Cabbage And Sausage

Deeply flavorful with a hint of spice, cabbage and sausage is a beloved Southern comfort food dinner. Once cooked, the cabbage and peppers turn tender; the peppers also contribute a hint of sweetness and a fun pop of color. The result is a pot of cabbage and sausage that is above and beyond the traditional skillet meal.

In the South, we love sausage in just about everything—from jambalaya to nachos—especially Alabama's own Conecuh hickory-smoked sausage. It is in fact that hint of smoky flavor from the sausage that flavors all of this dish, making it slightly spicy and warm throughout.

Get our easy cabbage and sausage recipe below, and leave us a review if you love this Creole-spiced twist on a Southern favorite.

Cabbage and Sausage: A Southern Favorite

Building flavor from the bottom of the pot to the top is the best technique in dishes like cabbage and sausage. Browning the sausage, utilizing those drippings to flavor the whole pot, and cooking the vegetables in that fat makes for a mean pot of cabbage and sausage.

With large pieces of Conecuh original sausage, you'll get hints of smoky meat throughout. The cabbage retains some of its texture and is not mushy at all. Peppers also are a bit crunchy and don't lose their color. Whereas most cabbage and sausage recipes are a little bit brown and blah, this is nothing short of a colorful dinner.

The addition of rice to the bowl is completely optional, as the broth is so good, we don't want to waste it. But you could skip the rice and make a pan of cornbread to sop up those juices instead.

Cabbage and Sausage Ingredients

The ingredients for cabbage and sausage are easy to find at the grocery store. We've added a few more ingredients for flavor compared to more traditional cabbage and sausage recipes, but we think you'll agree they're needed.

• Sausage: We like hickory-smoked sausage like Coneuch for its intense, smoky flavor. But you could use almost any type of sausage, including Italian, chicken, hot, or chorizo.
• Cabbage: You can't have cabbage and sausage without cabbage. Look for a head that is firm and fresh, without brown spots or blemishes.
• Onion and celery: These aromatics provide a base of flavor for the rest of the dish.
• Sweet mini peppers: Not just for stuffing with cream cheese and bacon. We love the color and texture the small pepper rounds add to the final dish.
• Garlic: Like onion and celery, it adds deeper flavor. Fresh is best, but if you only have dried, cut back by about half.
• Chicken stock: For more flavor, use stock instead of water for simmering and creating the dish's broth.
• Diced tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are tender and flavor-packed. Keep a can in your pantry so you can make this dish anytime.
• Creole seasoning: Some basic cabbage and sausage recipes don't have a whole lot of flavor. You won't be able to say that about this version.
• Thyme and bay leaf: Adding to the herb flavors.
• Hot rice: This is optional really, but we like serving cabbage and sausage over rice for a more complete meal.
• Parsley: This final hit of something fresh completes the dish.

How To Make Cabbage and Sausage

The full recipe for cabbage and sausage is below, but let's briefly recap the basics:

• Step 1: Cook the sausage. In a large Dutch oven, brown and cook the sausage pieces. Don't wipe out the pan. You want all those brown bits and drippings. That's incredible flavor. Take the sausage out, and set it aside.
• Step 2: Cook the other ingredients. Add cabbage, onion, celery, peppers, and garlic to the Dutch oven, and cook until the cabbage is softened slightly. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, Creole seasoning, and other herbs (except the parsley). Simmer everything for about 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is silky and tender.
• Step 3: Serve. Serve cabbage and sausage over hot rice with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Consider making a pan of skillet cornbread instead of the rice. A hot wedge of corn bread is a great way to soak up most of the flavorful pot likker.

How To Store and Reheat Cabbage and Sausage

Cabbage and sausage is really its best immediately after it's cooked, so if you can plan to make this when you'll have a crowd to feed, that's ideal.

But still, you can make leftover cabbage and sausage great again. Instead of microwaving (which can make the cabbage more soggy), reheat the leftovers in a skillet over medium heat. This will help crisp back up the vegetables and evenly heat the whole dish.

Cooking Tips for Cabbage and Sausage

The Southern Living Test Kitchen provides some tips and tricks they learned while developing this recipe:

• Use a Dutch oven for this dish instead of a skillet. You will need more room and depth for the amount of cabbage.
• We made this recipe with Conecuh Original hickory-smoked sausage, as it is a true Southern gem, and the smokiness is like no other. Andouille sausage would be a great substitute if you can't find Conecuh.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes provided an extra bit of flavor and some flecks visually. Regular would work if it's what you have in your pantry.
• Grab a whole bag of mini peppers, and slice them into rings without seeding or removing ribs. So easy.
  

More Favorite Cabbage Recipes

Looking for other great cabbage dinners? Consider these:

• Cabbage Casserole
• Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls
• Southern Fried Cabbage
• Stuffed Cabbage Soup