A plate of Irish bangers and colcannon mash for your St. Patrick’s Day feast! This is the ultimate festive meal, with juicy pan-roasted pork sausages and a side of mashed potatoes full of Irish cheddar, caramelized cabbage, and leeks. It’s one tasty recipe to whip up this weekend or next week for the holiday!
irish bangers and colcannon mash – the details
Drawing inspiration from two classic Irish dishes, “bangers and mash” and “colcannon”, to create the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day plate of food.
Bangers and mash is a quintessential British dish of sausage and mashed potatoes, typically served with onion gravy. It’s roots extend to Ireland where you’ll find the dish in many local pubs. I found “Irish Style Banger Sausages” at my whole foods and knew I had to try them out. A combination of pork, spices, and rusk (or breadcrumbs), these sausages were so delicious after a quick pan-roast to create a caramelized brown exterior.
Colcannon is an Irish staple, essentially mashed potatoes with cabbage mixed in. My version is extra flavorful, with caramelized cabbage, leeks, garlic, scallions, chives, and Irish cheddar cheese folded into the potatoes.
I like to reserve a little of the cabbage mixture to spoon over the entire dish. I love the contrast in texture, and this step makes it really feel like a complete meal.
If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes, here are a few favorites to try:
Irish Scalloped Potatoes with Cabbage & Cheddar
Stout Braised Short Ribs
Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Cabbage & Stout Mustard
Irish Bangers and Colcannon Mash
pan-roasted irish bangers (sausage) with “colcannon mash”, cheddar mashed potatoes with caramelized cabbage & leeks
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes
- kosher salt
- olive oil
- 2 (12 oz) packages Irish style banger sausages
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced*
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ lb thinly sliced green cabbage (approximately ½ head of cabbage)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp minced chives, plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ lb Irish cheddar, shredded
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season with a big pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. When the potatoes have about 20 minutes left of cooking, heat a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, pat the sausage dry and place it into the skillet. Cook until deeply browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the sausages to a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.
- To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt. Add the red onion and leeks. Saute for 5 minutes until slightly caramelized. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the cabbage. Season well with salt and black pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Remove the lid and stir in the scallions and chives.
- Meanwhile, drain the potatoes. Place the pot back over the stove and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked potatoes and use a masher to mash.
- Stir in the cheddar. Once melted, stir in ¾ of the cabbage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the sausages with the mash on the side and the extra cabbage over top. Garnish with more chives and black pepper.
Notes
To prepare the leeks: Cut and discard the dark green tops. Trim the ends off. Thinly slice the light green/white sections. Place the sliced leeks in a colander and run under cold water, separating the layers as much as possible (a lot of dirt can be found within the layers). Drain and pat dry.
shop the dish: irish bangers and colcannon mash
This was absolutely delicious and rather easy to pull together!! The leftovers were just as tasty the next day and we really loved this one. Adding to our favorites list for sure. 🙂
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this, Mia. Such a great hearty comfort food meal. Thanks for sharing! -Kayla
Kayla, this bangers and mash looks wonderful! I live in a small town and it likely doesn’t have Irish style bangers, do you have a suggestion for a good substitution? Thanks so much!
Yes!! Get in my belly! Your recipes are both beautiful and delicious!