Colcannon and Kale: #FoodieExtravaganza: Move over Mashed Potatoes.....

 

There's a new comfort food in town!

What is Colcannon?

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish created mostly from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale. The word colcannon is from the Gaelic "cal ceannann," which literally means "white-headed cabbage." Although it is a  popular side dish served for St. Patrick's Day, it is traditionally served for Halloween. The tradition is to serve colcannon with a ring and a thimble hidden in the fluffy green-flecked dish.  Prizes of small coins such as threepenny or sixpenny bits were also concealed in it.^[4]
It surprised me to find out that this creamy dish of deliciousness is made mostly in Fall, during harvesting time of the kale and cabbage, from Fall to Winter. Since this side dish is budget friendly, I'll be making this all year round! The flavor of the shallots and the kale, seriously kick these mashed potatoes up a notch!

 

My favorite potato by far is the Yukon Gold. I love everything about it, it's texture, it's flavor, and of course it's gorgeous yellow color. For this recipe I used two types of potatoes, Russet and Yukon Gold. Instead of onion I used shallots. If you aren't too fond of onion's strong flavor, shallots are wonderful. They have this subtle way of flavoring a dish, without that overpowering onion flavor. 

 

I usually use milk for my mashed potatoes. For this recipe I used cream, but of course you can substitute milk for the cream. The kale I used was the regular organic, green leaf kale. You could really make this recipe interesting by substituting the kale for any number of green leafy vegetables, like collards, any other variety of kale, mustard greens, or cabbage the ingredient Colcannon is traditionally made with.

 

First I peeled and cubed both kinds of potatoes, and placed them in a boiling pot of water. Then, I turned the heat down to medium-high and boiled the potatoes until fork tender about 15-20 minutes. Take the cooked potatoes and drain them with a colander.

 

 

 

In the same pot used to cook the potatoes, melt 5 Tablespoons of butter. Sauté the shallots until softened and translucent 3 minutes. Add the kale and sauté for another 3 minutes. Transfer the shallots and kale to a small bowl. Return potatoes to pot. I used my potatoe masher that I've been using for years. Top the mashed potatoes with the shallots and kale, and fold them in until well blended. Add the milk and cream, continuing to blend to just the way you like your mashed potatoes, super creamy or chunky. I like mine somewhere in between.

 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 Tbls. butter
4 small shallots, chopped
1 cup kale roughly chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Placed both kinds of potatoes in a boiling pot of water. Then,  turn  down the heat to medium-high and boil the potatoes until fork tender about 15-20 minutes. Take the cooked potatoes and drain them with a colander.

2. In the same pot used to cook the potatoes, melt 5 Tablespoons of butter. Sauté the shallots until softened and translucent 3 minutes. Add the kale and sauté for another 3 minutes. Transfer the shallots and kale to a small bowl.

3.  Return potatoes to pot. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or a potato ricer.

4.  Top the mashed potatoes with the shallots and kale, and fold them in until well blended. Add the salt and pepper, then the cream first,  adding  enough milk while continuing to blend to just the way you like your mashed potatoes, super creamy or chunky.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out the other delicious #FoodieExtravaganza posts!

It's all about the Potatoes!
  

Foodie Extravaganza is where bloggers come together and celebrate food holidays. Did you know there is at least one food assigned to each day of the year to celebrate that food? Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas is our host this month and since she is from Idaho, she picked potatoes. All of the recipes will feature potatoes in one form or another. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of the month. If you are a blogger and you're interested in joining in the fun, visit us at our Facebook Foodie Extravaganza page. You can also visit our past party submissions on our Pinterest Foodie Extravaganza board . We hope you will enjoy the recipes we are sharing this month. The potato is so versatile that we've come up with a huge variety of recipes for you to try.


Latvian Spiced Dill French Fries from Fearlessly Creative Mammas
 Chicken and Mashed Potato Waffles from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
 Chipotle and Lime Roasted Fingerling Potatoes from Sew You Think You Can Cook Horseradish Potato Au Gratin from From Gate to Plate
Roasted Purple Potatoes with Rosemary and Thyme from Our Good Life
 Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup from Making Miracles
Llapingachos (Ecuadorian Stuffed Potato Patties) from Tara's Multicultural Table
Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Omelet) from Cali's Cuisine
 Japanese Moon Gazing Potatoes from Ninja Baker
    Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  Sweet Potato Spiced Swirl Bread from Baking in Pyjamas                                     
Loaded Pierogi from Cooking With Carlee
  Bloody Mary Potato Salad from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
  Colcannon with Kale from Cherishing a Sweet Life
   Potato Rolled Tacos from Foodie and Wine
   Jersey Royals with Mint from Food Lust People Love
 Naked Ladies with their Legs Crossed from Passion Kneaded
 Shredded Potato Crusted Chicken from The Freshman Cook
 Copycat Chicken & Gnocchi Soup from Pantry Friendly Cooking

4. (affiliate) Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland's Heritage