8 Budget Cabbage Dinners for Cold Nights (Including Stuffed Cabbage Soup)

It is dark by six, there is a cabbage in the fridge that cost less than a coffee, and everyone wants something hot. This post gives you eight budget cabbage dinners for cold nights: stuffed cabbage soup (the golumpki soup readers keep asking for), egg roll in a bowl, an unstuffed cabbage roll skillet, a sausage, cabbage and potato skillet, cabbage Alfredo pasta, cabbage and white bean stew, a ground pork and cabbage stir-fry over rice, and a cabbage, potato and bacon hash. Every recipe feeds 4, states its honest prep and cook times, gives its cost per serving dated October 2026, and the cabbage at the heart of each one cooks in one large deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven — one main pot, and very little washing up.

Quick Facts

• Prep time: 10–15 minutes per recipe, stated on every recipe below
• Cook time: 15–35 minutes per recipe on the stove, stated per recipe
• Total time: 25–50 minutes per recipe, prep included
• Servings: Feeds 4
• Cost per serving: About $1.60–$2.40 per serving — based on standard supermarket prices, October 2026; yours will vary
• Equipment: One large deep 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or Dutch oven — the one equipment angle for the whole post. A board, a knife, a wooden spoon and a colander are assumed
• Best for: Cold nights when a cheap cabbage needs to turn into a proper dinner

Why This Works on a Weeknight

• One pot, every time. Every recipe cooks in a single large deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven. No second pan, no oven to heat, and the washing up stays at one pot and a board.
• Cabbage carries the budget. A whole cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables in the store and it goes a long way — half a head stretches across most of these dinners, wilted down with beef, pork, sausage, beans or pasta.
• Comfort food without the long project. The stuffed cabbage flavours of recipe 1 and recipe 3 come without rolling a single leaf — the soup and the skillet give you the same cabbage, beef, rice and tomato plate in 50 and 40 minutes.
• Costs and times you can plan around. Every recipe states its prep time, its cook time, its total time, and its cost per serving, dated October 2026.

On the nights you want the cooker to do the work instead, our 12 Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dinners cover the hands-off end of the week — load the pot in the morning and let it do the work. And for more cold-night bowls, our 9 Cozy Slow Cooker Soups to See You Through Soup Season is the post this one sits beside, with the soup pot already on.

The 8 Budget Cabbage Dinners

1. Stuffed Cabbage Soup (Golumpki Soup) — 15 mins prep, 35 mins cook · total 50 mins · about $2.10 per serving · feeds 4
2. Egg Roll in a Bowl — 10 mins prep, 15 mins cook · total 25 mins · about $1.95 per serving · feeds 4
3. Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet — 12 mins prep, 28 mins cook · total 40 mins · about $2.25 per serving · feeds 4
4. Sausage, Cabbage & Potato Skillet — 12 mins prep, 25 mins cook · total 37 mins · about $2.40 per serving · feeds 4
5. Cabbage Alfredo Pasta — 10 mins prep, 20 mins cook · total 30 mins · about $1.75 per serving · feeds 4
6. Cabbage & White Bean Stew — 10 mins prep, 30 mins cook · total 40 mins · about $1.60 per serving · feeds 4
7. Ground Pork & Cabbage Stir-Fry over Rice — 12 mins prep, 15 mins cook · total 27 mins · about $2.05 per serving · feeds 4
8. Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Hash — 12 mins prep, 28 mins cook · total 40 mins · about $1.85 per serving · feeds 4

The rules that apply to every recipe below: pantry staples — salt, black pepper, cooking oil and water — are listed separately under every recipe and never counted as bought ingredients. The main cooking for every recipe happens in one large deep 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or Dutch oven; a soup or stew with a lid uses the Dutch oven, the skillets and hash use the deep skillet, and the Alfredo pasta cooks its pasta first in the same Dutch oven its sauce is made in. Cabbage is cut to the size stated in each recipe — thick shreds stay chunky, thin shreds wilt fast — and the timings assume that cut. Check any ground meat with a food thermometer before serving — the timings are a guide, the temperature is the test.

1. Stuffed Cabbage Soup (Golumpki Soup)

Ready in: 15 mins prep, 35 mins cook · Total 50 mins · About $2.10 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 can (14½ oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 4 cups (960 ml) beef stock (or chicken stock)
• ½ cup (95 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook for 6–7 minutes until browned all over. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, paprika and oregano and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chopped cabbage and stir for 2 minutes until it starts to wilt and fits comfortably in the pot.
4. Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes, stir in the tomato paste and the rinsed rice, and bring to a boil. Check the beef is heading to a safe temperature as the soup cooks — the finished soup must be steaming throughout.
5. Turn the heat down to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 20–22 minutes, stirring twice, until the rice is tender and the cabbage is soft. If the soup thickens more than you like as the rice swells, stir in a splash of water.
6. Season with salt and black pepper, rest off the heat for 5 minutes, and serve with sour cream or yogurt if using.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) — use a food thermometer on a spoonful of the beef pieces, as colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.

All the work of stuffed cabbage rolls — cabbage, beef, rice, tomato — with none of the rolling. This is golumpki soup: the leaves are chopped and go straight in the pot.

2. Egg Roll in a Bowl

Ready in: 10 mins prep, 15 mins cook · Total 25 mins · About $1.95 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
• 1 medium green cabbage — about 2 lb (900 g) — core removed, finely shredded (or a 14 oz / 400 g bag of coleslaw mix)
• 2 medium carrots, grated or cut into thin matchsticks
• 4 spring onions / green onions, sliced, whites and greens kept separate
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional, stirred in at the end)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, break it into small pieces, and cook for 6–7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Spoon off excess fat if there is a lot.
2. Add the spring onion whites, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
3. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots in two handfuls, stirring after each, and cook for 5–6 minutes until the cabbage has wilted down and is tender with a little bite left.
4. Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar, toss everything together for 1 minute, and check the pork temperature before you turn the heat off.
5. Stir in the sesame oil if using, scatter with the spring onion greens and sesame seeds if using, and serve straight away.

Food safety: Cook ground pork until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) — use a food thermometer, as colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat in the skillet until steaming hot throughout before serving.

The fastest dinner in the post at 25 minutes — the cabbage is cut thin on purpose, so it wilts in minutes instead of needing a long braise.

3. Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet

Ready in: 12 mins prep, 28 mins cook · Total 40 mins · About $2.25 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, cut into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 can (14½ oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 cup (240 ml) beef stock (or chicken stock), plus a little more if needed
• ½ cup (95 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional, rounds out the tomato)
• Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, break the beef into small pieces, and cook for 6–7 minutes until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Spoon off excess fat.
2. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the cabbage pieces and toss for 2 minutes until they start to soften at the edges.
4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, stir in the rinsed rice and the brown sugar if using, and bring to a simmer.
5. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 18–20 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the rice is tender and the cabbage is soft. If the skillet looks dry before the rice is done, stir in 2–3 tablespoons water.
6. Season with salt and black pepper, rest covered for 5 minutes, and serve with sour cream or yogurt if using.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) — use a food thermometer, as colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.

Recipe 1 is the soup version; this is the skillet version — thicker, spooned straight from the pan, with the rice cooked in the tomato sauce instead of the broth.

4. Sausage, Cabbage & Potato Skillet

Ready in: 12 mins prep, 25 mins cook · Total 37 mins · About $2.40 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 14 oz (400 g) smoked kielbasa, fully cooked, sliced into ½-inch (1.25 cm) rounds
• 1½ lb (680 g) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces — no need to peel
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, cut into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock (or water with a stock cube)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa rounds in a single layer and cook for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges. Lift them out onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Add the potato pieces to the same skillet, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until starting to colour.
3. Add the onion and cabbage, sprinkle over the paprika and thyme, and toss for 2 minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt.
4. Pour in the stock, cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for 8–10 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced and the cabbage is soft.
5. Stir in the garlic and return the kielbasa and any juices to the pan. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes, tossing, until the sausage is heated through and steaming and the liquid has mostly cooked away.

Food safety: The kielbasa here is fully cooked smoked sausage — heat it through until steaming hot throughout, at least 165°F (74°C), before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat in the skillet until steaming hot throughout before serving.

The most expensive serving in the post at $2.40, and the one that eats like a full plate on its own — potatoes go in before the cabbage so they get their colour first.

5. Cabbage Alfredo Pasta

Ready in: 10 mins prep, 20 mins cook · Total 30 mins · About $1.75 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) dried fettuccine or penne
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, sliced into thin ribbons about ½ inch (1.25 cm) wide
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 cup (240 ml) double cream / heavy cream
• ½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Bring a large Dutch oven of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the packet until just tender. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set it aside — the same Dutch oven becomes the sauce pot, so this stays a one-pot dinner.
2. Wipe out the Dutch oven, return it to medium heat, and melt the butter in it. Add the cabbage ribbons and a pinch of salt and cook for 7–8 minutes, tossing often, until silky and soft with a few golden edges.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
4. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg if using until the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce, then add the drained pasta with a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss for 1 minute until every ribbon is coated and glossy. Add more pasta water a spoonful at a time if the sauce needs loosening.
5. Season with plenty of black pepper, scatter with parsley if using, and serve straight away with extra Parmesan.

Food safety: This recipe is meat-free, so there is no meat temperature to check — refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 2 days, and reheat gently in the skillet with a splash of water or cream until steaming hot throughout before serving. Cream sauces thicken in the fridge, so loosen as it reheats.

Cabbage cut into ribbons the width of the pasta disappears into the sauce in the best way — tender, silky, and coated like another noodle.

6. Cabbage & White Bean Stew

Ready in: 10 mins prep, 30 mins cook · Total 40 mins · About $1.60 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, cut into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 2 cans (14½ oz / 400 g each) cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 can (14½ oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or dried oregano)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
2. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the cabbage pieces and toss for 2 minutes until they start to wilt.
4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, add the drained beans, and bring to a boil.
5. Turn the heat down to a steady simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring twice, until the cabbage is completely tender and the stew has thickened slightly. For a thicker stew, mash a few beans against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them in.
6. Season with salt and black pepper, rest for 5 minutes, and serve with crusty bread if using.

Food safety: This recipe is meat-free, so there is no meat temperature to check — refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat on the stove until steaming hot throughout before serving. The stew also freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

The cheapest dinner in the post at $1.60 a serving — two cans of beans and half a cabbage, and the pot does the rest.

7. Ground Pork & Cabbage Stir-Fry over Rice

Ready in: 12 mins prep, 15 mins cook · Total 27 mins · About $2.05 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, cut into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 cup (190 g) long-grain white rice
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional, plus more to serve)
• 2 spring onions / green onions, sliced, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Start the rice first so it cooks while you stir-fry: rinse the rice, add it to a saucepan with 1½ cups (360 ml) water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover, turn to the lowest heat and cook for 12 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered to steam while the stir-fry finishes.
2. While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, break it into small pieces, and cook for 6–7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Spoon off excess fat.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes if using and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the cabbage pieces and toss for 4–5 minutes until wilted and tender at the edges but still with a little bite.
5. Stir the soy sauce, honey and vinegar together, pour over the pork and cabbage, and toss for 1 minute until glossy and steaming. Fluff the rice with a fork, divide it between bowls, spoon the stir-fry over, and scatter with spring onions if using.

Food safety: Cook ground pork until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) — use a food thermometer, as colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep the rice and stir-fry chilled separately if you can for up to 3 days, and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.

Different from recipe 2 on purpose: there the cabbage is shredded thin and sauced lightly, here it stays in pieces, the sauce is sweet and sticky, and it lands on rice.

8. Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Hash

Ready in: 12 mins prep, 28 mins cook · Total 40 mins · About $1.85 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 6 slices streaky bacon — about 6 oz (170 g) — cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces (or 6 oz / 170 g bacon lardons)
• 1½ lb (680 g) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces — no need to peel
• ½ medium green cabbage — about 1½ lb (680 g) — core removed, cut into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock (or water)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the bacon pieces in a cold large deep 12-inch skillet, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered. Lift the bacon out onto a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Add the potato pieces to the bacon fat, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 12 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden and almost tender. If the pan looks dry, add 1 teaspoon oil.
3. Add the onion and cabbage, sprinkle over the paprika, and toss for 3 minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt.
4. Pour in the stock, cover, and cook for 5 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and the cabbage is soft.
5. Take the lid off, stir in the garlic and the cooked bacon, and cook uncovered for 2 minutes, pressing the hash down once with a spatula so the bottom crisps. Scatter with parsley if using and serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook the bacon until it is crisp and cooked through and return it to the pan long enough for the finished hash to be steaming hot throughout before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep chilled for up to 3 days, and reheat in the skillet until steaming hot throughout before serving.

A hash is a cold-night dinner in its own right — crisp potatoes, sweet wilted cabbage, and the bacon fat doing the seasoning work from the start.

What It Costs

Based on prices checked in October 2026 at a large US supermarket. Your cost will vary by store and season — the point is the ballpark, not the penny. Per serving, with every recipe feeding 4: Cabbage & White Bean Stew about $1.60, Cabbage Alfredo Pasta about $1.75, Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Hash about $1.85, Egg Roll in a Bowl about $1.95, Ground Pork & Cabbage Stir-Fry over Rice about $2.05, Stuffed Cabbage Soup about $2.10, Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet about $2.25, and Sausage, Cabbage & Potato Skillet about $2.40. The full set runs from $1.60 to $2.40 a serving — beans and pasta at the cheap end, the fully cooked kielbasa at the top, and cabbage itself barely moves the total on any of them.

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Cool cooked dinners quickly, put them in a shallow covered container, and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. The soup, skillet, stew and stir-fry keep for up to 3 days; the Alfredo pasta keeps for up to 2 days; the hash is best within 2 days, before the potatoes soften.
• Reheating: Reheat the soup, stew and unstuffed skillet on the stove over medium heat, stirring now and then, until steaming hot throughout — add a splash of water if the rice has thickened them. Reheat the egg roll bowl, stir-fry and hash in the deep skillet over medium heat until steaming throughout; the hash crisps again if you leave it undisturbed for the last minute. Reheat the Alfredo pasta gently with a splash of water or cream, stirring, until steaming — hard heat splits the sauce. Cooked ground beef and ground pork leftovers must be steaming hot throughout before serving.
• Freezer: The stuffed cabbage soup, the cabbage and white bean stew and the unstuffed cabbage roll skillet freeze well for up to 3 months in a sealed container; the rice in them softens a little on thawing, which most people will not mind in a soup. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. The hash, egg roll bowl, stir-fry and Alfredo pasta are best eaten fresh or from the fridge, because cabbage and cream sauces lose their texture in the freezer.
• Rice: Leftover rice from recipe 7 should be cooled quickly, refrigerated within 1 hour, kept for no more than 1 day, and reheated until steaming hot throughout — and never reheated more than once.
• Do not reheat twice: Reheat only the portion you will eat, and only once. A dinner that has already been reheated should not be chilled and reheated again.

Easy Swaps & Variations

• Swap the ground meat: ground beef and ground pork swap for each other across recipes 1, 2, 3 and 7 without a time change — cook either to 160°F (71°C). Ground turkey also works in the soup and the unstuffed skillet; check it to 165°F (74°C).
• Red cabbage or Savoy: Savoy cabbage swaps in for green cabbage in every recipe at the same cut and time. Red cabbage works in the hash, the sausage skillet and the stir-fry, but it turns the soup, stew and Alfredo sauce a dusky pink-purple — same dinner, different colour, so pick it for the skillets.
• No rice: the unstuffed skillet can be served over mashed potato instead of cooking rice into it — leave the rice out, cut the stock to ½ cup (120 ml), and simmer the cabbage in the tomato sauce for 15 minutes. The soup stands up without rice too; add an extra handful of chopped cabbage to fill it out.
• Make it hotter or milder: chilli flakes or a chopped fresh chilli stirred into the stir-fry, egg roll bowl or hash at the garlic stage adds heat without changing anything else. Every recipe here is mild as written; the black pepper and paprika are warmth, not heat.
• Smaller or bigger pot: every recipe is written for a large deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven and feeds 4. Halve any recipe for 2 in the same pot — keep the cook times and check meat temperatures as written. Double the soup and stew in the Dutch oven and add 5 minutes to the simmer; do not double the skillets or hash in one pan, because a crowded pan steams instead of browning — cook those in two batches.

FAQs

Can I use a bag of coleslaw mix instead of a whole cabbage?

Yes, in the recipes where the cabbage is cut fine or cooks briefly — egg roll in a bowl is written for it (a 14 oz / 400 g bag), and it also works in the stir-fry if you add 2 minutes to the wilting time for the thicker carrot pieces. For the soup, stew, skillets and hash, a whole cabbage cut into pieces holds its texture better over the longer simmer, and it is cheaper per pound than the bag.

How do I stop cabbage smelling up the kitchen?

Cook it for the time stated and no longer — the strong smell comes from cabbage that has simmered well past tender, not from cabbage itself. Keep a lid on the soup and stew while they simmer, which keeps most of the smell in the pot, and do not leave cooked cabbage sitting warm on the stove; serve it, then cool and refrigerate leftovers promptly as the storage notes say.

Can I make any of these ahead?

The stuffed cabbage soup and the cabbage and white bean stew are the best make-aheads — both keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and reheat well, and the soup also freezes for up to 3 months. The unstuffed skillet can be made a day ahead the same way. The hash, egg roll bowl and Alfredo pasta are best made fresh, because their point is crisp edges and a just-coated sauce, but the cabbage for any recipe can be cut a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.

What kind of cabbage works best for these dinners?

Plain green cabbage is the one these recipes were costed and timed with — it is the cheapest, it holds together in the soup and stew, and it wilts silkily in the Alfredo. Savoy is the closest swap, with the same timings. Avoid very dense late-season heads with thick ribs for the stir-fry and egg roll bowl unless you cut the ribs out and shred the leaves extra fine; a hard rib will still be raw when the ground pork is ready.

Can I make the stuffed cabbage soup in a slow cooker instead?

Yes — brown the beef, onion and garlic in the Dutch oven first as in steps 1–2, then tip everything into the slow cooker with the cabbage, tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and rice and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until the rice is tender and the beef is cooked through to 160°F (74°C). Do not start it with frozen beef, and keep the lid on — lifting it adds 15–20 minutes to the cooking time.

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