Brown Butter Colcannon

Today we have a simple and super delicious Brown Butter Colcannon Recipe for St Patrick’s Day! We’re big potato lovers over here so this creamy mashed potato dish was a no brainer for us. We can’t stress how easy it is to make and it only requires a handful of ingredients.

We also love how this dish is able to sneak in some vegetables too, so it’s a win-win on both ends! If you’re not a fan of kale you can substitute spinach or even cabbage! You also don’t have to limit this to St Patricks Day, it makes an amazing side dish all year round! I often find myself serving this colcannon instead of regular mashed potatoes.

What is Colcannon?

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish of creamy mashed potatoes stirred together with hearty greens, such as cabbage or kale. It’s a hearty and inexpensive dish that can be eaten year round.

Our version uses brown butter, because we think it makes everything better but especially potatoes! The nutty flavor really takes this dish over the top in the best way!

How to Make Brown Butter Colcannon

Ingredients

Process

1. Place oil in a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add oil and onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add kale and garlic and continue to sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze pan with water or stock and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook kale and onions until all the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.

3. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover potatoes. Stir in a handful of salt. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Place butter into a small pot and place over medium heat. Cook butter for about 5 minutes or until melted, browned with a nutty flavor. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Remove potatoes from heat and drain water from pot.
6. Using a potato masher, begin to mash the hot potatoes.

7. Pour butter (reserving 2 tablespoons) and cream into the potatoes.
8. Continue to mash. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Mash until desired consistency has been achieved. Gently stir in onion and kale mixture until just combined. Drizzle reserved brown butter over potatoes. Serve.

Variations

• Use sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes for a subtly sweet flavor!
• Switch up with the greens with green cabbage, savoy cabbage, wilted spinach, collard greens, or Swiss chard in lieu of kale.
• Add some sautéed leeks and/or sliced green onions (also called scallions) and/or spring onions to add even more flavor to the dish!
• Stir some crispy crumbled bacon into the buttery potatoes!
• Mix it up by adding herbs into the potatoes. Some of our favorites to add are chives and thyme!
• Make the colcannon richer by stirring in a dollop of sour cream, a couple tablespoons softened cream cheese or even folding in some shredded white cheddar.

What to Eat with Colcannon

Colcannon is traditionally eaten with boiled ham, Irish bacon and corned beef. It’s such a versatile side that we love eating it with a variety of other dishes. Some of our favorite things to serve with colcannon are:

• Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
• Garlic Butter Lamb Chops
• Seared Ribeye Steak
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Standing Rib Roast

Making Ahead and Freezing Colcannon

Our brown butter colcannon can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 3 months. Just scoop colcannon into an airtight container and place in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to reheat, slightly thaw, enough to scoop into a pot. Add 1/2 to 1 cup cream to pot and simmer on low, stirring as the colcannon melts, until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve.

If you love this dish we have a couple other fun St Patrick’s Day recipes worth checking out like our Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict and our Irish Soda Bread.

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