Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Matt and I don’t have a specific Irish meal planned for this year but I’ve been saving a yummy Irish side dish from last year’s feast to share on the blog today.

That’s Colcannon, or, as I like to think of it, Irish mashed potatoes with kale, leeks and ham.  Oh, and butter… lots of butter!  Last year this heaping plate of colcannon made the perfect side dish to the Beef and Guinness Pie that Matt and I ambitiously tried to make after work on a Monday (it took much longer to braise the beef than I anticipated!).  Luckily the colcannon came together very quickly so we were able to sneak bites of it while the pie baked.  Here’s a photo of my dinner plate from last year when we finally sat down to eat at 9PM:

YUM.  If you need a side dish for your St. Patrick’s Day dinner I would absolutely recommend colcannon.  And don’t be intimidated by the kale…  once it is steamed, chopped, and stirred into this creamy mixture of leeks, ham and potatoes you won’t even realize you’re eating super healthy leafy greens!

Irish Colcannon (Recipe from Nigel Slater at TheGuardian.com)

You will need…
2 lbs. Baking Potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 1/3 cup warm Milk (use whole milk for a creamer consistency)
4-5 tablespoons Butter
3/4 to 1 lb. Leeks, washed and chopped
4-5 handfuls of Kale leaves, washed, steamed, drained and chopped
3/4 to 1 lb. Cooked Thick-Cut Ham, chopped (we used a ham steak)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Cover and boil for 20 minutes or until easily pierced by a fork.  Drain potatoes and return to pot.  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until creamy, then add in the warm milk and butter and continue to mash until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in the chopped leeks, kale and ham and gently stir until combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve as part of a St. Patrick’s Day feast!

Are you making an Irish-themed dish for St. Patrick’s Day?  Maybe Bangers and Mash or Shepherd’s Pie?  Tell me about it in the comments! 🙂