Creamed Cabbage

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This easy creamed cabbage recipe brings out the tender, sweet flavors of the cabbage and mixes it with a creamy sauce that’s full of flavor.

Recipe Highlights

• How it taste: Creamed cabbage is a bit different than creamed spinach. Where you don’t have cheese and the spices you’ll get a flavorful cream sauce with touches of garlic and onion. The cabbage comes out soft and tender, yet when made properly a finishing bite as well.
• Skill level: This isn’t a beginner dish. You’ll want to have some experience with making a roux and using milk. If you’ve made mac and cheese successfully you’ll be able to tackle creamed cabbage with no issues!
• Storing: You’ll be able to keep the recipe in the fridge for 2-3 days with no issues. Due to the milk in the cream I don’t recommend freezing it, but more on that below.

Creamed cabbage may not be the most glamorous dish in the culinary world, but its humble origins and comforting flavors deserve a spot on your plate. This traditional comfort food has been passed down through generations, cherished for its simplicity and heartiness. With a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness, creamed cabbage brings warmth to any meal.

What sets creamed cabbage apart is its ability to transform a simple ingredient into a flavorful delight. Cabbage, often overlooked, becomes the star of the show when combined with a rich and creamy sauce. Whether served as a side dish or a main course, creamed cabbage adds a burst of flavor to any dinner table.

So, if you’re looking to bring a taste of tradition and comfort to your meals, don’t overlook creamed cabbage. Give it a try, and you might just discover a new family favorite.

Ingredient tips

• Cabbage: This is the main ingredient alongside the cream sauce. You won’t need a huge cabbage the recipe only calls for a half of one. If the cabbage is really tiny then you’ll probable be able to use the entire thing. That will vary as well with the pan size you’re using.
• Onion: Any onion will due in the recipe. You can swap it out for sweet, red or even the little baby onions if you’d like.
• Garlic: An actual garlic glove is called for the most intense flavor of garlic. However, I’ve been there where I forgot the garlic or there weren’t any decent ones at the store. In that case, sub for 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Butter: Butter is mainly for the roux. Quick tip, when the cabbage has finished and cooled slightly, add in a tablespoon of butter for the finish. The flavor will pop in the dish along with give the creamed cabbage a bit of a glazed looked. Technically not part of the recipe but it’ll be out little secret.
• Milk: You can sub the milk for anything non-dairy. The milk properties are what give it that creamy texture, water doesn’t do that. The only sub I would recommend would be evaporated milk.
• Broth: For beginners, chicken broth will bring some flavor but it also will help you in the cooking process by taking the brunt of the heat before adding milk.
• All-purpose flour: You need flour with gluten to help you make the thick roux. This isn’t something to easily swap.

Chef’s tips

• Unlike fried cabbage this recipe uses dairy. You’ll need to watch the heat and keep it low. Some recipes use heavy cream but I am not a personal fan. Due to the amount of water in cabbage I believe making a cream sauce with flour to help absorb some of that water is best.
• A major key to this recipe is controlling the heat. You want things to be hot enough to cook but not hot enough to burn. This is a recipe for someone who has some experience in the kitchen.

How To Make Creamed Cabbage

1. First, prep all the veggies. Slice the cabbage, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Have everything within arms reach when you start the recipe. You’ll need a pan with a lid.
2. In the pan, add a little oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Once the onion and garlic are soft and fragrant add in the butter. The pan should not be super hot, if the butter melts immediately and starts to brown the pan is too hot and you need to let it cool before going to the next step.
3. Add in the flour and mix in with the butter and cooked onions and garlic. Then, add in the milk and chicken broth. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Once the milk starts to steam lower the heat to medium low.
4. Now, right on top add the sliced cabbage and cover. Cook for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and stir every 5 minutes. If you notice a bunch of browning at the bottom of the pan while mixing after 5 minutes lower the heat a little more.
5. Salt to taste before serving.

Storage

As mentioned above, this recipe will keep great in the refrigerator in a sealed container for a couple of days. Due to the milk it isn’t the best recipe to freeze. There’s a reason ice cream and anything with dairy in the freezer isle have a ton of gums and stabilizers. Milk proteins like to break when thawing and this recipe is home made without any of those things to protect the creamed cabbage from losing its texture once frozen.

Serving suggestions

• Baked Turkey Legs
• Tri-tip Roast
• Ranch Chicken

Recipes for cabbage lovers

• Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry
• Unstuffed Cabbage Soup
• Cabbage Stew
• Keto Cabbage Soup
• Cabbage Fried Rice
• Cabbage & Sausage Skillet

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