Creamy Colcannon with Irish Cheddar

There are so many things you can do with potatoes, especially when making side dishes. Just ask my family what their favourite potato recipes are and you will get a whole host of replies. Fries! Mashed potatoes! Uh…how about more fries? Yes, there is no shortage of potato-related ideas luckily, but one thing I love to do with the humble potato is make colcannon, a typical Irish dish which pairs with just about everything. This is basically mashed potatoes with cabbage and cheese. It’s important to use a good cheese, and I’ve found the Kerrygold brand to be perfect here. In fact, I often add a little extra cheese to the mix.

Along with the cabbage and cheese, I add milk, salt, onion, butter and black pepper, and those are all the ingredients you’re going to need to get that Irish flavour just right. As for toppings, why not crumble some bacon on top or add some spring onions or chives for a splash of colour? Serve this with anything from sausages or pork chops to steak, chicken or even a hardy fish like cod or salmon. Yes, the bacon does complement the fish believe it or not!

Some people might want to try kale instead of the cabbage and that’s also fine (of course the Irish are more associated with their cabbage than their kale, these days you’ll find ‘anything goes’ so simply add your favourite green vegetable). Serve this instead of your usual plain mash, and see how everyone loves the cheese and bacon additions. In fact, this tastes so good I bet your kids won’t even notice you sneaked that cabbage in there! Try it and see.

Colcannon should be served piping hot for the best results, and this side dish goes with pretty much everything. This creamy mashed potatoes recipe includes cabbage, cheddar cheese, milk, onion, and more, and we like to add bacon and spring onion or chives on top, although that is up to you. Try it both ways and I bet you prefer the ‘with bacon’ option! This is a very simple side dish and it complements all kinds of meals; colcannon is just as pleasing with a steak or pie as with corned beef or a nice piece of brisket. This recipe makes quite a lot but I promise you won’t have any leftovers!