A classic southern comfort dish with a Sauced twist. This Kielbasa Cabbage Casserole is a simple, yet hearty recipe; perfect for those hectic summer nights.
It’s a Family Tradition
The inspiration for this recipe, and its recipe “cousin,” my Bacon Cabbage Casserole (mentioned in the Notes section of the recipe below), came from my husband’s family and their proclivity for smoking meats and cabbage for family gatherings.
Prior to the first 4th of July family shindig I attended with my husband, I had never eaten cooked cabbage before (unless you count the filling in an eggroll). I was a fan right from the start. My husband’s family recipe starts with a quarter head of cabbage, topped with raw bacon or sausage, butter, hot sauce, Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, and spices. Then it’s wrapped in aluminum foil and placed on the smoker (along with various meats).
In the interest of speeding up the cooking process, I deconstructed the family fare. I chose, instead, to pre-cook the bacon/kielbasa, chop up the cabbage, and create a casserole that has certainly become a summer favorite in our household.
Summer Nights
This Kielbasa Cabbage Casserole is not only low-carb and keto-friendly, it’s also delicious. Composed of simple, cheap ingredients, and a quick, easy-to-follow recipe, it’s the perfect meal for hot and hectic summer nights. That’s why I’m featuring: “Summer Nights,” from the Grease soundtrack, on tonight’s Sauced Kitchen Playlist.
This song (as well as, “You’re the One That I Want), holds a special place in my memories. I remember watching “Grease,” over & over again as a kid. Wishing that one day, I might be as pretty and cool as Olivia Newton John in her black spandex pants and red high heels in the penultimate scene. To this day, if I ash-out a cigarette with my shoe, I think to myself, “Tell me ’bout it, stud.”
I have fond memories of dancing my heart out to the Grease mashup of “You’re the One That I Want,” and “Summer Nights,” at the monthly school dances held at my middle school.
More recently, my Uncle Mitch played these beloved tunes for us while we cleaned up the mess from Thanksgiving dinner. My mom, sisters, Aunt Joda and I sang and danced around the kitchen. It made the dreaded and mundane task of washing dishes and divvying up leftovers immensely more enjoyable. Good music has the power to do that. Especially in the kitchen, with people you love.
Get Sauced
Although I’m typically a wine gal, there’s nothing better than an ice cold beer on a hot summer night. Call me hashtag-basic, but one of my favorites: Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss. According to their website, this crisp weiss beer gets a little lift from an enticing blend of blackberries, elderberries and loganberries.
I give it four out of five bottlecaps. (I think Nic and The Captain of True Crime Garage would be proud. Be good, be kind, don’t litter, and above all, don’t be a douche canoe. If you know, you know.)
Now, some IPA-sippin’, craft brew-drinkin’, beer snobs out there may sneer at my choice for tonight’s adult beverage. But, no one reads these blog things anyway, do they …? Doesn’t everyone just click the button to: “Jump to Recipe?”
Aren’t all blogs simply the equivalent of Kevin (from The Office) simply opening up a Word document on Creed’s desktop when he expressed interest in blog-writing, so that no one else would have to be subjected to his ramblings?
Get More Sauced
Want more delicious summer recipes? I have included the links to some additional Sauced summer favorites below: Bacon, Egg & Cheeseburgers, Mom’s Deviled Eggs, and Meatball Sub Zucchini Boats.
You can visit: saucedblogger.com, and click the Menu option for a full listing of available recipes. Or, click the Blog option to search for a dish by keyword or phrase. Be sure to follow Sauced on Facebook and Instagram for Sauced Quickies (quick & easy recipes shared solely on my socials), & cocktail recipes on Mixology Mondays, Sauced Saturdays, and more! As always, feel free to like, comment, & share. Stay Sauced out there! Cheers!
Kielbasa Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 medium white onion, diced and divided
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 package Kielbasa, sliced
- 1/2 stick butter, (4 Tbsp), divided into slices unsalted or salted, according to your preference
- 1-2 Tbsp hot sauce or more, to taste
- 3 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt or your preferred brand
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat EVOO in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the sliced Kielbasa and 1/2 c. of the diced white onion to the pan. Sauté the Kielbasa and onion over medium-high heat for 7-15 minutes, until Kielbasa begins to brown and onion is softened. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Place 1-2 slices of butter into the bottom of a 9×13" casserole dish. Add some of the raw white onion, minced garlic, and hot sauce to the bottom of the pan.
- Next, top with a layer of chopped cabbage. Distribute 1/3 of the fried Kielbasa and onion over the cabbage layer and season with half of the onion powder, garlic powder, Seasoning salt, smoked paprika, & pepper.
- Top with more raw white onion, minced garlic, and a dash or two of hot sauce. Then, add 2-3 slices of butter.
- Repeat this process, layering the cabbage, Kielbasa, onion, minced garlic, butter, hot sauce, and seasoning until all ingredients have been used.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and stir the cabbage casserole, tossing to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed and completely coated in the butter and seasonings.
- Return to oven, uncovered, and continue baking for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the cabbage reaches the desired level of tenderness.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.
