Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (2024)

Published | Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

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These Irish mashed potatoes, flavoured with tender green onions and butter aka Champ, are a welcome addition to your standard mash recipe! Serve with our delicious Onion Gravy!

This exceptionally creamy mash goes so well with our Catherine Wheel Sausage recipe or Irish Beef Stew flavoured with Guinness.

Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (1)

While Colcannon is a well known Irish recipe, Champ remains relatively obscure outside of Ireland. It’s time we change that because this flavourful mash recipe needs to be explored.

I lean towards potatoes for a side dish on most days of the week. I don’t always follow up on my instinct simply because I realise that my family wasn’t raised on potatoes alone like I was. They crave variety a lot more than I do!

Need for variety is what keeps me researching various ways potatoes could be prepared. It goes without saying that the Irish quite possibly have more than a thousand recipes featuring the beloved spud! Well… them and the Russians!

Mashed Potato Recipes

No matter how developed my taste buds become I will never stop liking creamy mashed potatoes. There is something incredibly soothing and satisfying in a buttery mash!

I have to warm you I like mine with a lot of butter and a little bit of milk. This doesn’t mean I am opposed to other flavours in my mashed potatoes. I do love to experiment with flavours!

This Herb and Garlic Mash is made with roasted garlic and fresh parsley and dill. It’s a reader favourite! If you want to change things up, use a combination of sweet potatoes and swede (rutabaga in the US).

If you want to feel organised and not rushed, try my make-ahead recipe for Baked Mashed Potatoes. I layer them with caramelised onions and mushrooms but you can keep this casserole plain!

My newest obsession is a creamy mash mixed with tender green onions, also known as Champ in Ireland. Green onions go by a few names. Whether you call them scallions, spring onions or green onions, make sure you are using the green parts for most flavour!

Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (2)

Recipe Tips and Notes

  • As with all mashed potato recipes, make sure to choose the right kind of potato. What you are looking for is starchy or floury potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Russet in the US or Maris Piper, King Edward, Vivaldi and Desiree in the UK.
  • Infuse the milk with the green onions flavour. First bring the milk to a boil, then let the onions steep until needed. Uber flavour!
  • Peel and cut the potatoes in similar-sized pieces, so they all cook within the same amount of time.
  • Boil them in salted water. It’s never too early to introduce flavour to the dish. Salt is essential!
  • Once you drain your potatoes, allow them to steam dry. This little step help to achieve that desirable fluffy texture we all love.
  • Mash while the potatoes are still hot, very hot for the best texture. Some people like to use a hand mixer but I prefer a traditional potato masher or a ricer. Stay away from a food processor if you are not after a pot of glue!
  • Don’t be stingy with the butter. Mashed potatoes = lots of butter. Otherwise there is no point.
  • Always taste at the end and season with salt. Potatoes love salt!
Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (3)

Serving Suggestions

These mashed potatoes will compliment just about any main dish but here are our favourites.

Serve them with this Ribeye Steak, Pork Loin Steaks with Creamy Mushroom Sauce or our famous Chicken Supreme.

More potato recipes

  • Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
  • Oven Fried Potatoes with Mushrooms and Onions
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
  • Hasselback Potatoes with Gremolata

Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (4)

Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe)

Julia Frey of Vikalinka

These Irish mashed potatoes, flavoured with tender green onions and butter aka Champ, are a welcome addition to your standard mash recipe!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Irish

Servings 6

Calories 278 kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 medium potatoes see notes on types of potatoes
  • 50ml/1/4 cup whole milk
  • 6-8 green onions green parts only
  • 100g/1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add sliced green onions to milk and bring to a boil at low heat, take off the heat and let the green onions infuse the milk.

  • Boil the peeled and quartered potatoes in salted water until very tender. Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for 2-3 minutes, pour in hot milk with the onions and mash well, add butter and salt and white pepper to taste.

Notes

Use starchy or floury potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Russet in the US or Maris Piper, King Edward, Vivaldi and Desiree in the UK.

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 433mgPotassium: 1017mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 565IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg

Keyword champ recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Julia Frey (Vikalinka)

Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
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Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What does champ mean in Ireland? ›

Champ (brúitín in Irish) is an Irish dish of mashed potatoes with scallions, butter and milk. Champ. Alternative names. Poundies.

What's the difference between Colcannon and Champ? ›

What is the difference between Colcannon and Champ? Both Irish dishes, Champ is mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions (scallions) and milk. Colcannon is Champ with the addition of cabbage and sometimes some herbs.

What is Champ mash made of? ›

Champ is a traditional Irish recipe which we make using our finest home grown potatoes, gently steam cooking and mashing them to perfection before adding freshly chopped spring onion for flavour. Raw Ingredients: Potato (91%), Milk, Butter (Milk), Spring Onion (3%), Salt, White Pepper.

Why do you soak potatoes in water for mashed potatoes? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

What potato is best for mashing in Ireland? ›

I could write a book on it, but in short, Rooster potatoes are the best for baking and making mash (their flavour is sweet and texture is floury). Roosters also make tasty chips but because of their sugar content they brown before they get crisp enough.

What is champ called in English? ›

Champ is shorthand for champion — in other words, a winner or a victor.

What color is an Irish potato? ›

Potatoes, Irish
VarietySkin ColorType
NorlandRed brownRound/Oblong
Purple MajestyPurpleOblong
Red LaSodaRed to pink redRound/Oblong
Red NorlandRedRound/Oblong
6 more rows

What are Irish potatoes called? ›

Solanum tuberosum (Irish Potato, Irish Potatoes, Pomme de Terre, Potato, Potatoes, White Potato, White Potatoes) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

Which potatoes are best for mash? ›

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

What is the 1 ingredient upgrade for the fluffiest mashed potatoes? ›

The secret ingredient is just ice-cold water.

You soak the potatoes in iced water before they are cooked. This eliminates much of the starches in the potatoes, resulting in a super light and fluffy mash. It's also like when you make rice. The key to fluffy rice is to rinse off as much starch as possible.

Is it better to cut potatoes before boiling for mashed potatoes? ›

Drop a whole russet into the pot and by the time the outside has cooked through, the inside will still be raw. Larger potatoes should be cubed to ensure they cook evenly (peeled first if desired). Smaller potatoes tend to have thin skins and can be boiled whole, no peeling required.

Should you rinse starch off potatoes for mashed potatoes? ›

For the fluffiest and lightest mashed potatoes, use Russets and rinse off excess potato starch before and after cooking. Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site.

What does champ mean in slang? ›

Very well, very successfully, as in He got through that audition like a champ . This expression, in which champ is short for champion , alludes to the winner of a sporting competition. [ Slang ; c.

What does the nickname champ mean? ›

Meaning:Warrior; Free man. As nicknames go, Champ is quite possibly the cutest! First and foremost, this boy's name is a short form of British Champion, meaning "warrior." Bold and unstoppable, it's been a pet name for munchkins everywhere since the 1800s.

What is the history of the champ in Ireland? ›

Champ became popular in Ireland as a simple yet nutritious food that people could afford during the times of famine and political upheavals. The basic idea behind the champ was a simple and delicious dish that could be easily made using the ingredients that are available in all seasons.

What does the acronym champ stand for? ›

CHAMP stands for CHallenges, Authority, Money, and Prioritization. It's quite similar to BANT, in that each CHAMP stage is (more or less) reflected in a BANT stage; however there are two key differences.

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