What To Serve With Colcannon: 10 DELICIOUS Mains!
Searching for inspiration for what to serve with colcannon?
You’ve come to the right place!
Here, we’re going to look at the best main courses for this potato side dish, including traditional options, veggie recipes, and a few innovative fusion cuisine choices. Let’s get started…
The best meals to serve with colcannon
If you’re busy, I’ve got the short answer for you! Colcannon is a warming and comforting side dish, perfect served with gravy based and creamy main courses. Some great choices include beef bourguignon, chicken stew, red wine pot roast, and braised lamb shanks.
If you need a vegetarian option, go with mushroom stroganoff, bean and halloumi stew, or Nigerian red stew.
For an innovative fusion style meal, saucy Asian meatballs are delicious when served with colcannon!
Keep reading for more ideas and inspiration for serving with this tasty Irish potato side…
1. Beef bourguignon
Colcannon is perfect for cold evenings when you need real comfort food, and that’s why beef bourguignon is such a fantastic pairing! This slow cooked classic includes deliciously melty stewing steak, sweet carrots, baby onions, and a rich, red wine based gravy.
I often make this meal as an easier alternative to a Sunday roast, and it’s ideal for serving to a crowd without too much fuss. Just chuck everything in your slow cooker, then get started on your sides – including colcannon and perhaps some leafy green veggies – when you’re almost ready to sit down to enjoy dinner.
For more ideas, be sure to check out my guide to what to serve with beef bourguignon.
2. Chicken stew
Chicken stew is another classic winter warmer that’s delicious served with colcannon potatoes. This easy chicken stew recipe is my go-to, and it includes swede, spring onions, and cabbage, making it nutritious as well as super tasty!
Make sure that you add some crusty bread to the table, for mopping up all the juices.
3. Red wine pot roast
You might be starting to notice a trend here… Colcannon is a side dish that just begs to be served with comfort food, and this red wine pot roast is another fabulous option.
The beef is braised for hours until it’s tender and just falls apart on your fork, and it requires very little hands-on time in the kitchen.
The sauce is complex, deeply savoury and yet slightly sweet at the same time, and once you add a generous helping of creamy colcannon and perhaps some steamed broccoli, you’ve got a fuss-free, satisfying dinner that the whole family will love.
4. Braised lamb shanks
If you want to impress your dinner guests with something a little fancy, or you’re celebrating a special occasion, I highly recommend trying these braised lamb shanks. Though they make a real impact, they’re actually budget friendly, so ideal if you’re trying to keep your costs down a little bit.
Get ahead with your prep by making the lamb and the sauce up to two days in advance, and storing in the fridge. Before serving, just reheat, adding a little water to the sauce if it’s a touch too thick. Alternatively, you can freeze your lamb and the sauce for up to a month.
5. Pork tenderloin with creamy mustard sauce
You won’t believe just how simple it is to make this pork tenderloin in creamy mustard sauce! You need just a handful ingredients, and the result is elegant enough to be served up to guests. It also makes a quick and easy family meal for those evenings when you just don’t have time to spend in the kitchen doing a ton of prep and chopping.
Pork tenderloin is also sometimes called pork fillet, and it’s a lean and tender cut of meat that’s also full of flavour when it’s prepared with a little love. It makes a great change from chicken or beef, so it’s the perfect meal to try if you’ve been meaning to get out of your culinary comfort zone.
6. Sausages and onion gravy
Sometimes, the simplest dishes are the best. When it comes to what to serve with colcannon, high quality pork sausages and a homemade onion gravy is a delicious choice that’s really easy to prepare.
Making your own onion gravy is a lot quicker than you might think, and you’ll need just a handful of pantry staples, including beef stock and Worcestershire sauce.
You can shake things up a little by serving chicken sausages, if you prefer, which tend to be leaner and are ideal if you’re trying to follow a healthy diet.
For more ideas for your meal, check out the best sides for bangers and mash.
7. Creamy mushroom stroganoff
Let’s consider some vegetarian options for what to serve with colcannon! If you’re meat free, you don’t have to miss out on a satisfying, hearty dinner to enjoy alongside your creamy potatoes.
This quick and easy recipe can be on the table in just 30 minutes, including prep time, and it has the added bonus of being low in fat and calories.
8. Bean and halloumi stew
A bean and halloumi stew is a delicious main course to serve with a side of colcannon, and it’s packed with hearty goodness including tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and a can of mixed beans.
Red chilli pesto brings a touch of warmth, and the whole dish can be on the table in less than half an hour, making it a midweek favourite.
This pairs perfectly with some garlic bread, for soaking up all the juices once you’ve finished your meal.
9. Nigerian red stew
This rich and fiery stew is spicy, tangy, and aromatic, and it’s a fantastic choice if you like to sample different cuisines from around the world!
Though Nigerian stew isn’t typically vegetarian, a few simple substitutes create a meal that everyone at your table will love. The addition of chickpeas gives you some extra protein, and makes for a hearty dinner for the whole family.
Of course, colcannon isn’t a traditional side for this dish, as it would usually be served with rice. I think you’ll agree though that the pairing is absolutely delicious.
10. Saucy Asian meatballs
If you’re a lover of big and bold flavours, and you’re a fan of fusion cuisine, you need to try these saucy Asian meatballs with a side of colcannon! They’re savoury, juicy, and soft, and when garnished with some sesame seeds and spring onion, they look super impressive on the plate.
Best of all, you likely already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. With staples like breadcrumbs, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, it’s a quick and easy meal that’s worthy of being served at a dinner party or when you’re celebrating something special.
Final thoughts on what to serve with colcannon
From traditional choices to innovative fusion cuisine, there’s no shortage of delicious options to serve alongside colcannon at the dinner table! To recap, here are the tasty main courses that perfectly complement this Irish side…
- Beef bourguignon
- Chicken stew
- Red wine pot roast
- Braised lamb shanks
- Pork tenderloin with creamy mustard sauce
- Sausages and onion gravy
- Creamy mushroom stroganoff
- Bean and halloumi stew
- Nigerian red stew
- Saucy Asian meatballs
