40 Cozy Cabbage Recipes from Grandma (2024)

Home Recipes Cooking Style Comfort Food

Updated: Aug. 21, 2023

Keep the winter blues away with these classic cabbage recipes that are sure to warm your bones.

1/40

This recipe is special to me because it’s an easy one-pot meal that tastes like you spent the whole day in the kitchen. My family loves it. —Lynn Bowen, Geraldine, Alabama. Looking for a dairy-free recipe? Learn how to make vegan cabbage rolls.

Go to Recipe

2/40

Cabbage and Beef Soup

When I was a little girl, I helped my parents work the fields of their small farm. Lunchtime was always a treat when Mother picked fresh vegetables from the garden and simmered them in her big soup pot. We loved making this delicious recipe. —Ethel Ledbetter, Canton, North Carolina

3/40

Colcannon Potatoes

Every Irish family has its own colcannon recipe, since it's a classic potato and cabbage dish. My recipe comes from my father's family in Ireland. It's part of my St. Patrick's Day menu, along with lamb chops, carrots and soda bread. —Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon

4/40

Slow-Cooker Golombki

I modified my mom's classic Polish dish to fit my hectic life. Instead of boiling the cabbage and then filling it with beef, I just toss the ingredients in the slow cooker. It's much easier and tastes just as delicious. —Mary Walker, Clermont, Florida

5/40

Fried Cabbage

When I was young, my family grew our own cabbages. It was fun to put the cabbage to use in the kitchen, just as I did with this comforting side. With potatoes, deviled eggs and cornbread, fried cabbage tastes like home. —Bernice Morris, Marshfield, Missouri

Fun fact: did you know that some eat fried cabbage on New Year’s day to bring in wealth and prosperity to the new year?

6/40

Favorite Corned Beef and Cabbage

It may be the most famous dish to eat on St. Patrick's Day, but this Irish-American corned beef recipe is a favorite at our table all year long. This is how to make corned beef and cabbage. —Evelyn Kenney, Trenton, New Jersey

7/40

Beet Borscht

My mother used to make this hearty soup from her garden's bountiful crop of beets and other vegetables. —Ruth Andrewson, Leavenworth, Washington

8/40

Classic Cabbage Rolls

I’ve always enjoyed cabbage rolls but didn’t make them since most methods were too complicated. This recipe is fairly simple and results in the best cabbage rolls. My husband, Sid, requests them often. They’re terrific to share at gatherings with our children and grandchildren. —Beverly Zehner, McMinnville, Oregon

9/40

Sauerbraten Soup

Sauerbraten and soup are both family favorites. This combines the two, without the long marinating time the traditional beef dish requires. You can substitute spaetzle or gnocchi for the egg noodles. —Jennifer Yerkes, Franklin Square, New York

10/40

German-Style Cabbage and Beans

This is one of my greatest hits for a potluck dish at church suppers. If you use some red cabbage, it will have very festive colors, light pink with green. It looks so pretty. —Winifred Winch, Wetmore, Michigan

11/40

Maryland-Style Crab Soup

Try this hearty soup that incorporates the best of vegetable soup and flavorful crab. I break whole crabs and claws into pieces and drop them into the soup to cook, then serve it with saltine crackers and a cold beer. —Freelove Knott, Palm Bay, Florida

12/40

Great Northern Bean Stew

This thick and hearty stew with great northern beans is sure to chase the winter chills away. —Mildred Sherrer, Fort Worth, Texas

13/40

Beef Cabbage Roll-Ups

Cooking up original recipes is a hobby of mine. My version of classic cabbage rolls is delicious served over rice or noodles. —Irma Finely, Lockwood, Missouri

14/40

Cabbage Roll Stew

A head of cabbage seems like it never ends. Here’s a delicious way to use it up. My husband is this stew’s biggest fan. —Pamela Kennemer, Sand Springs, Oklahoma

15/40

Kielbasa Cabbage Skillet

Spicy kielbasa sausage and plentiful cabbage and potatoes give this dish a pleasing Old World flair. My husband never liked cabbage before I made this, but now he does! —Romaine Wetzel, Ronks, Pennsylvania

16/40

One-Pot Unstuffed Cabbage

Here is one of my favorite ways to cook and enjoy cabbage. It has all the good flavor of regular cabbage rolls, but it's a lot less bother to make. In fact, it's a one-pot meal! —Mrs. Bernard Snow, Lewiston, Michigan

17/40

Colcannon Irish Potatoes

My mother came from Ireland as a teen and brought this homey recipe with her. I find that it's a fantastic way to get my family to eat cooked cabbage—it is hidden in Grandma's potatoes! —Marie Pagel, Lena, WI

18/40

Red Cabbage With Bacon

If you’ve braised, marinated or served red cabbage raw, try it steamed, then toss with bacon and a tangy sauce. We serve it with pork or chicken. This is how to cook cabbage with bacon. —Sherri Melotik, Oak Creek, Wisconsin

19/40

Make-Ahead Cabbage Rolls

I've relied on this recipe for years, and my cabbage rolls never fail to impress. As the host of a number of holiday parties, my guests have come to expect this main entree. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Missouri

20/40

Chowchow

My grandmom’s long-cherished chowchow recipe has Pennsylvania Dutch roots. The pickled relish of cabbage, onions and peppers is tart and sweet with a smidge of spice. —Sharon Tipton, Casselberry, Florida

21/40

Cranberry-Apple Red Cabbage

When I was looking for something new, I started playing with flavors and came up with this very tasty dish. My German grandmother would be impressed, I think! The colorful side dish is just right with pork. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

22/40

Hearty Sausage Soup

My family loves a big bowl of soup like this one brimming with sausage and veggies. We have it with hot rolls on Christmas Day. —Barbara Tilghman, Bel Air, Maryland

23/40

Shrimp with Warm German-Style Coleslaw

We love anything that is tangy or has bacon. With fennel and tarragon, this is a super savory dish. I use the medley from Minute Rice if I don't have time to make my own. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

24/40

Cabbage Barley Soup

My neighbor had an abundance of cabbage, so a group of us had a contest to see who could come up with the best cabbage dish. My vegetarian soup was the clear winner. —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

25/40

Turkey Sausage Cabbage Rolls

I practically grew up in my Polish grandmother's kitchen, watching Babci cook and listening to her stories. I made her cabbage roll recipe healthier with whole grains and turkey, but kept the same rich flavors I remember. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas

26/40

Beefy Cabbage Bean Stew

While we were on one of our small-group quilting retreats, one of my friends made this wonderful recipe for dinner. We all loved it and have since passed it around for others to enjoy—now I'm passing it on to you. —Melissa Glancy, La Grange, Kentucky

27/40

German Red Cabbage

Sunday afternoons were a time for family gatherings when I was a kid. While the uncles played cards, the aunts made treats such as this traditional German red cabbage recipe. —Jeannette Heim, Dunlap, Tennessee

28/40

Cabbage Roll Skillet

Have a happy helping of this quicker take on something our grandmothers would make. We serve it over brown rice. It also freezes well. —Susan Chickness, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

29/40

Potato and Leek Soup

Full of veggies and smoky bacon, with just a little tanginess from sour cream, bowls of this comforting soup taste just as terrific with sandwiches as they do with crackers. —Melanie Wooden, Reno, Nevada

30/40

Meatball Cabbage Rolls

My mother often had these cabbage rolls simmering in her slow cooker when my family and I arrived at her house for weekend visits. The mouthwatering meatballs tucked inside made these stand out from any other cabbage rolls I've tried. —Betty Buckmaster, Muskogee, Oklahoma

31/40

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

Passed down through generations, this robust corned beef and cabbage recipe is requested often in our house. The Irish stout adds excellent richness to the corned beef. Just throw the ingredients together in the slow cooker and let them simmer until delicious! —Karin Brodbeck, Red Hook, New York

32/40

Slow-Cooker Pasta e fa*gioli

This chunky soup is good to the last spoonful. It's my go-to recipe because it's so hearty and we all always want more. —Penny Novy, Buffalo Grove, Illinois

33/40

Cabbage Roll Casserole

I layer cabbage with tomato sauce and ground beef lasagna-style to create a hearty casserole that tastes like cabbage rolls but without all the work. —Doreen Martin, Kitimat, British Columbia

34/40

Soup-Bowl Cabbage Rolls

This fabulous alternative to traditional stuffed cabbage rolls is so handy for busy weeknights. It warms you up from head to toe. —Terri Pearce, Houston, Texas

35/40

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

This corned beef and cabbage slow-cooker recipe is a fuss-free way to cook the traditional dish. I tried it for St. Patrick's Day a few years ago. Now it's a regular in my menu planning. —Karen Waters, Laurel, Maryland

36/40

New World Stuffed Cabbage

European immigrants brought their favorite stuffed cabbage recipes to the New World in the late 19th century. Here's my take on tradition. —Katherine Stefanovich, Desert Hot Springs, California

37/40

Garden Vegetable Beef Soup

This soup is my go-to healthy lunch option. It's a great way to eat my vegetables, and it's so comforting during the cold winter months. —Dawn Donald, Herron, Michigan

38/40

Oktoberfest Red Cabbage

Four generations of our family have made this dish of red cabbage and apples, known as rotkohl ("red cabbage"). We love the tart and sweet flavors. —Diana Likes, Chandler, Arizona

39/40

Hearty Vegetable Soup

A friend gave me the idea to use V8 juice in vegetable soup because it provides more flavor. My best vegetable soup recipe is perfect to prepare on a crisp autumn afternoon. —Janice Steinmetz, Somers, Connecticut

40/40

I roast veggies to bring out their sweetness, and it works wonders with onions and cabbage. The piquant vinegar-mustard sauce makes this dish similar to a slaw. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

Originally Published: February 18, 2022