Colcannon is a traditional dish of the Irish and although this recipe comes out of my recipe box on St. Patrick’s Day, I now make this often adding some form of protein as a one-pot meal or as a side dish alongside corned beef and such.

Moreover, what's not to love - it's your own great version of mashed potatoes loaded with goodies such as cabbage and/or kale along with leeks. Some variations over the years add ham or bacon to the mix and my version is no different. My St. Patrick's Day Colcannon Casserole recipe includes crumbled, cooked Italian sausage - this way Italians can celebrate right along with the Irish! :)

You can remove the sausage casing and cook the meat in a skillet and drain or bake it in the oven and then slice or dice it when cool. Make the potatoes on the thicker side for baking in the oven, as they do soften tremendously when baked.

Serves 8 - 10


Ingredients

5 lb. potatoes, mashed to your liking
1/2 head of savoy cabbage, chopped
1 large head of kale, stripped from stalk
1 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
2 large leeks, white/light green only (washed and sliced)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Method

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Boil the cabbage until fork tender and then chop into bite-sized pieces. Tear the kale into small pieces - place in a large pot of boiling water and cook until tender – drain and set aside with the cabbage.

2. Cook the sausage meat in a skillet until brown and drain – or bake at 375 degrees F. until they are golden brown and slice or dice into small pieces. In the same skillet with a small amount of olive oil, cook the leeks until they are soft and tender.

3. Grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish (or similar). In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, kale, leeks, sausage and nutmeg with the mashed potatoes. Season as you wish with salt and pepper at this point. Add the mashed potato mixture to the baking dish, spreading it evenly. Top with both cheeses and bake until the cheddar cheese is melted and golden.