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

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 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 can you have 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.

How do you flip a 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 have meat in it? ›

The dish has been known since at least the 18th century, and in its early versions it contained cooked beef; by the mid-20th century the two vegetables had become the principal ingredients.

How long does bubble and squeak last? ›

Store leftover bubble and squeak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

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.

Why do they call it 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 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.

Is bubble and squeak Irish or English? ›

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.

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 best mix for bubbles? ›

Measure 6 cups of water into your container. Then pour 1 cup of dish soap into the water. Slowly stir until the soap is mixed in, being careful to not let foam or bubbles form. Measure 1 tablespoon of glycerin or 1/4 cup of corn syrup and add it to your container.

Can I reheat bubble and squeak? ›

It Depends! I wouldn't reheat a bubble and squeak if you add leftover meat that has already been cooked twice, i.e., first on the day of a roast dinner, then again in the bubble and squeak. If your bubble and squeak is meat-free or contains freshly cooked meat, reheat it in a frying pan to keep it crispy.

How does bubble sound? ›

Bubbles are resonant objects, and their sound depends on their size and the properties of the liquid surrounding them and the gas within. Scientists have been able to observe the size distribution of bubbles in a drink just by listening to them burst, where tinier bubbles make higher frequency sounds.

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