Look at the delicious casserole: my delicious green cabbage and ham pie au gratin… Cabbage, shredded ham and white sauce covered with creamy au gratin mashed potatoes.
Yum!
This au gratin has been on my long to-make shortlist for a while!
However finding green cabbage here is quite a challenge to say the least!
Well here we are: it is December and these lovely winter vegetables start to pop up at my local farmers market!
It is time to finally make that cabbage and ham pie I’ve been dying to make!
Winter Comfort Food
Hang on, green cabbage is available here almost every month.
But for this recipe I wanted to use one specific type of green cabbage: that kind of cabbage with the bubble leaves.
Like a savoy cabbage or anything resembling kale.
Easy Cabbage And Ham Pie Recipe
However here is the catch.
One whole cabbage for just the two of is far too much or we would have to eat cabbage for 7 days flat.
Fortunately the ladies at my local farmers market tear those huge bowling balls of cabbages up into smaller portions.
As a matter of fact you can buy bundles of 5 large savoy cabbage leaves here.
I am not kidding!
Apparently we are not the only ones who have a hard time incorporating one large cabbage into our next weekly menu.
The total price for such a bundle of green fun: eighty friggin’ eurocents.
And that portion will make it in at least two of our upcoming dinners.
Cabbage Recipes
I have been on a pie roll lately!
By that I mean anything covered with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven.
What else than a good shepherd’s pie should I not forget to mention?
Well I used leftover lamb meat that I shredded actually, not lamb mince.
I did the same with goose once.
A dish that looks similar to this cabbage and ham pie – but without the mashed potatoes – is my Greek moussaka! Fried potatoes and eggplant topped with meat mince and a gorgeous layer of bechamel sauce…
All worth checking out!
Enjoy!
Easy Cabbage And Ham Pie Recipe
Look at the beauty: my delicious green cabbage and ham pie au gratin... Cabbage, shredded ham and white sauce covered with au gratin mashed potatoes!
- 9 oz green cabbage (250 g)
- 3,5 oz cooked ham (300 g), chopped
- ½ small onion
- 1 small fresh carrot
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk (240 ml)
- 1 lb floury potatoes (450 g)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cloves
- nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
- Peel the potatoes and chop them up. Add them together with 1 peeled garlic clove to a large saucepan. Add water and a pinch of salt. Place the pan over high heat and bring the potatoes to a rolling boil.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them. Add them back to the pan pan you cooked them in and add ¼ cup (60 ml) of milk. Add a tablespoon of butter and season with a good pinch of pepper, salt and nutmeg. Mash the potatoes well. Check the seasoning and add extra pepper, salt or nutmeg to taste if necessary. Add more milk if necessary. Put a lid on the pan and keep the potato mash aside until needed later on.
Peel the onion, carrot and the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Dice it all up. Add the onion, carrot and garlic cloves to a non-stick pan together with a tablespoon of butter, the bay leaves and the cloves. Season with a good dash of pepper and salt.
Place the pan over medium heat and let the butter melt. Stir the vegetables and gently fry them in the butter for 4 minutes. In the meantime slice the green cabbage and rinse it very well under cold running tap water to remove any sand. Let the cabbage drain well. Then add it to the pan with carrots and onions. Also add ½ cup (120 ml) of water. Stir the cabbage. Then put a lid on the pan and let the cabbage soften for 10 minutes. Stir regularly.
- Then take the pan off the heat. There should be about ¼ cup (60 ml) of cooking still in the pan. Pour the cabbage through a fine sieve and catch the cooking liquid.
- Let the cabbage cool a little. Then remove the bay leaves. You can leave the cloves if you like. Wipe the non-stick pan down with kitchen paper and place it back over medium heat. Add the rest of the butter and let it melt gently. Then add the flour.
- Stir well and let the flour bake in the butter for 2 minutes. Don’t let it burn. Then pour in ¾ cup (180 ml) of milk.
- Stir well and let the flour and milk thicken into a white sauce. Then add the drained cooking liquid you put aside. Season the sauce with a pinch of pepper, salt and nutmeg as well.
- Stir the sauce well again. It should be fairly runny, not too thick. Then add the cooked cabbage and the chopped ham.
- Stir well. Check the seasoning and add extra pepper salt or nutmeg to taste if necessary.
- Scoop the cabbage and ham in a baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with some grated cheese if you like. Place the dish in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 30 minutes until the top has brown a little. You can also put it under a hot grill in the end to give it a nice golden crust. Remove the dish from the hot oven and let it cool down a little. Scoop the cabbage and ham pie onto deep plates and serve.
Is cabbage healthy?
Yes, cabbage is a very healthy food.
It is high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and antioxidants, and it is low in calories and has a low glycemic index.
It may also help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer.
Can I replace the leftover ham with another type of meat?
Yes!
Any type of cooked leftover meat actually.
Even meatballs if you ask me!
Or sausages?
I wonder how this cabbage and ham pie would taste like if I added cooked chicken legs, my favorite part of a chicken – after wings of course.
Even leftover meat stew of any kind could perfectly be turned into a similar pie.
Forget the meat for a second, how about a fish pie: a creamy fish stew covered with a layer of creamy mashed potatoes?
Can I freeze this cabbage and ham pie for later?
Absolutely.
You can freeze the freshly made pie.
Make sure that you give it plenty of time to cool off completely before you put it in the freezer. Also store it in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
To reheat it, simply thaw the pie in the refrigerator in its container overnight. The next day transfer it to a heat resistant baking dish and bake the thawed pie at 350°F until it is heated through.
You might have to cover it with tinfoil to keep the top layer of potatoes from burning.
