As a toddler, the one manner you could possibly get me to eat cabbage, brussels sprouts, or broccoli was if it was boiled in butter. My restaurant chef dad would typically oblige by cooking cruciferous greens in melted butter and simmering them to tenderness.
I wasn’t completely aghast once I ran down the ingredient listing for Edna Mae’s Escalloped Cabbage on the Pioneer Woman’s website. If the concept of overlaying boiled cabbage with a bechamel sauce made from pepper jack cheese and a jar of Cheez Whiz sounds bizarre to you, you merely have to do that recipe.
Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn
What is Escalloped Cabbage Anyway?
Like scalloped potatoes, “escallop” comes from the French culinary follow of baking slices of meals in a sauce. Escalloped dishes sometimes function cheese or breadcrumbs and had been historically paired with meat dishes, comparable to hen or pork.
Ree Drummond explains that this peculiar tackle the dish is an invention of her husband’s grandmother, Edna Mae. Edna Mae boils wedges of cabbage and covers them in a pepper jack cheese sauce earlier than baking and serving. The result’s a cabbage facet dish that’s unexpectedly creamy, spicy, and a tad wealthy.
Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn
How To Make Edna Mae’s Escalloped Cabbage
I begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and bringing a big pot of water to a boil. Then I minimize a head of cabbage into wedges—six or eight, relying on the dimensions of the cabbage and the variety of dinners I’m planning for. With most two-pound heads, I am going for eight wedges.
I boil the wedges for simply two minutes, till they flip shiny inexperienced. Once the cabbage is completed cooking, I switch the wedges to a chopping board to chill whereas I put together a small cheese sauce.
If you’ve got ever made mac and cheese or queso dip, the method is simple. I cook dinner butter and flour collectively, then whisk in milk. When the milk thickens, issues take a unusual flip with the addition of a jar of Cheez Whiz, a step handed down from Ree Drummond’s grandmother-in-law, Edna Mae. I really like a processed cheese product, so I do not thoughts.
If that is not your model, you possibly can swap in cubed Velveeta or perhaps a cup (or extra) of grated cheddar. I additionally stir in grated pepper jack cheese, together with salt and pepper.
Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn
The cabbage wedges are piled right into a buttered casserole dish and topped with the cheese sauce, paprika, and thinly sliced jalapeno earlier than baking for about half-hour, till bubbly. Ree recommends letting the dish sit for a minimum of 20 minutes earlier than serving, and I agree—the sauce thickens because it sits, making it simpler to serve and eat.
While cabbage coated in cheese sauce may appear uncommon, it hits all the identical excessive marks as scalloped potatoes. The cabbage is tender however not mushy and takes on the piquant sharpness of the Cheez Whiz, with loads of spice. It’s a surprisingly versatile facet, cozy with meatloaf however simply nearly as good subsequent to grilled pork chops or grilled steaks.
Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn
