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? ›

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).

How do you keep bubble and squeak from falling apart? ›

How to make bubble and squeak stick together? The beaten egg in the ingredients should prevent the bubble and squeak from falling apart. As our method states: "Beat the remaining egg, add to the potatoes and mix well."

What do you eat 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 is the difference between bubble and squeak and Colcannon? ›

Colcannon is mashed potatoes and chopped cabbage and usually chopped ham or bacon. Bubble and squeak is mashed leftover potatoes and chopped cabbage mixed up and fried as single round cake, and then sliced and served usually at breakfast.

Does bubble and squeak have meat? ›

Bubble and Squeak dates back to the 18th century in England and is probably the most famous dish for being made out of leftovers. It started out with cooked beef in its ingredients, but during Second World War rationing it became more common to just have the mashed vegetables.

Do they have bubble and squeak in America? ›

The dish is not common in the US but is not unknown; an American recipe from 1913 resembles Rundell's version, with the addition of a border of mashed potato.

Is bubble and squeak a southern thing? ›

Bubble and Squeak is a tasty British hash made from potatoes and cabbage similar to colcannon, named for the noise it made while cooking. This dish was originally thought to become popular back during WW2 to extend the reach of foods when there was quite a lot of food rationing.

What do they call mashed potatoes in England? ›

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. It is generally served as a side dish to meat or vegetables.

How long does bubble and squeak last? ›

How long will it keep? Leftover mashed potato and vegetables will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Once you have made the Bubble & Squeak you can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I would then eat them the next day.

Can you freeze homemade bubble and squeak? ›

If you did want to freeze it, then make the bubble and squeak into individual patties (without cooking/frying them) cover and freeze. Then defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

What is the history of bubble and squeak? ›

According to British Food History, the form of bubble and squeak that people know and love today actually didn't even exist until World War II. Gripped by an economic crisis and dealing with issues related to food scarcity, Brits began to replace the beef base of the classic dish with cheaper portions of potatoes.

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.

Does bubble and squeak contain egg? ›

Add the beaten egg to the mashed potato, then mix in the cabbage, spring onions and bacon with the pan juices. Season. Melt the rest of the butter and oil in the frying pan and swirl to cover the surface. Add the potato mixture and level the top, pressing it down lightly.

Is bubble and squeak part of an English breakfast? ›

The Full English Breakfast (AKA The Fry Up)

The 'common' full English breakfast is a substantial meal consisting of back bacon, eggs, British sausage, baked beans, bubble and squeak, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding, with fried and toasted bread on the side.

What is the story of bubble and squeak? ›

A boy gets two gerbils from a friend and so starts the battle between him and his sisters (with the silent support of his step-father) on one side and his mother on the other. Cute, short, and sweet. An engaging story of a family and their two new gerbils, Bubble and Squeak.

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