Colcannon is an easy stove top Irish mashed potato recipe that combines sautéed cabbage, kale, and green onions with seasoned buttermilk mashed potatoes. This makes an easy and delicious side dish for any dinner, but goes especially great with your favorite St. Patrick's Day recipes.
Add peeled and sliced potatoes to a large pot. Cover with enough cold water so that the potatoes are fully covered by at least an inch of water. Add kosher salt. Cover with a lid allowing a small vent of steam to escape. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to avoid bubbling over. Cook until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
While the potatoes are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add kale and cabbage, stir to coat in butter, and allow to cook undisturbed, stirring only to prevent burning, about 5-10 minutes. Once they start to get a nice golden brown sear, add the green onions, stir, and allow to cook for another few minutes.
Mash cooked potatoes with a masher or potato ricer. Add remaining butter as well as buttermilk and stir well to combine. Stir in cooked vegetables. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot with an additional pat of butter on top.
Notes
Soak the potatoes: If you have the time, soak the potatoes in cold water for up to 24 hours before you plan to cook them. Then rinse and cook in fresh water. Soaking potatoes helps remove extra starch and the final result is a more creamy and wonderful tasting potato.
Buy pre-shredded veggies: Stores like Trader Joe's sells packs of pre-shredded kale and cabbage. This is a great time saving short cut!
Use the Instant Pot instead: Skip the peeling and the chopping and cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot. When done, they'll be tender on the inside and the peel will come right off.