True comfort food.
Every time I sit down to write a recipe introduction, I ask myself, “why this recipe?” Why did I create this, why should people make this, why this food?
I could spend an hour describing several different reasons why you should make these quesadillas—and they would all be true!—but the truth is, I made them because I was craving cheesy cabbage and sausage.
Rich, cheesy cabbage and juicy sausage tucked into crisp, buttery tortillas and served with a side of creamy mustard sauce . . . these cabbage and kielbasa quesadillas are everything I want on a cold winter day. The buttery, crunchy tortilla contrasts perfectly with the creamy cabbage, while the tang of the mustard perfectly complements the savory kielbasa. True comfort food.
Like most great comfort food, the cabbage filling for these quesadillas takes a little extra time—at least 30 minutes of braising on the stove before it breaks down into that rich, melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. Fortunately, it keeps well, so you can make a large batch and store it in the refrigerator for several days . . . which means that a quesadilla is less than ten minutes away whenever you’re craving it!
On winter days when the apartment is so cold that I’m literally walking around in my bathrobe, all I want for lunch is warm, cheesy goodness—and when that craving hits, there’s nothing better than these quesadillas. Try them—I think you’ll agree!
Enjoy!
Cheesy Cabbage and Kielbasa Quesadillas
(Serves 4)
For the cabbage and kielbasa filling:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ pound kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1 ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
½ yellow onion, sliced thinly crosswise
¼ green cabbage, sliced thinly
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the mustard dipping sauce:
4 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/8 tsp paprika
For assembly:
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Method
For the cabbage and kielbasa filling:
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced kielbasa in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Lower heat to medium and add onions and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 7-9 minutes (the onions should caramelized without getting crispy or darkening too much). Add sliced cabbage and ½ teaspoon kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until the cabbage is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain to remove excess liquid. Wipe out the pan.
For the mustard dipping sauce:
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, whole grain mustard, kosher salt, and paprika. Set aside.
To assemble:
Butter one side of each tortilla with ½ tablespoon softened butter. Stack tortillas in pairs, butter sides together (the bottom tortilla’s unbuttered side should touch the work surface while the top tortilla’s unbuttered side faces up). Sprinkle top tortillas with half the shredded cheese (2 tablespoons each) and spread about 1/3 cup cabbage filling over each. Top with kielbasa and remaining cheese.
Heat pan over medium heat. Working one at a time, lift the top tortilla off each tortilla pair and lower, butter-side-down, into the preheated pan. Top with bottom tortilla, butter-side-up. Cook until browned on the bottom, 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until tortilla is browned, the cheese is melted, and the filling is heated through, 2 minutes longer.
Serve with dipping sauce.
Originally posted January 23, 2022.