Sausage and Cabbage

sausagecabbage This is one of my fast and easy meals. We love this dish and the cabbage is such a versatile vegetable that you can make it a delicious side dish for other meats, too.

6 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 oz butter
12 oz smoked sausage such as kielbasa or andouille, sliced
½ large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium head cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
1½ tsp sea salt

Heat a cast iron skillet or other large pan over medium high heat.

Add sliced bacon to pan and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon and set aside, but keep the bacon fat in the pan.

Add butter to pan. Once melted, add onion. Sauté onion in the melted butter/bacon fat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic and red pepper to pan. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes), stirring regularly to prevent burning.

Add sliced sausage to pan. Cook until heated through and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Add cabbage to pan and toss to coat with the butter/onion mixture. Add salt and pepper.

Continue cooking until cabbage is tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.

Return cooked bacon to the fried cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Serve.

Cook's Notes:

If using preshredded cabbage, this recipe requires around 2.25 lbs of cabbage.
For a bit of extra tang, add a splash of vinegar (apple cider, red wine, or balsamic) with the cabbage.
Reheating this fried cabbage in a pan on the stove (rather than in the microwave) results in a better texture for leftovers.