Rumbledethumps - a Scottish dish - also uses the same base of mashed potato (with cream, butter, salt and pepper) and cabbage with the addition of sautéed onions. Sometimes colcannon also includes spring onions/scallions too, although I see this more in American versions of colcannon.

The mash would usually be freshly made hot mash, made with milk, cream, butter, salt and pepper. The base ingredients of mashed potato and cabbage are the same, but the Irish dish of Colcannon often uses kale or white cabbage instead of savoy cabbage. This results in a messier looking bubble and squeak, but with more browned bits, as they're mixed throughout. Or if you prefer, you can fry it all up and keep moving it around the pan, mixing often. It can be fried as small burger-sized patties, as one big pan in a larger patty if you like it to look neat and even. Sometimes with the addition of more vegetables. Most sources would define it as a breakfast dish made up of a mixture of leftover mashed potatoes and cabbage that've been fried up until browned.

The whole point of this dish is to use up those leftovers in a comforting, hearty dinner. Or you can serve it with something other than eggs and bacon (cheese-topped beans, or even just a good glug of leftover gravy!). You can add in more veg - such as carrots or peas if you like. It's also one of the best ways to get the kids to eat their green veg, well one of mine anyway - the other one managed to pick most of it out, but a few bits definitely got past the green veg defences. This is my ULTIMATE Monday night speedy dinner. This is my quick and easy Bubble and Squeak- a delicious and traditional way to use up leftover mashed potato and cabbage from your roast dinner.

Download make bubble and squeak