Melty Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Pecans comes together in a good ole 9-by-13 and whose secret ingredient is time—two and a half hours, to be exact, rendering the cabbage ultra-melty and sweet.

Serves 4-6 as side or main

saveur.com

INGREDIENTS
8–10 slices thick-cut bacon (12 oz.), coarsely chopped
1 medium head green cabbage (2 lb.), cored and cut into 8 wedges
2 large carrots, trimmed, cut into ¼-in. rounds
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Coarsely chopped toasted pecans, for garnish
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
Grainy mustard, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. In a heavy-bottomed nonreactive roasting pan (see footnote) set over medium heat, fry the bacon, stirring frequently, until deep golden and crisp, 10–14 minutes. Turn off the heat, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl. Discard all but roughly 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

In the roasting pan, arrange the cabbage wedges cut-side down beside one another, then scatter the onion and carrot over the top, followed by the reserved bacon. Pour in the vinegar and ¼ cup of water, then season with salt and black pepper. Dot with the butter and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour, then flip the wedges and continue cooking until the cabbage is very soft, about 1 hour more.

Uncover the pan and turn the oven to 425ºF. Continue baking until the vegetables are browned at the edges, about 18 minutes more. Sprinkle with the pecans and chives and serve warm with mustard on the side.

Note: If you don’t own a large, heavy roasting pan, fry the bacon in a skillet in step 1. At the beginning of step 2, arrange the cabbage in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish, then drizzle with the reserved bacon grease and proceed with the recipe.

In Senegal at the Keur Moussa monastery, a typical meal includes poulet mafé, a thick peanut sauce with chicken, root vegetables, and cabbage served over rice, fonio, or millet couscous. For chef Pierre Thiam, poulet mafé is the ultimate comfort food. His advice: “Be patient when cooking mafé. Let the stew simmer slowly until the oil rises to the surface.” Creamy peanut butter adds body and nuttiness to this savory chicken dish, balancing the aromatic ginger, garlic, and tomato paste. Thiam’s version uses fish sauce, which brings a subtle umami that adds complexity to the stew.

Sub soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire sauce for fish sauce. Chop up a whole chicken.

Serves 4-6

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
Pinch of kosher salt, plus more to taste
Pinch of black pepper
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 pound chicken drumsticks, skin removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
¼ cup fish sauce (such as Red Boat)
7 cups water
1 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter (such as Smucker’s Natural Creamy Peanut Butter), well stirred
8 ounces green cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch wedges
3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces
1 medium-size sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces
Sliced fresh Scotch bonnet chiles, to taste (optional)
Cooked white rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
Stir together garlic, ginger, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken; press garlic mixture into chicken pieces. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until oil shimmers. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until onion starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and fish sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until combined and tomato paste caramelizes and turns a few shades darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 7 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven. Add chicken and any remaining garlic mixture in bowl to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Place peanut butter in a medium-size heatproof bowl; stir in 1 1/2 cups liquid from Dutch oven, 1/4 cup at a time, until peanut butter is thinned out and mixture is creamy. Add to mixture in Dutch oven; bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-low. Simmer, undisturbed, 20 minutes.

Stir cabbage and carrots into mixture in Dutch oven; return to a vigorous simmer over medium-low. Simmer, undisturbed, 10 minutes.

Stir potato and sweet potato pieces into mixture in Dutch oven; return to a vigorous simmer over medium-low. Simmer, undisturbed, until chicken and vegetables are tender and oil has separated from thickened sauce, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Scotch bonnet chiles, if using, and season with salt to taste. Serve over rice.

Bigos is an Eastern European stew that has many adaptations; some versions incorporate rice and/or a variety of vegetables and meats, so you can use whatever you have on hand. This version is a Polish hunter’s stew that features kielbasa, smoky bacon, melty cabbage, and lots of delicious broth that can be sopped up with bread.

Serves 12

bonappetit.com

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. double-smoked slab bacon, cut into 1″ cubes
1½ lb. kielbasa sausage, sliced on a diagonal ½” thick
8 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp. double concentrated tomato paste
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 small head of green cabbage (about 2 lb.), cored, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, sliced 1½” thick
1 Pink Lady apple, cored, grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1″ pieces
1 lb. sauerkraut (not drained; about 2 cups)
4 cups homemade beef stock or water
Small dill sprigs, dark rye or pumpernickel bread, and unsalted butter (for serving)

INSTRUCTIONS
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, stirring often, until brown and crisp, 10–12 minutes. Transfer bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon; set aside. Cook kielbasa in bacon fat in pot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with tongs; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic to same pot, and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste darkens slightly in color and begins to stick to pot, about 2 minutes. Add paprika, coriander, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add onions and turn to coat. Increase heat to medium-high, pour in wine, and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until smell of the alcohol cooks off, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt, then add cabbage, carrots, apple, potatoes, sauerkraut, stock, and reserved bacon. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently, mixing well halfway through, 1 hour. Mix in reserved kielbasa. Cover and cook until bacon is tender, cabbage is meltingly soft, and potatoes are cooked through, 30–60 minutes.

Divide stew among bowls. Top with dill. Serve with bread and butter alongside.

Do Ahead: Stew can be made 1 week ahead (flavor will improve as time goes on). Cover and chill.

This cabbage au gratin recipe puts a healthy twist on the potato classic, without compromising flavor or cheesy goodness.

Serves 8

tastingtable.com

INGREDIENTS
1 head green cabbage, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 white onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup shredded Gouda

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place the cabbage wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes.

While the cabbage is roasting, combine the sliced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of thyme, and 1 teaspoon of rosemary in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until the onion is soft, about 20 minutes, then set aside.

Prepare a shallow baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the roasted cabbage in the dish and top with the cream sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven.

Top cabbage with 1 cup of shredded Gouda cheese and broil on high for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

Let the cabbage cool down, then serve.