Scalloped cabbage
Instructions:
- Vegetable oil spray:
- 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, divided;
- 1 large onion, chopped;
- 1 bell pepper, cored and chopped;
- 1 medium green cabbage, quartered, cored, and thinly shredded (about 12 cups);
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water;
- 5 tablespoons instant or all-purpose flour;
- 11⁄2 cups milk;
- 2⁄3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterey.
- Jack cheese:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt;
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper;
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg;
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs;
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mist the inside of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with the spray.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and stock. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes; do not let the flour brown. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over the cabbage and mix well. Scrape into the prepared baking dish.
- Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter in a small bowl and sprinkle over the cabbage mixture. Bake until the crumbs are browned and the cabbage is bubbly around the edges, about 35 minutes. The dish will be like hot lava straight from the oven, so let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.