St Patrick's Day Colcannon Irish Potatoes With Turkey Bacon

This St. Patrick's Day Colcannon features buttery mashed Irish potatoes swirled with tender cabbage, garlic, and crispy turkey bacon for a lighter comfort classic.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Steaming the potatoes instead of boiling prevents waterlogging, ensuring the starch molecules can absorb the butter and cream.
• Sautéing the cabbage separately in turkey bacon fat caramelizes the edges, adding deep flavor without boiling away the nutrients.
• Using a potato ricer instead of a hand mixer prevents overworking the gluten-like starch matrix, keeping the mash incredibly fluffy.

My first attempt at making traditional Irish colcannon ended with me sitting on my kitchen floor at midnight, picking gritty, undercooked cabbage out of my teeth.

It was incredibly demoralizing.

I had blindly followed an old recipe that called for boiling the potatoes and greens together in one giant pot, which completely saturated the spuds with water and left the cabbage tasting like wet cardboard. My forearms actually ached from trying to whip those waterlogged potatoes into something resembling edible food.

That disaster forced me to rethink the entire physics of the humble potato.

To get that legendary, cloud-like texture, you have to protect the starch gelatinization process by keeping water out and letting fat in. I tested this with three different potato varieties before finding the absolute perfect method.

Trust me, the secret is all in the steam.

St Patrick's Day Colcannon Irish Potatoes With Turkey Bacon

• Publisher Storied Skillet
• Cuisine Irish
• Category Side Dish, Holiday Recipes
• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Cook Time 25 minutes
• Servings 6
• Calories 245 calories
• Rating 4.8 1736
• Tags colcannon, Irish potatoes, turkey bacon, St Patrick's Day side dish, mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 kg Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the steaming water)
• 6 slices turkey bacon, chopped
• 4 cups shredded savoy cabbage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup warm heavy cream
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the potato chunks in a steamer basket over boiling water seasoned with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Cover and steam for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily slides into the center without resistance.
2. While the potatoes steam, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped turkey bacon and cook until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes, then fish them out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. In the same skillet with the bacon fat, add the shredded cabbage and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized at the edges, then stir in the sliced green onions during the last minute.
4. Pass the hot, steamed potatoes through a potato ricer into a warm mixing bowl. Do not use a hand mixer, or you will end up with a gluey paste.
5. Pour in the melted butter and warm heavy cream, folding gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in the sautéed cabbage mixture, half of the crispy turkey bacon, nutmeg, and black pepper.
6. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, create a well in the center with the back of a spoon, pour in extra melted butter, and top with the remaining turkey bacon.

Notes

• I highly recommend using Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if you only have fine table salt, cut the measurement in half (use 1.5 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon) to avoid over-salting.
• Yukon Gold potatoes are essential here because their medium-starch content strikes the perfect balance between fluffy amylose and waxy amylopectin, preventing the mash from turning gummy.
• When sautéing the garlic with the cabbage, keep your heat at medium-low and stir constantly; burnt garlic turns bitter instantly and will ruin the delicate sweetness of the cabbage.
• After a day in the fridge, the starches will undergo retrogradation, making the potatoes feel firmer. Reheat with an extra splash of warm cream to restore that velvety texture.
• If you don't have a potato ricer, a classic hand masher works fine, but avoid food processors at all costs as they shear the starch cells and release too much amylose.
• For an extra traditional touch, you can substitute the cabbage with curly kale, but make sure to remove the tough woody stems first.

Serving Suggestions

Colcannon is the ultimate comfort food, but it truly shines when paired with hearty mains that can stand up to its rich, buttery texture.

• Pair it with our classic Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage for the ultimate St. Patrick's Day feast.
• Serve it alongside a perfectly seared ribeye steak, similar to our Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.
• Plate it with roasted pork chops or thick-cut grilled sausages to let the savory meat juices mingle with the buttery potatoes.
• Use any leftover turkey bacon to whip up a quick Turkey Bacon Wrap for lunch the next day.
• If you love rich potato dishes, try comparing this to our decadent Potatoes Romanov for your next Sunday roast.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover colcannon keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. In fact, I sometimes think the flavors mingle and taste even better on day two.

Just don't try to freeze it.

Freezing breaks down the delicate starch walls, leaving you with a watery, grainy mess when you thaw it.

To reheat, place the potatoes in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add a splash of milk or cream, and stir gently until heated through. This restores the emulsion without separating the butter.

Ingredient Substitutes

If you need to swap things out based on what's in your pantry, here are the best tested substitutions:

1. Turkey Bacon: You can use traditional pork bacon or pancetta, or omit it entirely and use smoked paprika for a vegetarian smoky kick.
2. Savoy Cabbage: Curly kale, green cabbage, or even Swiss chard make excellent leafy green substitutes.
3. Heavy Cream: Whole milk or half-and-half work perfectly, though the final mash will be slightly less decadent.
4. Yukon Gold Potatoes: Russet potatoes are a decent backup, but they will yield a fluffier, drier texture rather than the signature creamy bite.

I hope this buttery, green-flecked mountain of potatoes brings as much joy to your table as it does to mine. Pull up a chair, grab a spoon, and don't be shy with that extra pool of butter in the center—you've earned it.