the best mashed potatoes Iโve ever made and perhaps ever eaten. Thank you!
Iโd like to add that my Thanksgiving was spent in the house with my dog, who does a great job on floor clean-up duty. I didnโt let the fact that I had to fly solo this year deter me from making a number of dishes, almost all of which were inspired by your incredible selection. I have been following you for years and am always impressed by the stellar recipes that you churn out. Thank you for sponsoring my 2020 Thanksgiving, Kate! Please keep making waves in the kitchen and inspiring us all.:)
Just made this and had to rush over to leave a comment! So tasty and unique. Will definitely be making these โ even if itโs not St. Pattyโs Day!
Wonderful, Rose! Thank you for your review.
Was good. Used power greens Might add power greens to my mashed cauliflower next.
Being Irish, of course the meat to pair with Colcannon is Lamb or if thatโs too expensive or unavailable, use mutton. You probably have already gotten tons of responses noting this. And cabbage is traditional since itโs so much more available in Ireland than kale.
In Australia we ate mashed potatoes almost every day as a dinner staple. Lol. Weird that you need a holiday to eat potatoes.
The day after St. Patrickโs Day but close enough and this was fantastic! I had one bag of kale left from our summer CSA and what a great use of that kale. Will remember that this summer when we are swimming in kale and potatoes! Thanks!
This was so good. Iโve made colcannon with savoy cabbage before, but never kale. Was looking for a recipe to use up kale from the garden, and disguise it, as hubby always insists he hates it!
Iโm in the UK so some of these might not be familiar, but I subbed Naturli vegan butter, Philadelphia vegan cream cheese and Oatly vegan creme fraiche. All worked perfectly.
Served it with a soysage and lentil stew. Hearty, warming food for a very stormy day here
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Yvonne! I appreciate your review.
A variation from my German friend. She adds sauerkraut to the mashed potatoesโฆit is lecker!
She said her mom always made this dish but isnโt sure if it is a common recipe in Germany.
I got some sausages from Fieldroast with apples. So Iโll make this, the sauges and some oven roasted cabbage
This is amazing. Iโve now made it twice, and we (hub & I)love it. I have cut it down so that I make it for 2 and it seems nearly foolproof. Thank you!