This simple scalloped cabbage is a blank canvas for customization with additional flavors and ingredients. It’s great as-is, but you might want to add a bit of cheese, top it with buttered breadcrumbs, or add some herbs or spices for flavor. I use 1 cup of white sauce for 4 to 5 cups of cooked, coarsely chopped cabbage. If you like more sauce, scale the white sauce
The cabbage is boiled, chopped, and then baked with a simple white sauce. It’s an excellent side dish to serve with a roast, corned beef, chicken, or steaks. Add it to a holiday or Sunday dinner menu.
Recipe Variations
- Breadcrumbs: Add a buttery breadcrumb topping. Combine 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs or panko crumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake as directed.
- Herbs: Add about 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the white sauce, such as a combination of parsley, thyme, rosemary, and chives.
- Spicy: For a spicy kick, add a dash of heat with crushed red pepper flakes or the slightly milder Aleppo flakes.
- Cheese: Add a melty cheese to the sauce. Try cheddar, Gruyère, or Swiss for a lovely, gooey texture or add smoked cheddar for a burst of flavor.
- Garlic: When making the white sauce, sauté 1 teaspoon of minced garlic in the butter for 1 minute before adding the flour.
- Curry: Add an exotic flavor to the white sauce with a dash of curry powder.
- Bacon or Ham: For smoky flavor and extra protein, add diced ham or crumbled cooked bacon the the cabbage and sauce and bake as directed.
Scalloped Cabbage
Make your scalloped cabbage dish even more delicious with the many customization ideas. Try adding cheese, garlic, bacon, or herbs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small head cabbage
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Dash freshly grated nutmeg, optional
- Breadcrumb Topping
- 3/4 cup panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Butter a 2-quart baking dish and heat the oven to 375 F.
- Cut the cabbage into large chunks and cut out the core pieces. Put the cabbage in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and bring the cabbage to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook the cabbage for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain in a colander and set aside to cool.
- In the same saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter sizzles, add the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and a dash of nutmeg; stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings.
- When the cabbage is cool enough to handle, chop it coarsely and transfer it to the buttered baking dish. You should have approximately 5 to 6 cups of cabbage.
- Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the cabbage and stir lightly.
- Combine the panko crumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle over the cabbage.
- Bake the scalloped cabbage for 25 minutes, until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
