Garlic Roasted Cabbage "Steaks"

Don't wait to try this!
Photos (c) 2014 ~ Stephanie Miller

Two words:  Ah. Mazing.

I think I may yet become a cabbage fan if I can find more cabbage recipes like this one.  I'm not usually a fan of cabbage, but this rendition is wonderful!

Similar recipes have been popping up on my Facebook and Pinterest feeds all weekend long.  At first, I was grossed out.  Ick.  Cabbage.  After a few more views, I was intrigued.  Eventually, I clicked on the link.

I started searching out more recipes for the same.  I noticed some basic similarities to the roasted broccoli recipe we love.  I combined several of the recipes I found, and this is what I came up with: SUCCESS!  My 4 and 5 year old daughters loved it (not at first sight, but once they tasted it anyway!), and my husband liked it as well.

(I have to mention a love for the really roasted outside leaves.  Weird, I know, but the caramelized flavor plus the lacy, melt on your tongue texture had me slightly addicted to eating all those pieces before putting them on my family's plate.)

Garlic Roasted Cabbage "Steaks"
1 head of cabbage
1/4 cup of olive oil
minced garlic, to taste
cracked black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage as they usually aren't so pretty.  Stand the cabbage up on its "base" -- the core.  Cut straight down from the top through the core so you have two halves.  Take those halves and cut those into two or three "steak-like" pieces each.  It just depends on the size of the head of cabbage.  I had a total of 4 "steaks."

Lay on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush with olive oil.   Depending upon your love of garlic, put 1-2 cloves of minced garlic on each "steak."  Sprinkle with pepper and salt.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.  Turn the "steak" over and repeat with olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt.  Bake for another 20-30 minutes.  When they are done (nice and roasted and soft), sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.  (And who wouldn't desire?!)



Some recipes of other cooks used roasted garlic (I didn't have time to roast my garlic), some used garlic salt or garlic powder.  Some did not use the cheese, while others did.  One used butter instead of olive oil.  This is very flexible recipe, and the beauty of it is you end up with a wonderfully roasted, complexly flavored, non-smelly side dish.