Real Irish Colcannon
Real Irish Colcannon is made with Irish butter and and optional Irish cheddar cheese. It doesn’t get more Celtic than this. This is naturally green comfort food and a St Patrick’s Day favorite.

I can’t think of anything more comforting than a big bowl of mashed potato with heaps of Irish cheddar cheese and good Irish creamy butter. This is why I I call it ‘real Irish’. I know that champ or colcannon traditionally does not have cheese or onion, but I’ve had requests for how much of these can be added so they are listed as optional in the recipe.
Colcannon is similar to its lesser known counterpart Champ. Colcannon is like Champ but with added cabbage.

The butter and cheese are really the best there is out there. The Irish are very proud of their dairy and so they should be. I’m not being paid to say this, this is just my opinion and if you try them, you’ll agree and are available in most grocery stores here in the U.S.
The name is derived from the word cál ceannann which is Celtic for ‘head cabbage’.

The colcannon can be made 2 days ahead of time. You can simply reheat in a the microwave for a few minutes, or to a pan over low heat. Add a small amount of milk so it doesn’t dry out and burn on the bottom, stirring often.
Cabbage in Irish Colcannon
The cut of the cabbage is up the to the cook. Sometimes I like it chopped in large pieces for a nice cabbage bite, sometimes I like it finely cut so it mixes in well with the mash. The choice is yours.
There is a debate that seems ongoing and is new to me. Are you team cabbage or team kale? Growing up in England, I only ever had this dish with cabbage, but since moving to the U.S., I see a lot of people using cabbage. Frankly, I think cabbage adds more flavor.
Serving Real Irish Colcannon
Anything Irish of course and what is better than Irish Guinness Stew. This can be a complete St Patrick’s Day meal.

Leftover Irish Colcannon
If you happen to have any leftovers, you can make a classic British dish called Bubble and Squeak. It’s typically made from the leftovers of a Roast Beef Dinner, mainly the mash. See pic below.

Irish Desserts
Try my Irish dessert ideas too if you want to complete Irish meal. Irish Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting (picture below) or Irish coffee Milkshake Shooters.

If you’ve made this Real Irish Colcannon, or any other recipe, please leave a comment below. I love to hear from my readers.
Irish Colcannon

A creamy and easy side dish with cabbage, spring onion, Irish butter and Irish cheddar.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (907 grams) potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 6 tablespoons Irish butter
- 2 spring onions/scallions, chopped (optional)
- 10 ounces (283 grams) green cabbage, chopped * see note
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk, warm
- 2 cups (160 grams) Irish sharp cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pan, 3/4 way full with water and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
- While the potatoes boil, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the cabbage and cook until softened. Stir in the spring onions, remove from the heat.
- Drain the potatoes, add to a large bowl and mash. Stir in the cabbage and onion mix, milk and cheese into the hot potatoes. Season with salt to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
You can chop into large pieces for more cabbage bite, or thinly cut for the cabbage to blend more into the mash.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 330Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 63mgSodium 429mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 7gSugar 12gProtein 10g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
41 Comments on “Real Irish Colcannon”
I enjoyed this recipe. I will probably add some garlic to the cabbage next time, just because…
Thank you, that sounds delicious.
This is something I make a lot at our house. It is so yummy. My Irish heritage probably makes me little partial to these dishes too. But please try this instead of regular mashed one night.
Thank you for the feedback.
Any leftovers can go to bubble and squeak!! Same colcannon, two different dishes!!
Great idea
This was delicious! I had a half head of cabbage left over and only red potatoes. It was a great compliment to the ham I made. I looked at other recipes and saw a few variations but the addition of cheese was a great addition.
There are various recipes for this just as there are for chili!
Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful, thank you so much
I used a mix of cabbage and kale, fabulous
Sounds delicious
The best recipe, I love to use Yukon gold
Me too, thank you
This is actually a mix of Colcannon and Champ; two different dishes. Also neither dish would ever have cheese. This sounds delicious but it’s not real Colcannon.
Thank you, the cheese is listed as optional. My Granda taught me that colcannon is champ with added cabbage.
They’re similar, granted, but they’re separate dishes. Any cook can combine them as they please, but then they’re no longer actually their original selves. A family recipe is great but shouldn’t be sold as the ‘Real’ recipe, especially when including optional ingredients that entirely change the dish. Adding as we please, we end up with Loaded Mash, not Colcannon lol
I will not be changing the title of my recipe because the word ‘real’ bothers you. Again, I grew up in the U.K eating my granda’s recipe (that did not include onion or cheese) which is real colcannon. I like to help cater to my readers who are here to make my recipes, not people who just want to pick my recipes apart.
Love the recipe. From Tipperary and had it many times but had forgotten it. Will make it this weekend as giving company. Thank u.
You’re so welcome, thank you for the feedback.
I can’t believe I had never heard of colcannon before! I made it a few nights ago and it just blew my socks off! The leftovers also make the absolute best potatoes cakes. I skipped the egg since there was cheese binding it, added flour, rolled in them panko and cooked in the air fryer. So so so wonderful!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe and I must try the potato cakes next time.
I’ve been making mine like this but without the cheese for over 50 years. Sometimes I add bacon; (and use the bacon fat for cooking the cabbage) sometimes I add cubes of ham; usually I just make plain colcannon. Having my kids and grands for dinner Saturday and they love cheese, so will try it with cheese. Thank you.
I love the idea of the bacon and will give it a try. I hope the kids enjoy it with the cheese 🙂
I’ve never had colcannon with cheese in it before, I’ll have to give this a try!
Irish cheddar, just like my mum used to make. Enjoy 😁
Can I just say amazing. The cheese and butter really makes it taste so good
You can, and thank you 🙂
Great recipe. Brought back lots of memories. Try this as a topping for Cottage (Shepherds ) Pie. or with a side of mashed turnip and carrot.
Thank you for the feedback. I love the idea of a shepherd’s/cottage pie topping.
I had a huge head of cabbage for St. Paddy’s Day, so saved half. Made this yesterday, with a few changes. I fried bacon and used the grease to sauté the cabbage and some green onions, which I folded in to the mashed potatoes, along with the butter and cheese. Crumbled the bacon in as well. Sumptuous!
This sounds delicious, thank you for sharing your cooking tips.
So happy to find this recipe. I can honestly say that I really look forward to trying it and I hope I can find authentic ingredients to use. Just in time for St Patrick’s day menu planning.
Thank you so much Carol, this is one of my most popular recipes.
What is Irish cheese?
Hello Sam, Irish cheese is cheese made in Ireland.
Delicious!! Made this for Christmas dinner and ii’s a keeper!
Thank you so much for the great feedback Linda, glad you enjoyed it
Oh man, just made some to go with beef stew for lunches tomorrow, and boy is it delicious! So glad I have plenty leftover so I can just eat a few spoonfuls before saving the rest for later. Ive been missing out!
I’m glad you liked it, thank you for the feedback Ashley.
Hi, Jannette, What a great recipe, it looks like it will be a big hit with my family. Honestly, I have never heard of this dish before…I am not sure how I missed out on such deliciousness.
This looks delicious, Janette! This is definitely going on my St. Patrick’s Day recipe list! And I totally agree, KerryGold is gold! 🙂
This is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! And the addition of KerryGold makes it even better! Yum! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I love this!