Traditional Irish Champ Recipe. With only five ingredients, this authentic Irish potato recipe is both easy and tasty. You can easily feed a crowd with this traditional Irish dish. Perfect for St. Patricks Day!
Want to go to Ireland? Check out Planning a Trip to Ireland!
May you live as long as you want, never want as long as you live.
– Irish Blessing
Irish recipes have a special place in my heart.
I have always been intrigued by the origin of food, cultivating methods and cuisine. Oh! The people behind these methods, traditions and techniques too. Don’t forget about the people.
If you ever get a chance to visit an old kitchen, even if it’s only 50 years old, in its original condition, take a deep breath through your nose. The smells you sense and the stains you see tell a vivid story. Families were fed, children were raised and holiday feasts were prepared in these kitchens, both extravagant and modest.
Learn more about what you will find in an Irish Pantry.
Can you imagine!? I can. It always brings a smile to my face. If you visit thrift stores and make a dash to the kitchen section or have an estate sales alert app on your phone, then you are MY PEOPLE my friend. Let’s have lunch.
Today is Champ Day.
I haven’t gone on a Rocky Netflix binge or watched the ice skating olympic trials. Not that kind of champ, although I would totally do either of those.
Today is looking back, celebrating Irish cuisine in all of its rawness and remembering day.
The Irish, they are tough, for good reason.
Irish cuisine took a beating through its history. The English Conquest stripped Ireland of its cuisine by diverting their agricultural goods to England to feed its conquering armies. At times, the only food the Irish could afford to eat were potatoes, the reason why todays menu of Irish cuisine almost always includes potatoes. It is also one of three reasons why a third of the Irish population perished during the Great Hunger, or as we know it on this side of the pond, the Irish Potato Famine.
The other two reasons as I understand it include a monoculture potato crop and a potato blight. This means there wasn’t enough genetic diversity in the potato to fight off a potato blight.
Hopefully we can learn and not repeat the mistakes of the past. That’s the purpose of studying history isn’t it?
What is Irish Champ?
Irish Champ is a simple Irish food made of potatoes, milk, green onions, butter and cheese. This is similar to Colcannon which uses cabbage instead of scallions.
If you can make mashed potatoes from scratch, you can make Champ. One of the things I love about recipes like this is that you can scale up or down without really using a recipe. Just cook as many potatoes as you have mouths to feed, add some dairy and onions and everybody is happy.
Another thing I really like about this recipe, it’s made of potatoes! Some people are crazy over noodles or pasta, for me it’s potatoes and cheese. This dish has both.
How do you make Irish Champ?
You make this just like you would mashed potatoes. Peel and chop the potatoes, boil in water until tender, mash with remaining ingredients and serve. Traditionally this dish was served with cheese so I add this in the end. A good sharp, assertive cheese is perfect.
More Irish Recipes
Try these recipes the next time you want to try some traditional Irish food, definitely save this for St. Patricks Day.
- Colcannon – A traditional mashed potato recipe made with cabbage or kale.
- Boxty – A potato pancake similar to a latke.
- Irish Stew – Lamb and potato stew, hearty and tasty.
- Irish Soda Bread – A dense, easy bread that bakes quickly without the need for rise times.
- Champ – Another amazing mashed potato recipe with green onions, buttermilk, butter and cheese.
Do you have any favorite potato or Irish recipes? Please share, do tell!
Bon appetite or Dea Mhaith!
What people are saying about this recipe
“Made this for a work potluck. Went quickly (first time I had nothing left at a potluck!) I had even made extra. People were thanking me for bringing it.”
-Julianne
“Will definitely make this ! Looks wonderful!!
-Kristy
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Traditional Irish Champ Recipe
Yield: 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Traditional Irish Champ Recipe. With only five ingredients, this authentic Irish potato recipe is both easy and tasty. You can easily feed a crowd with this traditional Irish dish. Perfect for St. Patricks Day!
Ingredients
- 3 lb starchy potatoes, peeled and
- 4 Tbs butter plus a little more for garnish
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 6 green onions (scallions), chopped, plus a little more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz shredded sharp cheese like Dunmore, Asiago, aged Cheddar, Comte etc.
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender.
- Drain potatoes and return to same pot off heat.
- Add next 5 ingredient and mash until desired consistency.
- Serve in bowls, make a shallow well and place a pat of butter, sprinkle with additional green onions ad cheese.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5Serving Size: 1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 581Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 823mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 23g
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