St. Patrick's Day Gourmet

Colcannon is a traditional Irish side dish typically made with mashed potatoes and cabbage. My version offers a slightly different twist: I used Alexia brand shredded potatoes for a quick shortcut that turned out sort of like a "colcannon gratin." You can shred your potatoes by hand if you prefer. I also cut back on the fat by using turkey bacon.

Leslie's Naturally Gourmet Colcannon 

2-3 medium Yukon gold or russet potatoes, shredded and drained OR about 10 oz. defrosted shredded (hash brown) potatoes

2 leek stalks, cleaned and chopped (at some grocery stores, like Trader Joe's, they sell pre-cleaned and trimmed leeks)

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small head green cabbage, shredded OR one 8-10 oz bag pre-shredded cabbage

2-3 slices turkey bacon, turkey Canadian bacon, or vegetarian imitation bacon or ham, chopped

1.5 cups Dubliner Irish Cheese OR cheddar or Parmesan/Asiago blend, grated

2-3 tbs.  olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1.5 tsp. whole grain mustard

1 tsp. salt or to taste

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute onions and leeks until just tender (4 minutes or so).  Add chopped garlic, then turkey bacon or whatever meat/meat substitute you are using. Season with a small sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook another 1-2 minutes, then add hash browns or shredded potatoes. Cook about 3-4 minutes (it might take an additional 4 minutes or so if you are using fresh shredded potatoes). Add shredded cabbage and mix well.

Season again with salt and pepper, then add mustard. Cook an additional 2-4 minutes until cabbage has wilted. Stir in about half of the cheese. You can serve the dish at this point, but it's even better when baked. Pour mixture in a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and cheese is melted.

*You can easily make remaining colcannon into a breakfast frittata with the following method*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop leftover colcannon into a large bowl and add three large eggs. Mix well and pour into a greased casserole dish or a large skillet. Top with additional cheese if desired. Bake 7-10 minutes until the eggs are cooked through and frittata is puffy and brown.

Beer pairing suggestions:

I found two very affordable beers at Trader Joe's that went well with the colcannon. Harp Lager and Smithwick's Irish Ale - delicious, malty, and full-bodied, I could picture myself drinking this in an Irish pub.