Colcannon with Kale and Bacon is a tasty side dish and an excellent choice to make for St. Patrick’s Day, however, I could eat it probably every single day.
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of buttery mashed potatoes with sauteed kale or cabbage.
I added crunchy bacon because it goes so well together, and who would not like a bit a crunch to their bite.
Let’s be honest, I absolutely adore mashed potatoes. Well, I love potatoes in general.
There are so many amazing meals that we could make using this amazing ingredient. Don’t you agree?
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Anyhow, back to mashed potatoes. I said this many times before, but let me mention again.
When I go to the restaurant I order a bowl of mashed potatoes rather than focused on anything else.
This tasty side dish is just incredible. It is warm, comforting, delicious and such an easy dish to make.
If you want to make it vegetarian or even vegan, skip bacon of course and use dairy-free butter and nut milk to create a creamy texture.
Although I do like a bit of chunky mash from time to time. So as you can see it is really possible to create this dish completely “clean” and vegan.
If you get inspired and make this Colcannon with Kale and Bacon, please tag me on Instagram.
@sandraseasycooking with hashtag #sandraseasycooking. I would love to see all your tasty creations. Thank you so much in advance!
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Colcannon with Kale and Bacon
Colcannon with Kale and Bacon is a simple and extremely tasty Irish side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes, russets (add salt to water)
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- ¾-1 cup half and half, cream (milk will do as well)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 slices smoked bacon, diced
- 4 cups stemmed, rinsed, and chopped green kale
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes in boiling water.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat a pan over medium heat and cook sliced bacon, stirring often, until it is nicely crisped, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Then add chopped onion (green onions could be used as well) to the pan and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 to the 6-minute max.
- Add washed and chopped kale to bacon and onion, then cook until wilted but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If you want softer kale you could steam it prior to sauteing. I add a pinch of salt and pepper just to season kale a bit but no more than a pinch.
- Use a potato masher or an electric mixer to make a nice smooth mash. Hand masher will make potatoes more chunky, so use it if you like your potatoes that way.
- Add the butter and half and a half (cream or milk) to the potatoes and continue to mash until the large lumps are gone. Add salt to taste and black pepper, then mix well. I like adding garlic powder to the mashed potatoes so just add about 1/4 teaspoon or more if you would like to the mashed potatoes and stir well. Also, add enough salt to please your taste buds.
- Mix in the mashed potatoes bacon, kale and onion mixture. Taste the colcannon and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot and top with a pat of butter.
Notes
You may use green cabbage or savoy cabbage instead of kale. I like it with either since it pairs so well with buttery mashed potatoes.
For vegetarian or even vegan options, you omit bacon obviously and use dairy-free butter and nut milk. It will be a bit different but still a tasty side dish.
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