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.