Why not celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by having corned beef and this economical dish called colcannon? You’ll love it!
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes, cabbage or kale. The Gaelic word is “cal ceannann” which became colcannon. This is an essential Irish dish that can be served year round, but is now traditionally served at Halloween. According to Irish Central colcannon is cooked with charms hidden in the dish and if you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to find one, foretell your future. If a man finds a button he will remain a bachelor, if a woman finds a thimble she will remain unmarried. A ring means you will get married, and a coin…you are coming into wealth!
My search on Pinterest yielded numerous regional variations of this dish. I took it a step further by adding cooked baby lima beans. The result was delicious…if I must say so myself! I like the cabbage to be a little crunchier and my husband likes it well done. I cooked corned beef as a yummy accompaniment. You can cut the calories by using nonfat milk instead of the cream.
6 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups cooked baby lima beans
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream
4 strips bacon
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoons minced parsley, save 1 for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Put peeled and cubed potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Place lid on pot and boil until tender. Set aside.
Slice the cabbage.
Cook bacon until crisp.
Remove bacon from skillet and place on paper towels to drain. Crumble all slices and reserve 1 slice for garnish. Don’t throw out the bacon grease!
Thinly slice the onions.
Place cabbage and onion in bacon grease and sauté until onion is translucent. If you want your cabbage well done keep sautéing. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Drain potatoes and mash in the pot. Stir in butter and cream. Mix until smooth. Fold in the beans.
Put potato bean mixture in a bowl and add the cabbage onion mixture along with the crumbled bacon and the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the parsley and bacon.
Colcannon and corned beef…delish!
Enjoy!
Marilyn
