Irish Colcannon Casserole Recipe (2024)

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In this post I’m sharing a delicious Irish Colcannon Casserole Recipe.

We are a few days away from St. Patrick’s Day. You may be searching for Irish recipes to add to your menu. One of the more common dishes associated with St. Patrick’s Day is Irish Colcannon.

Did you know that Colcannon was originally associated with Halloween? Today however, Colcannon is known as a festive Irish recipe to serve during St. Patrick’s Day.

So, what is Irish Colcannon and how do you make it? Colcannon is a basic potato dish, mixed with greens, and really easy to prepare. It is a filling meal and very budget friendly. Colcannon has been around for centuries so it is considered a time tested favorite meal.

Is Colcannon Irish or Scottish?

Colcannon is both Irish and Scottish. The basic recipe consists of mashed potatoes with either cabbage or kale.

Traditional Irish Colcannon:

Mashed Potatoes
Wilted Kale or Cabbage
Shallots or Onion
Butter and/or Cream
Salt and Pepper

I’ve decided to put a Southern twist on the Colcannon recipe and make it into a casserole. Colcannon with kale baked with a few other tasty ingredients that everyone is sure to enjoy. There may be bacon involved. Okay….there is definitely bacon!

Irish Casserole Dishes

My 6th great grandfather made the journey from Derry Ireland in the late 1700’s to the United States. Being of Irish descent, I feel it’s okay for me to put a bit of a twist on this dish. Did I mention it’s delicious? It is so delicious!

Irish Colcannon Casserole Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:

Thick Sliced Bacon
Organic Baby Kale
Russet Potatoes
Butter, softened
Heavy Cream
Mayonnaise (such as Duke’s) or Sour Cream
Salt
Black Pepper
1 bunch of Scallions
White Cheddar Cheese, grated

Traditional Colcannon with a Southern Twist

Preheat oven to 350°F (approximately 176°C)

Step 1: Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy. Set cooked bacon aside and reserve bacon fat from cooking. Dice the bacon.

Step 2: Next saute the baby kale in the skillet with the bacon fat until wilted. This will only take about a minute. Remove wilted baby kale and set aside.

Step 3: Add peeled and sliced potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Drain and add to a mixing bowl with softened butter. Whip the potatoes with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the heavy cream and mix to combine.

What to Serve with Colcannon?

Traditional colcannon is an Irish vegetable side dish and suitable as a side for any meal. When making a colcannon dish as a casserole dish, as I’ve done here, is suitable as the complete meal.

Add the potato mixture to a casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish the top of the casserole with the remaining diced scallions and bacon.

Fun Fact: Irish mashed potatoes are called poundies or champs.

Irish Mash Casserole

Fun St. Patrick’s Day Food

Here are a few St. Patrick’s Day Facts:

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th.
It’s a popular day for Irish recipes, such as corned beef and cabbage, colcannon, soda bread or Irish stew.
In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a national religious holiday with banks, stores, and businesses closing for the day.
St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in the U.S. in 1737.
Savannah, Georgia is well known for it’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Let’s make this Irish Colcannon Casserole Recipe!

Yield: 1 Casserole

A delicious twist on the Irish Colcannon recipe transformed into a delicious casserole.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

3 Slices of Thick Bacon
5 oz Organic Baby Kale
3 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 tbs Butter, softened
1/3 c Heavy Cream
1 tbs Mayonnaise (such as Duke's) or Sour Cream
1.5 tsp Salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 bunch of Scallions, diced
8 oz White Cheddar Cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F(176°C)
Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy. Set cooked bacon aside and reserve bacon fat from cooking. Dice the bacon.
Next saute the baby kale in the skillet with the bacon fat until wilted. This will only take about a minute. Remove wilted baby kale and set aside.
Next, add the peeled and sliced potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Drain and add to a mixing bowl with softened butter. Whip the potatoes with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the heavy cream and mix to combine.
Next - Add the salt, pepper, mayonnaise (or sour cream) to the potato mixture. Mix to combine.
Finally, add the wilted baby kale greens, half of the diced green onions, half of the diced bacon and half of the grated cheese to the potato mixture and stir to combine everything together.
Add the potato mixture to a casserole dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish the top of the casserole with the remaining diced scallions and bacon.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 270Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 521mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

About Julia

Hey Y'all! I'm Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia's Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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