This classic Irish recipe produces the creamiest mashed potatoes, kicked up a notch with green onions, cheese and bacon!

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Gluten Free Irish Potato Champ with Cheese and Bacon

Americans have mastered the loaded potato, the English make a jacket potato that can comfort the soul on a dreary day and the Italians gave us the beautiful gnocchi, but the Northern Irish have trumped all these dishes with their no frills Champ. Champ is mashed potatoes the way they were always meant to be made: with milk, butter and scallions or spring onions, as they're called in the UK. On its own, it's good enough, but I've upped the ante and introduced salty cubes of thick bacon and swapped the milk for super indulgent double cream. This isn't the recipe for you if you're looking to lose a few, but if you're looking for comfort food that'll put a smile on your face, read on!

Gluten Free Champ Recipe from Anyonita Nibbles

Champ is one of those new classics, appearing on every brasserie and gastropub menu south of the Giant's Causeway. It's an instant crowd pleaser, dead easy to make and beats the hell out of dusty powdered mash any day of the week. Be ready to dig in ... and to fight for seconds!

Creamy Irish Potato Champ with Thick Cut Bacon from Anyonita Nibbles

Ingredients:

For the champ
2 tablespoons butter
35g scallions or spring onions, sliced
50g shredded cheese
150ml double or heavy cream
150g thick cut bacon, diced
800g potatoes
salt
pepper
Need a conversion? Use this handy chart.

How to Make Champ

Northern Irish Champ Recipe on Anyonita Nibbles

Champ really is just Northern Irish mashed potatoes; you can serve it with anything you'd usually serve with mash: sausages, pork chops, steak. I served it with the best gluten free barbecue chicken and a side of creamed corn, fusing this Irish classic with good ol' Southern American flavours. What will you serve yours with? Leave a comment and let me know! I'm always looking for new ideas!