Description
Cheesy Colcannon Balls are a delicious twist on traditional Irish colcannon, combining creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed leeks, cabbage, and kale with gooey cheddar cheese centers. These crispy, golden fried bites make a perfect appetizer or snack, offering a comforting blend of flavors and textures that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Dairy
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, or a mix of the two
- 1 cup leeks, washed and sliced into half-rounds
- 1 cup cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 cup kale, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup milk, scalded
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For Coating & Frying
- 20 – 24 cheddar cheese cubes (1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Oil (canola or vegetable) for frying or olive oil spray for oven-frying
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables: Wash leeks thoroughly to remove dirt, then chop into half-rounds. Roughly chop cabbage and kale.
- Sauté vegetables: In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter or use olive oil, then sauté leeks, cabbage, and kale until soft and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- Boil and mash potatoes: Peel and cut potatoes into chunks. Boil in a large pot of water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well, then return potatoes to the pot and mash while still hot.
- Combine ingredients: Add the sautéed vegetables to the mashed potatoes. Stir in scalded milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasoning to taste. Allow the mixture to cool sufficiently or use refrigerated leftover colcannon.
- Form colcannon balls: Divide the colcannon mixture into 20-24 equal portions using a cookie scoop or spoon. Flatten each portion into a patty, place a cube of cheddar cheese in the center, then roll the patty into a ball enclosing the cheese.
- Coat the balls: Roll each ball in all-purpose flour, then dip into beaten eggs, and finally coat evenly with panko breadcrumbs.
- Cook the balls: For frying, heat canola or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the balls for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. For oven-frying, preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray or drizzle balls lightly with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Serve: Serve hot colcannon balls with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Scalding milk (heating it just before boiling) helps improve the texture of the mashed potatoes.
- Panko breadcrumbs yield a lighter, crunchier coating compared to regular breadcrumbs; avoid substituting for best results.
- To reduce oil absorption and make the recipe lighter, oven-frying with olive oil spray is a great alternative to deep frying.
