There are a few theories where these delicious spuds began making their appearance.
Many historians have written these were invented somewhere in the 1700s in Ireland but unclear who first introduced these tasty chunky-style potatoes.
During the 1600 and 1700s throughout Europe and Ireland, potatoes, cabbage, and leeks were considered peasant food, and easy to see where these ingredients would be used altogether.
Guinness beer has also been around since the 1700s, and there is very little documentation on where the gravy was introduced, but many diners served a beer-style gravy as the years evolved with many adaptions to this popular recipe.
Colcannon potatoes are super easy to make and if you celebrate St. Patrick's Day at any Irish pub, these are most often seen on the menu.
Scroll down to this super easy recipe on how to make these delicious Irish Smashed potatoes with Guinness gravy in a printable recipe card.
Smashed Potatoes
Although you can adapt your recipe to the chunkiness you like these potatoes are smashed not whipped and have a bold texture mixed with a little bit of cabbage.
The delicious beef-based gravy is then pooled in the center of them after making a well.
If you're serving a delicious slow-cooked tender Guinness Corned Beef or even Smoked Brisket these potatoes are the perfect side dish.
Ingredients You Will Need How To Make Colcannon Potatoes and Guinness Gravy
- green cabbage or savoy curly cabbage chopped, boiled, and drained (small pieces)
- potatoes cubed and semi peeled, (I use red or you can use any white potatoes)
- Irish butter or regular
- freshly cracked black pepper
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- Guinness Gravy:
- beef broth or use or any beef roast drippings
- Guinness beer or other dark beer you like
- minced garlic
- small onion chopped
- cornstarch
- cold water
- butter
Tips:
- for a quicker meal use store-bought red-skinned mashed potatoes
- use a can of beef broth or condensed style bouillon if you have no drippings
- always chop and boil your cabbage first until tender then drain
- for best results for gravy use only beef broth or condensed style bouillon with adding water as bottled instructions
Tools You Will Need:
- deep pot to boil the potatoes in
- a small saucepan for the gravy
- measuring cup
- measuring spoon
- bowl
- whisk
- potato hand masher
- knife
- cutting board
Colcannon Potatoes with Guinness Gravy Pin for later
Easy Smashed Potatoes
This recipe isn't complicated at all in fact the gravy is so much easier than I thought and really delicious.
Colcannon Potatoes with Guinness Gravy can be made the way you grew up with smooth, chunky with regular or curly chopped cabbage, gravy, or no gravy.
We love these potatoes served with any roast, they are the perfect side dish with really any meal at all and done quickly.
Remember to use some of the dripping from your roast for making the gravy, that's the best most authentic flavor, however in a pinch use a beef broth or condensed style bouillon.
We love making this dish on St. Patrick's Day, it's one of our food traditions to partake in the celebration in our recipe collection for being Irish for the day, but as I said, we made this all year long whenever we make a beef roast so don't wait to try these!
Colcannon Potatoes with Guinness Gravy
Yield: 5
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 55 Min
Colcannon Potatoes with Guinness Gravy, are chunky mashed potatoes with a pool of stout Guinness beer gravy using curly cabbage in the center.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green cabbage or savoy curly cabbage chopped, boiled, and drained (small pieces)
- 1 pound of potatoes cubed and semi peeled, (I like leaving some of the skins on, I use red preferably or you can use any creamy white potatoes)
- 1 stick of Irish butter
- freshly cracked black pepper
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- Optional: 3 or 4 tablespoons heavy cream or cream cheese for a creamier style potato
- Guinness Gravy:
- 2 cups beef broth, (you can also use a condensed bouillon with water) or use or any beef roast drippings
- 1 cup Guinness beer or other dark beer you like
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water or more for desired thickness
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Potato Directions:
- Boil the cabbage and potatoes together till potatoes are soft with a little salt in the water. Drain.
- Smash potatoes with a hand masher leaving some lumps of potatoes.
- Add the butter ( and cream if using) while this is hot stirring to blend.
- Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
- This will look chunky with some skins and cabbage.
- Make a deep well in the center and pour the Guinness gravy in the middle.
- Guinness Gravy Instructions
- Melt butter in the saucepan, add garlic and onions saute a few minutes till softened.
- Stir in the water, beer, and broth.
- Simmer for around 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to thicken, continue cooking to desired thickness.
- Note: We like ours thick so I cook it longer until it's nice and thick not soupy.
- Optional: if you like spicy food add a pinch of cayenne pepper
Colcannon Potatoes with Guinness Gravy Pin for later
More Potato Recipes You May Like
Best Potato Roundup
Slow Cooker Potato Soup and Bacon Soup
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2021.