A cabbage casserole made with the trinity of southern vegetables sauteed in bacon drippings and butter, chunks of cabbage, diced tomatoes and topped with shredded cheese and buttered breadcrumbs.
Cabbage Creole Casserole
I love cabbage. My husband? Well, not so much. I honestly don't know what is wrong with him! Just kidding y'all, but let's just say that I'm the lover of veggies in this family, not him.
Seriously though, 99% of the time when I buy a head of cabbage, I keep it pretty simple making either a simple boiled or classic fried cabbage, two of my top cabbage favorites. Even still, I am always trying new things with it too.
Yes. Even if it means that I'll be eating on it for a week, while I still have to think about what my hubby is gonna eat too!
Course, since I cook pretty regularly, there are always some level of leftovers hanging around it the fridge so don't go feeling sorry for him either.
In fact, as we speak and I am finishing up a cabbage soup I recently made, the fridge has some:
- Mexican seasoned chicken from tacos I made
- Chili cooked in the slow cooker
- Baked chicken, southern style
- Pink beans
- Chicken and vegetable skillet
- Puffy tempura-style shrimp
- Beef and noodles made from leftover pot roast and
- Chicken noodle soup
Yeah, he's a bit spoiled y'all, so don't pity him for having to eat leftovers when I indulge in cabbage and other vegetable dishes that I like!
This casserole is akin to my Squash Creole, substituting cabbage in place of the squash.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. The dish I'm using is a premium non-stick (that I love), so it's not necessary for this pan, but I think it also adds nice flavor.This casserole is akin to my Squash Creole, substituting cabbage in place of the squash.
What you'll need to make Cabbage Creole:Here's how to make it!
- Some bacon, butter, and the trinity with some garlic, along with an all-purpose seasoning salt, or simply salt and pepper, some Creole or Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes if you're so inclined, all for seasoning.
- A medium-sized head of cabbage.
- A can of diced tomatoes.
- A little water, chicken stock or broth. You'll only use this if you find you need some additional liquid aside from that created by the cabbage.
- A topping of shredded cheese and buttery breadcrumbs.
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Chop up the trinity aka onion, bell pepper and celery.
You're going to need a medium sized head of cabbage, for about 10 cups chopped. Be sure to choose a cabbage that is crisp, bright in color, tight, firm and heavy in weight for its size and intact, meaning outer leaves have not been broken off and removed, which means it's not so fresh.
Chop the bacon and cook in the bottom of a soup pot until the fat is rendered.
Add butter.
And the onion, bell pepper and celery; sauté about 4 minutes.
Add garlic, cook and stir for another minute.
Add diced tomatoes - I'm using Rotel, as I often do - though it's fine to use regular diced too. Give it a stir, scraping up any browned bits that may have accumulated in the bottom of the pot.
Add half of the chopped cabbage with the seasonings.
Give it a toss, cooking over medium high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Add remaining cabbage and remaining butter and toss, cooking another 5 minutes. This step is necessary to start the cooking process and will also reduce the cabbage down so it fits in a casserole dish!
Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using.
Toss and transfer to prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese of your choice.
For the topping, combine the melted butter and bread crumbs and distribute crumbs evenly on top.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes, or until cabbage reaches desired tenderness, using a fork to test it in the middle. Return to the oven covered if it's not to your liking.
Let sit for a few minutes before scooping out to serve.
Serve as a side dish, along with some skillet cornbread.
For more of my favorite cabbage recipes, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
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