Slow Cooker Cabbage Sausage (Print Version)
Cabbage wedges and smoked sausage slow-cooked with butter and chicken broth for rich flavors.
# Ingredients:
Vegetables
01 -
1 medium head green cabbage (approximately 2 to 2.5 pounds), cored and cut into 6 to 8 thick wedges
Meats
02 -
1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Dairy
03 -
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Liquids
04 -
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
# Instructions:
01 -
Remove any tough or damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters through the core, then halve each quarter to create 6 to 8 thick wedges, leaving a portion of the core attached to maintain wedge integrity.
02 -
Place the cabbage wedges in a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker in a snug, single layer, allowing slight overlap as the cabbage will shrink during cooking.
03 -
Distribute the sliced smoked sausage evenly over and among the cabbage wedges, tucking some slices between wedges to ensure flavor integration in each portion.
04 -
Dot the butter pieces evenly over the cabbage and sausage, allowing them to melt during cooking and enrich the broth.
05 -
Pour chicken broth gently around the edges of the slow cooker to avoid washing off the butter, filling to about 1 inch up the sides of the cabbage to create a shallow broth pool.
06 -
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until cabbage is tender, sausage edges are browned, and the mixture rests in a golden savory broth with visible seasoning.
07 -
Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Serve by gently spooning cabbage wedges and sausage into bowls, then ladle buttery broth over before serving warm.
# Notes:
01 -
To preserve the butter’s richness in the broth, pour chicken broth around the slow cooker edges instead of directly onto the ingredients.