Escalloped Cabbage
Move over mac-n-cheese, cabbage has become the new comfort food!
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Escalloped Cabbage is one of those recipes that’s been forgotten to time but stored somewhere deep in our memories. It comes out when we think of ham dinners at our grandparent’s house, a bowl of hearty stew after a day of shoveling snow, or a Sunday supper after early morning service. It’s one of those side dishes that gives a hug with each and every bite.
This recipe is a little more fancy, but not by a long stretch. The classic jar of cheese whiz is replaced by sharp cheddar cheese and gooey mozzarella.
When the cabbage is cut into wedges, parboiled, and arranged in the baking pan, you’re ready to tackle the sauce. A bit of butter and flour are whisked together to form a paste, and milk is gradually added and whisked until thickened.
Off the heat, the cheese gets added in. You can choose whichever cheese suits your fancy. A sharp cheddar or even pepper jack would give this cheese sauce a nice zingy contrast against the creaminess of the sauce.
Pour the sauce over the cabbage, sprinkle on paprika, and pop into the oven until it is nice and bubbling hot.
Served warm, this Escalloped Cabbage is deliriously comforting. Elements of a boiled corned beef dinner’s sweet steamed cabbage mixes with the intense decadent divinity of macaroni and cheese to make this side dish.
There is plenty of sauce, allowing for every inch of cabbage to be coated to perfection.
The cabbage, while tender, is cooked in such a way that it doesn’t wilt down completely, keeping its structural heartiness intact while having a delicate melt away butteriness to it as well.
Many may think that the paprika is an unnecessary garnish, but it adds a tiny touch of smokiness to the dish, balancing the cabbage and cheese sauce to create the most satisfying contrast.
Try it for yourself, and you may not eat cabbage any other way!
Escalloped Cabbage
Yield(s): Makes about 6 to 8 servings
15m prep time
30m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium-sized cabbage, cut into 6 to 8 wedges with the core still intact
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- Paprika, for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add some salt and boil the cabbage wedges for 1 to 3 minutes, parboiling them. Drain the water and then slice the cores off.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9 baking dish with baking spray. Set the par-cooked cabbage wedges into the prepared dish, set aside.
- In a nonstick skillet, melt butter and then whisk in the flour, creating a roux, whisking continuously for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the milk in batches, stirring until the sauce becomes thickened. Turn off the heat and add in the cheeses.
- Pour the sauce over the prepared cabbage. Sprinkle on paprika.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the casserole becomes bubbly and golden. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.