caesar roasted cabbage

I don't know about you, but I can never seem to use up a whole head of cabbage. Even if I buy the smallest cabbage that I can find (as I did for the chicken yakisoba), it seems to multiply in volume by about ten when I cut it up!

Well, I saw this recipe over at Kalyn's Kitchen a couple of weeks ago and thought it looked insanely delicious (the amazing photos helped, I'm sure). As I've said many times, roasting vegetables takes them from delicious to spectacular. The edges get all crispy and caramelized and the flavor in general just gets more sweet and intense. Or, in other words, they get "yumified."

I also noticed that I had about five bottles of left over salad dressing in my fridge (all the same type, how does that happen?) so I decided to use some of it up. I simply brushed the dressing on the cabbage wedges, threw it in the oven, and in about 30-40 minutes, I had some of the best cabbage I've ever had. I swear, the oven is some sort of magical box that transforms bad things into good.




Total Recipe cost: $3.80
Servings Per Recipe: 6-8 (depending on the size of your cabbage and how many wedges you cut)
Cost per serving: $0.63 (for six servings)
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 35 min. Total time: 45 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 head	green cabbage	$0.81
8 oz.	caesar dressing (not creamy)	$2.99
TOTAL		$3.81

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Rinse under cool water and shake as much excess water from the cabbage as possible.

STEP 2: Cut the cabbage into wedges, leaving the stem/core intact (this will hold the wedges together during roasting). Place the wedges on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush the dressing onto all sides of the cabbage wedges, even the bottom.

STEP 3: Let the cabbage roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the wedges and your desired doneness. About half way through (15-20 minutes in), remove the cabbage and carefully turn wedges over to allow them to roast on the other side (tongs work best). The cabbage should be tender and brown and crispy on the outer edges.

Step By Step Photos

I had half of a small head of cabbage left over. I cut it into six wedges. Larger cabbage can probably be cut into 8 wedges per side (16 wedges total, 2 wedges per serving). Try to include some of the core in each wedge so that it holds together during roasting.


This is the dressing that I used. NOTE: this is NOT a creamy caesar dressing, it's more like a vinaigrette.


Brush the dressing onto all sides of each wedge. Let it get all down into the cracks and crevices between the leaves.


Roast the cabbage in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping the wedges half way through. I had planned on cooking mine for 40 minutes, so I flipped them at 20 minutes, which is when this photo was taken.


I found that the cabbage only needed about 10 more minutes. The time the cabbage needs to roast will depend on the size of the wedges. It should be fairly tender and have browned, crispy edges. That super dark/burned stuff is not the cabbage itself, but the dressing that seeped out onto the foil. The cabbage was not burned.

Sure wish I had gotten some gorgeous photos like Kalyn's!