Bubble and Squeak Recipe (2024)

January 12, 2017 — last updated April 11, 2022

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Bubble and Squeak is the funny name given to a dish made of leftovers from a British roast dinner. Leftover mashed potato is mixed with leftover cabbage and cooked in butter.

Bubble and Squeak Recipe (1)

It is said that this dish originates back to 1770 and originally contained meat, boiled beef actually. It wasn’t until around 1951 that the meat was omitted and only potatoes and vegetables started to be used and that has carried on until now.

This bubble and squeak recipe is very similar to Irish colcannon (pic below) which is a mix of mashed potato and cabbage, bubble and squeak is cooked again after mixing, where colcannon is served more like mashed potato.

Bubble and Squeak Recipe (2)

A great use of Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers that included mashed potato.

Depending on what you had for your roast dinner, there’s any combination of ingredients that can be used but there must be potato as the main ingredient. How I was taught to make it by my mother is, after mixing it all gets put in a pan with melted butter and cook until the potato is browned.

Now, this does not make for prettiest of dishes when made this way. For the sake of presentation, I form the mix into patties and shallow fried in a pan. Food should look appetizing after all.

Bubble and Squeak Recipe (3)

If you don’t have the leftovers to make these potato patties, I have been known to make the potatoes and cabbage just so I can enjoy this dish. There’s no real traditional way to serve bubble and squeak but on this particular occaision I made British bangers and gravy (picture above).

What’s in a name? Bubble and Squeak has 2 meanings. The one I know is that it came from the sounds the ingredients make as they cook, the other (which I’m no so sure about) is the noises your stomach makes after eating it.

If you’ve made this Bubble and Squeak Recipe or any other recipe leave a comment below. I love to hear from my readers!

Yield: 6

Leftover mashed potato is mixed with leftover cabbage and cooked in butter until browned.

Prep Time1 minute

Cook Time6 minutes

Total Time7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (768 grams) leftover mashed potatoes
  • 2 cups (256 grams) cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon (15 grams) salted butter

Instructions

  1. To a large bowl add the mashed potato and cabbage. Mix until the cabbage is well mixed.
  2. Take 1 cup of the mix and shape into patties. You can flour your hands if they are too sticky. Repeat until all the mix is used.
  3. Add the butter to a sauté pan over medium heat. Once melted and bubbling cook the patties until browned about 2-3 minutes, turned and repeat.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per ServingCalories 266Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 7mgSodium 719mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 5g

British Recipes Brunch Comfort food Side dishes Thanksgiving Vegetables Vegetarian

posted by Janette on January 12, 2017

8 Comments / Leave a Comment »

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    8 Comments on “Bubble and Squeak Recipe”

  1. Judith @ Reply

    Is the cabbage cooked or are. My mother used to make mashed potato patties, but not with cabbage. I love pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes, so I know I will love this.

    • Janette @ Reply

      This is an old British recipe using leftover mashed potato and cabbage so yes, the cabbage is cooked.

    • Janette @ Reply

      This is an old British recipe using leftover mashed potato and cabbage so yes, the cabbage is cooked. Please come back and let me know how you like it.

  2. Edith @ Reply

    I’m so glad I found this recipe. I made them yesterday from leftovers and their just like my mum used to make. 2 yums 🙂

    • Janette @ Reply

      This is wonderful. I need to make these soon.

  3. Stefanie @ Reply

    I love that you made them into tidy patties. I usually just mix it all up in the pan and looks messy. Going to try this.

    • Janette @ Reply

      Thanks so much

  4. mira @ Reply

    Love authentic recipes like this one! Such a cool name, too! Pinned!

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Bubble and Squeak Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is bubble and squeak made of? ›

Bubble and squeak is a fried British dish made with potatoes and cabbage. It's quite similar to the Irish colcannon. Bubble and squeak, which often contains meat such as ham or bacon, is traditionally made on Monday with the leftovers from Sunday's dinner or on Boxing Day with leftovers from the Christmas feast.

What do the British call bubble and squeak? ›

About Bubble and Squeak

Then there's Rumbledethumps, a Scottish traditional dish that's also named after the apparent sounds the ingredients make in the pan as they fry!

What is the difference between colcannon and bubble and squeak? ›

He comments that although the basic ingredients of bubble and squeak and colcannon are similar, the two are very different dishes, the former being traditionally made from left-overs and fried to give a brown crust, and the latter "a completely separate dish of potato, spring onion and cabbage, served almost as creamed ...

Is bubble and squeak Irish or English? ›

The Origins of Bubble & Squeak

Bubble & Squeak originated in Ireland and found it's way into England as a stapple breakfast that did not allow for food waste. The previous nights leftover potaotes and vegetables were shredded and combined with leftover roast and then fried to crispy goodness in a cast iron skillet .

Why do my bubble and squeak fall apart? ›

Use a floury potato for the mash. The potatoes and vegetables need to be very well drained and the potatoes roughly mashed. Do not add milk etc., if there is too much moisture then the bubble & squeak patties will break apart.

What do you serve with bubble and squeak? ›

A great leftover recipe that can be made with any vegetable leftovers. Serve with a poached, fried or scrambled egg and crispy bacon or with poached smoked haddock fillets or grilled trout. Pop them in the freezer at the end of step 4 for a delicious snack on another day.

What do they call mashed potatoes in England? ›

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Mashed potato or mashed potatoes (American, Canadian and Australian English), colloquially known as mash (British English), is a dish made by mashing boiled or steamed potatoes, usually with added milk, butter, salt and pepper.

Is bubble and squeak good for you to eat? ›

This traditional hot dish is a great way to use up leftover vegetables, but use the minimum amount of oil when frying to keep the fat content down. What makes a healthy, balanced diet?

What's another name for bubble and squeak? ›

The dish's name supposedly derives from the noises made when the ingredients are fried. Similar dishes, also based on fried vegetables, include colcannon (Ireland) and rumbledethumps (Scotland).

What do they call potato cakes in England? ›

It seems the Irish call them Potato bread, the English call them potato cakes (Lancashire), Scottish call them potato scones (tottie scones).

Are chat potatoes the same as baby potatoes? ›

Also called baby coliban or baby potatoes, chats have a more floury texture than some other types of potato, making them perfect for mashing, baking, roasting and making chips.

How to flip bubble and squeak? ›

Halfway through the cooking, flip it over using a fish slice, or like a pancake if you're brave. If it breaks don't worry, just push it back together. Let it crisp up on the underside then nick a bit and taste it.

Does bubble and squeak contain egg? ›

Roughly chop the eggs. Place the potato and vegetables in a large bowl with the chopped eggs and seasoning. Beat the remaining egg, add to the potatoes and mix well. Divide and shape the mixture into 8 small or 4 large cakes, dusting them lightly with flour as you go.

What are sticky bubbles made of? ›

As you might guess, bubbles made using corn syrup are sticky. They will clean up with warm water, but it's best to blow bubbles outdoors or in a bathroom or kitchen so you won't have to un-stick your carpet or upholstery.

What is bubble and squeak drink? ›

Extra dry and crisp Prosecco from Italy. One of the most popular Proseccos across bars and restaurants in the UK.

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