I grew up as the child of Midwestern parents living in the South and my childhood was a perfect blend and meld of two distinct American cultures. I was born in the South and they had lived in the South for several years by then and had adopted many Southern traditions including the holiday food traditions of New Year’s Day. There is much folklore of how the food traditions of New Year’s Day started but many people celebrate the start of a New Year with a meal that includes Black Eyed Peas and Greens which ensure Good Luck and Good Fortune for the New Year.
Vegetables were always present at our meals and my Mom would tell you that we were fairly good eaters willing to try a variety of vegetables. The truth was that my Mom had a secret for ensuring that we would eat those veggies – cheese! For example, broccoli was always served with a little cheese and seasoned salt on top. While we were fairly open to eating veggies, we were not so adventurous to eat true Southern Collard Greens. Instead our Greens on New Year’s Day were cabbage and my mom’s secret weapon was present for our cabbage with a gooey cheese sauce and a little bit of spice that she combined as a cabbage casserole.
Her cabbage casserole was something she adapted from a traditional recipe for Spinach Madeline. Here is her adaption and recipe for Cabbage Madeline. It’s not too spicy and it goes perfectly with Black Eyed Peas and Ham for your New Year’s Day dinner.
Ingredients
- ½ head of cabbage – chopped into 1” pieces
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ¼ Cup chopped onion
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup to ½ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- Optional topping: Breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Steam the cabbage until it is cooked and reserve the liquid.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until it has a smooth texture.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until tender and gets translucent.
- Add the evaporated milk and stir constantly until it begins to thicken. (If additional liquid is needed, add in small amounts from the reserved cabbage cooking liquid.)
- Stir in the garlic salt, celery salt, white pepper, and Worcestershire sauce along with the Pepper Jack cheese.
- Continue to stir until the sauce is a smooth texture and the cheese is melted.
- Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked spinach.
- Pour into the prepared casserole dish. If desired, top with breadcrumbs and finely shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Hey Whit, this recipe sounds fantastic – now I am wishing I had cabbage in the crisper! Also love the idea of a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You’ve inspired two dishes for me.
I’ve never been much of a fan of cooked cabbage, but your recipe makes me want to give it a try. Thanks and Happy New Year!