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Creamed Potatoes and Peas are easy to make and easy to love! Tender, bite-sized potatoes and sweet peas swim in a rich, creamy sauce. They’re the perfect side dish for St. Patrick’s or Easter dinner.
Creamed Potatoes and Peas – One Of Many Traditional Irish Recipes and a Childhood Favorite I Still Love
Even as a kid, I loved vegetables. With the exception of mushrooms and canned spinach, there weren’t any veggies I wasn’t willing to eat.
However, creamed potatoes and peas were a particular favorite.
Potatoes of all types frequently appeared on the table of our Irish-descended family. But around this time every year, Mom would make creamed potatoes and peas. I always asked for seconds, and sometimes thirds.
The sweetness of the peas was a perfect foil to the tiny and tender new potatoes. Mom’s rich, creamy, delicately flavored white sauce brought everything together perfectly. It was culinary marriage made in heaven.
Spotting a bag of bite-sized potatoes at the supermarket made me think about Mom’s recipe, which I hadn’t made in quite a while.
I’m happy to report that my Mom’s recipe for Creamed Potatoes and Peas is just as tasty as it was back in the day! Yes, I had seconds. So did The Chairman.
This is one of those sides that goes well with so many things – pork, beef, chicken, or fish. Mom often served it with our Easter ham.
With St. Patrick’s Day and Easter coming up, this feels like the ideal time to share this family favorite.
What Do You Need to Make Creamed Potatoes And Peas?
One of the things that’s so great about this recipe is that it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. All you’ll need is…
- Potatoes: My preference is for whole, round, small potatoes with the skin on. Our store carries some they call “nibbles” that are perfect. Fingerlings could work, too. You could also cut a regular-sized potato into bite-sized pieces.
- Peas: I use frozen peas for this dish. They’re easy to find and use. They’re also fairly inexpensive. Rather than cook the frozen peas beforehand, I just rinse them under some cool water to thaw. They taste wonderful that way – fresh and sweet – and retain their bright green color.
- Shallots: Mom would sometimes add some sauteed, chopped onion to her recipe. It gives the dish a little extra oomph. I prefer to use shallots, which are just a bit milder. But either can work.
- Milk: Whole milk is best here. You could substitute 2% milk, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick or rich.
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt and pepper – I like quite a bit of pepper here. It kicks the flavor up a notch. You can use less if you like; just make sure to taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings accordingly. A delicately flavored sauce is fine, but a bland sauce is not!
Making Creamed Potatoes and Peas is Easy!
This recipe is super simple to make. In fact, I’d even call it easy-peasy! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
The first step is to boil the potatoes in well-salted water. The only tip here is to make sure you don’t overcook them. Nobody likes mushy potatoes.
Set a timer for about 15 minutes, then check for doneness by trying to pierce one of the potatoes with a fork. Your fork should go in fairly easily, but you should still feel a little resistance.
My recipe uses frozen peas. Though I do rinse them under cool water to make sure they’re thawed, I don’t cook them beforehand. They’ll cook just enough when they’re added to the white sauce but still retain their texture and color.Should you want to use fresh peas instead of frozen, you’ll need to boil them in salted water for no more than three or four minutes.
Making the cream sauce starts with melting the butter in a pot, then cooking the shallots in butter until they’re soft – about four minutes. Next, whisk the flour into the melted butter and shallots to make a thick roux. Cook the roux, whisking continually, for about a minute. That will cook off any raw taste from the flour.
Slowly pour the milk into the pot, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Then you’ll add the salt and pepper and bring the sauce to a boil before lowering the heat slightly.
You’ll then simmer the sauce for three to four minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Gently stir the cooked potatoes and peas into the sauce and cook on low heat for another two or three minutes to warm through. Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.
Creamed potatoes and peas are a crowd-pleasing side dish. Try making some soon!
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Traditional Irish Recipes: Creamed Potatoes and Peas
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb small, round, skin-on potatoes (can sub fingerlings or cut large potatoes into bite-sized pieces)
- 10 oz. small frozen peas
- ¼ cup minced shallot (can sub yellow or white onion)
- 1 T butter
- 1 T flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ to ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of salted water to boil in a pot. Add the potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain water and set aside.
- Place the frozen peas into a colander or sieve. Run cool water over the peas to thaw, then set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the minced shallots and cook for about three minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Whisk the flour into the butter and shallot mixture, creating a roux. Cook for a full minute, whisking constantly.
- Slowly pour the milk into the pot, whisking continually to prevent lumps. Add the salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat slightly. Simmer the sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, until it becomes thick and creamy.
- Add the potatoes and peas to the pot, stirring gently into the sauce. Cook on low heat for two or three minutes to warm the vegetables through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
