My uncle Earl always said a potato wasn’t worth the trouble unless it was swimming in butter and sharing the bowl with something green from the garden. This 4-ingredient colcannon is the one he swore by, and I’ll tell you, it disappears from the table faster than the roast beside it. Colcannon is an old Irish way of stretching potatoes with cabbage or greens, and it fits right in with the thrifty, hearty cooking I grew up with in the rural Midwest. It’s creamy, buttery, and full of tender cabbage ribbons—simple enough for a weeknight, but homey and special enough to sit proudly next to your holiday ham or corned beef.
Serve this colcannon piping hot in a wide ceramic bowl with a generous pool of butter melting in the center so everyone can scoop a bit with each spoonful. It’s wonderful alongside roast chicken, pot roast, ham, or a skillet of pork chops, and it soaks up gravy like a dream. For a simple supper, I’ll pair it with sliced smoked sausage or a couple of fried eggs on top. A crisp green salad or some steamed carrots on the side will brighten the plate, but honestly, a big spoonful of these potatoes and a slice of good bread is all you really need.
4-Ingredient ColcannonServings: 4–6
Ingredients
2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
1 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for serving
Directions
Place the peeled, chunked potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water by about an inch. Add a good pinch of salt if you like. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, 15–20 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, warm 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded cabbage and cook, stirring often, until it softens and turns tender with just a little bite left, 8–10 minutes. If it starts to brown too quickly, lower the heat. Turn off the heat and set the cabbage aside.
In a small saucepan (or in the microwave in a heat-safe measuring cup), gently heat the milk until steaming but not boiling. Warm milk blends more smoothly into the potatoes and keeps everything nice and creamy.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them well and return them to the hot pot. Let them sit for a minute so the steam can escape; this keeps the colcannon from getting watery.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the hot potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a hand masher until mostly smooth and the butter is melted.
Pour in about three-quarters of the warm milk and continue mashing until the potatoes are creamy and smooth, adding a bit more milk if needed to reach your preferred consistency. Taste and add a little salt if you used unsalted butter or if they need a touch more seasoning.
Fold the warm, cooked cabbage into the mashed potatoes, stirring until the green ribbons are evenly swirled through the creamy mash. Don’t overwork it; you want it well mixed but still fluffy.
Spoon the colcannon into a warm ceramic serving bowl, smoothing the top a bit, then use the back of the spoon to make a shallow well in the center. Drop in another small knob or two of butter so it melts into a glossy pool. Serve at once while the potatoes are steaming and the butter is still running into the swirls.
Variations & Tips
For a little more color and bite, you can swap part or all of the green cabbage for finely shredded kale, but cook it just a bit longer in the butter so it softens nicely. If you like a looser, silkier mash, warm a splash or two of extra milk and stir it in right before serving; for a sturdier spoonful that holds its shape, simply use a bit less milk. To make ahead, prepare the colcannon up through folding in the cabbage, then cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a drizzle of milk, stirring often, and finish with a fresh pool of butter in the serving bowl so it looks and tastes just-made. For a rustic, chunky version, mash the potatoes lightly and leave a few small lumps; for a more elegant bowl, you can put the potatoes through a ricer before adding the milk and butter. If your crowd likes a touch of onion flavor, you can cook a few sliced green onions in with the cabbage, but my uncle always said the pure taste of potatoes, butter, and greens was all it needed.
