Cabbage wedges seared golden, then baked until they go soft and silky in the same creamy sun-dried tomato sauce people love on Marry Me Chicken. One skillet, pantry staples, and a head of cabbage.
Recipe overview
- Serves: 4 as a main (2 wedges each) or 8 as a side
- Hands-on: about 25 minutes of searing and sauce
- Oven: 400°F, 30 minutes covered, then 20 to 30 minutes uncovered
- Done when: a knife slides through the core and the sauce is thick and bubbling
- Make it dinner: stir in cooked bacon, ham or shredded chicken
Plain cabbage has a reputation for being the thing nobody fights over. Here you sear the wedges until the edges brown and sweeten, then let them bake in a garlicky cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan until a fork goes through like butter.
It's the same flavor idea as our Marry Me Chicken, just on a vegetable that costs a lot less. Serve it as a side, or add a little cooked meat and call it supper.
What is melting cabbage?
Melting cabbage is cabbage cut into thick wedges, browned in a hot pan, then baked in liquid until it turns tender all the way through. The browning gives you sweet, toasty edges. The long bake does the “melting.”
The Marry Me version swaps plain broth for a creamy sauce built on sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan. The cabbage soaks it up as it bakes. If you like that sauce, it works on fish too; try our Marry Me Salmon.
How to keep the wedges from falling apart
Leave the core on. Cut straight down through the core so every wedge gets a little piece of it. That core is what holds the leaves together while they sear and soften.
For wedges that hold their shape
- Cut through the core, never around it.
- Sear in batches so the pan stays hot and the wedges brown instead of steam.
- Flip once, gently, with a wide spatula or tongs.
Live Eat Learn shows the Marry Me melting cabbage method in this video.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Marry Me melting cabbage
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For the cabbage
For the sauce
Swap: Vegetable broth keeps it meatless. If you don't have oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soak dry ones in hot water for 10 minutes, drain them, and use plain olive oil in the sauce.
Adapted from Live Eat Learn's Marry Me Melting Cabbage.
How to make Marry Me melting cabbage
The searing and sauce take about 25 minutes at the stove. After that, the oven does the work.
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- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the wedges. Cut the cabbage in half through the core, then cut each half into 4 wedges, keeping a piece of core on each one.
- Sear. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe skillet, such as a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (paid link). Sear the wedges in batches, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden. Sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon salt from the cabbage list and set them on a plate.
- Start the sauce. Lower the heat to medium. Add the tomato oil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Make it creamy. Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth, then stir in the cream and Parmesan. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Nestle the wedges. Nestle the wedges back into the sauce and spoon some over the tops.
- Bake. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, until a knife slides easily through the core and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
- Rest and top. Let it rest 5 minutes. Top with more Parmesan and the herbs.
If the sauce looks thin at the end, bake it uncovered 5 more minutes (our estimate). If the tops brown before the cores are tender, lay the foil back on loosely.
The whole recipe runs in one pan, so the pan has to be big and oven-safe. A tri-ply stainless 12-inch skillet holds all eight wedges in one layer for the bake and is rated oven-safe well past 400°F. Stainless needs a little more oil than cast iron to keep the wedges from sticking. If your skillet is smaller, pour the finished sauce into a 9×13 baking dish, nestle the wedges in, and bake as written.
- 12-Inch Fry Pan: Spacious design for family cooking. Generously sized for cooking larger meals...
- Tri-Ply Clad Construction: Features an aluminum core for even heat distribution and precise cooking...
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How to turn it into dinner
The cabbage is filling on its own, but a little cooked meat makes it a full supper. Stir one of these into the sauce in step 5, before the wedges go back in:
- Crumbled cooked bacon
- Diced cooked ham
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
Serve it with crusty bread for the sauce, or spoon it over rice or egg noodles. For more ways to stretch a head of cabbage, see our cabbage recipes on a budget.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in a covered container. The USDA says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and should be reheated to 165°F.
To reheat, Live Eat Learn warms it covered in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low heat with a splash of broth. We don't recommend freezing it, because the cream sauce can separate.
The first time you make it, test one wedge with a knife before you pull the pan. When it slides through the core with no push, dinner is ready.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you sear the cabbage before baking it?
Searing browns the cut sides, which makes the cabbage taste sweeter and a little nutty. Without it, the wedges just steam in the sauce. Sear in batches so the pan stays hot.
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
You can, but heavy cream is the safer choice for a long bake. Lighter dairy is more likely to break or turn grainy in a hot oven. The cream cheese helps hold the sauce together either way.
Can I make marry me melting cabbage ahead of time?
Yes. Sear the wedges and make the sauce up to a day ahead, then store them separately in the fridge. When you're ready, nestle the wedges in the sauce and bake as written, adding a few extra minutes if it goes in cold.
Why did my cabbage wedges fall apart?
Usually the core was cut away, or the wedges were flipped more than once. Cut straight through the core so each wedge keeps a piece of it. Flip once with a wide spatula.
Is marry me melting cabbage vegetarian?
It can be. Use vegetable broth and skip the meat add-ins. Some Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so check the label if that matters to you.
What size skillet do I need?
A large oven-safe skillet, about 12 inches, fits a medium head of cabbage in one layer. If yours is smaller, sear in the skillet, then pour the sauce into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, nestle the wedges in, and bake as written.
Is this the same sauce as Marry Me Chicken?
It's built on the same flavors: garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cream and Parmesan. This version adds cream cheese, which helps the sauce stay thick and creamy through the long bake.
Settle This: Is Melting Cabbage a Main Dish or a Side?
As a main, two wedges and some bread make a cozy, cheap supper. As a side, it goes well next to roast chicken or pork chops. Adding bacon or ham splits the difference.
Pick your side.
Why did you vote that way? Drop your take in the comments.
