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    Irish Potatoes

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Another name for this rich, flavorful dish is "Colcannon," a traditional Irish favorite made of mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. You can serve this right after mashing or bake it into a casserole; you can even use the leftovers to make delicious tater-tots!

    Colcannon is traditionally made with only four ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk and kale. Instead of butter and milk, I have used a blend of cashews and water for richness, but see the Notes section below for alternatives. You can also use scallions or onions in this dish instead of leeks (my favorite). I added chives as well for a nice presentation.

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    Irish Potatoes


    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 15 mins
    • Total Time: 30 mins
    • Yield: 4 to 6 (makes about 4½ cups) 1x
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    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ¼ cup water
    • ¼ cup raw, unsalted cashews (1 ounce), or see Notes
    • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5½ cups)
    • 1 cup chopped leek, white and pale-green parts (see photos below)
    • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 4 cups chopped green cabbage
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh chives

    Instructions

    1. Place the water and cashews into a small blender jar and blend briefly; set aside.
    2. Place the potatoes, leeks, and granulated garlic into a soup pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
    3. Add the cabbage, and continue to boil until the potatoes are very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Drain the water from the soup pot. Leave the cooked potatoes in the pot and set aside off heat.
    4. Blend the water and cashews again until very smooth. Add this, along with the chives, to the pot, and mash with a potato masher. Serve hot as it or garnished with chives on top. (See Notes below for baking instructions.)

    Notes

    Potatoes: I like russets in this recipe because they are lighter and fluffier than Yukon gold potatoes; but feel free to use any kind of white potatoes you like. Additionally, I like my potatoes peeled, but some people leave the skins on (this works well with red potatoes).

    Kale: Instead of cabbage, feel free to use kale in its place (or a blend would be nice too).

    Leek variation: Some recipes use white or yellow onions, or green onions (scallions) instead of leeks (but I think leeks provide the most interesting flavor).

    Cashew option: If you don't want to use cashews for richness, feel free to substitute with a nut or seed that suits you better. Or you can also use a rich nondairy milk (like soy milk) instead of water and nuts/seeds. If you desire no added fat, just mash the potatoes with some of the cooking water that’s been saved before draining, or with some no-salt vegetable broth or stock.

    Baking: I like mine unbaked, but if you want to bake this recipe, use a 2-quart casserole dish, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

    Tater Tots: If you want to make tater tots out of any leftovers, form the mashed potatoes into small balls (or tater tot shape, kind of oblong; see photo below), and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes on the center rack. Remove and, with tongs, gently turn the tots over; bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are browned (see photo below). Serve hot with homemade, salt-free ketchup.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @straightupfood and hashtag it #straightupfood - we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

    Above: The prepared and ready to boil potatoes, leeks, and granulated garlic.

    Above: The sliced cabbage and chopped chives.

    Above: How to prepare leeks in 3 steps! (1) Top image: first, cut away the root end and the other end of dark green, and discard. (2) Middle image: cut the large middle section lengthwise (and rinse clean if there is any dirt between the layers). (3) Bottom image: slice the lengths again and chop across to get smaller pieces. (And be sure to use a sharp knife so the knife doesn't slip off of the leeks.)

    Above: Hot and ready to serve!

    Above: Leftovers baked into homemade tater tots (see Notes above for instructions).

    Previous Post: « Asian Noodle Salad
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jill

      March 13, 2020 at 9:42 am

      How much milk?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        March 14, 2020 at 7:45 am

        The same amount as water: about 1/4 cup. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Nicolas

      May 06, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! It reminded me of how much enjoy leeks, and that I need to incorporate them into my routine more often. Instead of cabbage, I had a bag of greens I needed to use up [mustard, turnip, collard mix], and even my vegetable-fickle partner enjoyed this hearty dish. I made your carrot cake recipe for dessert, and I must say it was one of the most satisfying meals we’ve had in a while. Thank you so much for developing and sharing these recipes.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 06, 2020 at 8:56 pm

        Yay, I love to hear this! 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting, Nicolas!

        Reply
    3. Jan

      May 12, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      I made your cabbage salad last night minus the avocado,it was delicious. I have leftovers for today.
      I could have eaten the whole bowl!
      Thank you for creating this yummy salad. Will be my go to often!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 12, 2020 at 9:25 pm

        Thanks Jan! 😉

        Reply
    4. Kat

      May 21, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      Just made your Irish Potato dish and I felt like it was St. Patty's Day! It was creamy, with lots of veggies in it that are disguised!! The only change I did, was swapped green onions for chives, since I did not have any. It is such a wonderful dish and tomorrow...TATER TOTS!!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 21, 2020 at 9:43 pm

        Yum! Love these. Thanks Kat! 😉

        Reply
    5. Mary

      June 10, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Should the recipe say "1/4 cup water or milk"? There's reference at point to milk but there's no milk listed in the ingredients.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        June 11, 2020 at 9:32 am

        I changed it to "water", thanks! 😉

        Reply
    6. Lisa Luscan

      September 11, 2020 at 1:54 pm

      This is great and I’ve made it many times.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        September 12, 2020 at 8:13 am

        Thank you Lisa! 😉

        Reply
    7. goober982014

      March 02, 2021 at 9:29 am

      Do you have suggestion to make this in Instant Pot? Should I boil the potatoes first in IP and then add cabbage after the potatoes have been pressure cooked? Or should I throw it all in together at the same time? Thank you in advance!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        March 02, 2021 at 12:18 pm

        I've not done it, but I would say you could do it altogether. Just cut your potatoes small so they don 't take as long to cook and the cabbage does not get overcooked. 🙂

        Reply

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