If you love Colcannon, the traditional Irish side dish of boiled potatoes and cabbage or kale, you may hate this recipe.  It maintains many of the same flavors, but adds a crispy top and a deliciously caramelized bottom.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Scrub 1 lb. of potatoes and add to the water.  Cook until fork-tender, then drain and rinse to cool.

Meanwhile, thinly clean and slice 2 leeks or 1 large onion.  Saute in 2 T. butter or olive oil over low hea in a large cast iron skillet or other pan for 10-15 minutes, until completely wilted.

Cut 1 head of cabbage in half across the “equator”.  Place one half face down on a cutting board and thinly slice the entire head.  Chop the slices roughly.  Add to the pan with the leeks/onions.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Rinse 1 bunch of kale and remove the tough stems.  Thinly slice the kale crosswise to make 2 C.  Add to the pan with the cabbage.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until the kale has wilted.

When the potatoes are cool enough, add 1/4 C. milk and mash them with a potato masher or hand blender.

(If you just want traditional Colcannon, at this point you can just combine everything together and serve it)

Remove half the cabbage/leek/kale mixture from the skillet.  Spread the remaining cabbage mixture evenly over the bottom, or transfer it to a baking dish.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the cabbage, then make a layer of cabbage on top of the potatoes.  Top with 6 oz. grated cheddar cheese.

Bake the colcannon in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the casserole is bubbling.