Give Cabbage The Mac And Cheese Treatment For 10x More Flavor

Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort meal for a reason. Warm, savory, and oh-so cheesy, the beloved pasta dish remains a staple on menus throughout the United States and around the world. While you can't go wrong with the dish as is, adding veggies is always a smart move. Rather than opening a box of pasta, give cabbage the mac and cheese treatment for a healthy and cozy meal that is loaded with cheesy goodness.

To make the dish, start out with your go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. Instead of cooking pasta, chop up a head of cabbage into bite-sized pieces, and saute them in some butter before combining them with your cheese sauce. You can experiment with this concept by baking the cabbage with cheese or preparing a flavorful one-pot dish on the stovetop. If you're not quite convinced to eliminate the pasta entirely, you can still incorporate cabbage in the comforting dish. Just prepare the mac and cheese as usual and add about half a head of cabbage for every pound of pasta.

Once you've mastered the basics, you can get creative with additional ingredients that will boost the flavor of the cheesy cabbage dish. Cooking cabbage reduces the bitter, peppery taste the vegetable has when eaten raw, and instead gives it a very mild and subtly sweet flavor. It also helps the cabbage better absorb other flavors, making it a great canvas for interesting combinations. 

Cabbage isn't the only veggie that benefits from being treated like pasta — so many vegetables could be added to the cabbage for more variety in the taste, texture, and nutritional benefits of this cabbage mac and cheese. Chop up a head of cauliflower, blanche it for a few minutes, then, saute it alongside your cabbage. Or go green by using anything from broccoli florets to Brussels sprouts. 

The dairy and protein in this dish can be customized too. Play around with different cheese blends in your mac and cheese to add saltiness and umami, which will enhance the cabbage's natural earthy taste. Or top the finished dish with French fried onions for a crispy garnish to add some textural contrast to the tender cabbage. You could even add in some protein, like smoky bacon, pulled pork, or Buffalo chicken, all of which will provide even more delicious flavor for the cabbage to soak up. With so many options for this delicious veggie-forward dish, you'll find yourself reaching for a head of cabbage any time a mac and cheese craving hits.