Loaded Red Cabbage Steaks

This one-pot dish of Roasted Red Cabbage Steaks with Bacon and Onion is loaded with flavor, texture, and color. It's a perfect dish for utilizing a whole head of cabbage for a vegetable-forward meal. The seared cabbage caramelizes, then roasts to cook through in the oven. And the bacon, onion, and mushroom topping makes the dish hearty enough to eat as a meal.

Though you can eat these red cabbage steaks all year due to their highly versatile ingredients, you may find it fun to make these red cabbage steaks for St. Patricks Day. The ingredients are popular in Irish dishes and sure to get you in the March spirit.

This recipe serves 2-3 as a main dish, but if you want to serve it as a side, it can serve 8 (1 cabbage wedge per person. As a side, it would pair well with a simple seared piece of meat such as flank steak, or even my amazing Italian Chicken Cutlets Recipe.

How to Make Loaded Braised Red Cabbage Steaks

The process is simple and takes place all in one Cast Iron Pan. Half of the cook time is spent on the stove, and half is spent in the oven.

Ingredients

Only 10 ingredients, not including water, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

• 1 Head of Red Cabbage
• 1 small yellow onion
• 12 oz white button or baby bella mushrooms
• 4 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1 jalapeno
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 3 oz yellow cheddar cheese
• 1 Tb Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tb Worstershire
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning
• Sour Cream (optional, for serving)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Mise En Place: In other words, slice and dice all the ingredients as described above. And preheat the oven to 375

1. Make the Bacon onion and mushroom topping by first browning the bacon then adding the onions, mushrooms, and jalapeños, breadcrumbs and seasonings.
2. Remove the bacon onion topping from the skillet, and use the same skillet to sear the cabbage steaks on both sides.
3. Deglaze the pan with the mustard/Worcestershire mixture and top the cabbage steaks with the bacon topping. Move the cast iron pan to the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Top with the cheddar cheese and broil for about 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown a little. (Time will vary depending on how hot your oven gets)
5. Enjoy topped with a little sour cream if you wish.

Hint: Make sure you use enough oil when searing the cabbage so it makes full contact with the oil and browns nicely in the pan.

Substitutions

There are a few ways to change this recipe to make it appeal to certain diets.

• Dairy free- Leave out the cheddar cheese. Instead add 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to your breadcrumb mixture. Then top with a dairy-free alternative to sour cream if desired.
• Gluten free - use gluten free breadcrumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. You can also leave out the breadcrumbs altogether. The topping will be less cohesive but still delicious.
• Vegetarian - Leave out the bacon and replace it with a second type of mushroom, such as shiitake. Using multiple types of the same food makes the dish more complex, interesting, and satisfying, which is great when replacing meat.

Variations

One of my favorite aspects of these red cabbage steaks is their beautiful purple color. It contrasts the yellow cheddar so beautifully. However you can absolutely use white or green cabbage if that's all you can find. You can also use a different kind of melting cheese such as gruyere, provolone, or Swiss.

• Spice Level - If you're still warming up to spicy foods, remove the seeds from the jalapeño before slicing it. If you like foods extra spicy, double up on the jalapeño or even use a hotter pepper like a Serrano.

Equipment

For this recipe, a large 13 inch cast iron pan is your best friend and will play a large role in the end result. Cast iron browns the cabbages wonderfully without making them stick. Plus it has enough surface area to fit 8 cabbage steaks.

I swear by my Lodge Brand Cast Iron Pan. It requires very little care and is very sturdy and reliable. I've had mine for 5 years now and highly recommend it. You can purchase it here.

Storing leftover Braised Cabbage Steaks

Store leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Cabbage doesn't freeze well.

Top tip

The best part about these loaded red cabbage steaks is the char against the bottom go the pan. So make sure to use enough oil so that all the cabbage is touching oil, and high heat.

Recipe

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