Growing up, our neighbor, Gussie, was a grandmother figure who could really cook.
When her husband was alive, she would make several roast chickens on Sundays and he would distribute them to the “older” people who were shut in.
She loved to cook for other people. We were lucky enough to be frequent recipients of her food.
One of my favorite dishes was her cooked cabbage. She used bacon grease and sometimes included the bacon, but it was always delicious.
It took me years (even with asking her how) to finally get it right, but I think I finally have come close to her original dish. My biggest problem in sharing it is that I typically do not measure any of the ingredients. This recipe is my best estimates.
This version is made with bacon, but it can be omitted if you would like a healthier version.
Recipe: Cooked Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 med. to lg. head of cabbage
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. bacon grease
- 2 to 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1/3 to 1/2 c. water
- 2 to 3 tsp. sugar
- chopped cooked bacon (optional)
- black pepper(optional)
Instructions
- Chop cabbage into 1 – 2 inch pieces.
- Add bacon grease and butter to skillet.
- When butter melts, add cabbage then water and sugar.
- Add bacon and/or black pepper, if desired. Stir.
- Cover to let steam, stirring enough cabbage to prevent sticking and/or burning.
- Cook until cabbage is tender.
This recipe is also very good using yellow squash instead of cabbage! Both are so yummy!!!
This looks fabulous! I loved the write up about your neighbor and the fact that you forget to measure ingredients. And your blue and white plate is so pretty. I caught this off LinkedIn and the title caught my eye. I just had to look. Glad I did. My husband would love this dish. He LOVES cabbage! Thanks for sharing it.
Jennifer
looks fabulous – i love hot cabbage salad, and this little bit of meat makes it look so tasty
Delicious! I did it tonight for dinner, and my picky husband loved it!
Thank you so much for the recipe
Thanks for sharing your neighbor recipe. I am looking for a easy cabbage recipe that I can try out tonight for my family. I never cooked cabbage before but always wanted to try and your recipe just caught my eye. I’m just praying that mines come out just as tasty as yours look…..Thanks again:)
My husband mother used to make him this dish on his birthday, and she passed away ten years ago.this year I asked what he would like for his special day ,and he told me cabbage and bacon like his mom made.I read off this recipeand he said yes that’s it ,and thank you !!! You made a grown man very happy
And remember his mother!
Thank you for posting this. I have been married for only a few months and my husband informed me that he loves cabbage (I do not care for it) and he really likes it with bacon. Hmmm well I have only ever heard of cabbage and corned beef, so I ask his mother and she has NO idea what he is talking about. He tells me that his grandmother had made it for him once. Well, his grandmother has been dead several years. So I ask him how am I supposed to get the recipe he says, “why do you need a recipe? You can cook good.” Grrrr!! Sometimes men have no idea of how much effort it all takes!! Lol so I went in search of a recipe for cabbage with bacon and came across this. He swore the directions were all wrong and that isn’t how she had made it. So I ask if he could tell me how she did make it and he informs me he never actually saw her make it, the recipe just sounds wrong. Again, grrrr. So i tell him to eat the stupid cabbage and if it’s nasty I will make it differently next try. Well, thanks to you, I now make the best cabbage EVER!!! I even tried it myself and must say I will definitely be eating this again!! Great taste and texture.
I have only cooked cabbage with corned beef, so when my husband told me one of his favorite dishes was cabbage I went on the hunt for a recipe. I was so excited when I found this one. I made it about a month ago and am making it again today. He loves it! Thank you for sharing.
I made this for my husband and I WE ENJOYED IT!! HOWEVER I DID ADD A LIL EXTRA SEASONINGS SUCH AS GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER AND INSTEAD OF BLACK PEPPER AND WHITE PEPPER AND A DASH OF VENIGAR AND PARPRIKA
I AM GOING TO TRY THIS TONITE AND PLAN TO ADD COOKED ONIONS AND GARLIC AND ADD BACON. NEED TO USE UP COLESLAW MIX BEFORE IT GOES BAD. WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT.