Last Updated on 10/13/2008

Published on 5/20/2008

By Teresa Taylor

ttaylor@postandcourier.com

"Cabbage as a food has problems," the late British food writer Jane Grigson once said. "It can smell foul in the pot, linger through the house with pertinacity, and ruin a meal with its wet flab. Cabbage also has a nasty history of being good for you."

As far back as the first century, the Greeks were using cabbage as a digestive remedy, joint tonic and for skin problems and fever, according to "The Food Encyclopedia" (Robert Rose, 2006).

What we've learned since then is that cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables contain two potent cancer-fighting phytochemicals: indoles that help metabolize estrogen and thus protect against breast cancer, and isothiocyanates, which help the body detoxify carcinogens.

Furthermore, people who eat a lot of cabbage have been linked with lower rates of colon cancer.

So cabbage is good for you -- and cheap, too.

Dot Butler of Yonges Island asked for cabbage casserole recipes because her son loves them. Apparently, he's not alone.

Admittedly, casseroles usually have add-ins that detract from the nutritional benefits of the vegetables in them.

Remember that steamed or lightly sautéed cabbage is pretty tasty on its own.

Judy Oken of Meggett e-mailed this casserole recipe:

Sunday Cabbage Casserole

1 medium cabbage, cut up

1 medium onion diced or sliced

Salt to taste

1 can diced or sliced water chestnuts

1 small jar pimientos, drained

1 can cream of celery soup

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can French-fried onions

In a pot of water, cook cabbage with onion and salt to taste until barely tender.

Drain cabbage and onion and put in greased casserole dish. Top with water chestnuts and pimientos.

Heat cream of celery soup and cheese and pour over casserole. Top with the French-fried onion rings.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until the casserole is hot and bubbling.

Jennifer Miller of Charleston shares a recipe from the "Dillard House Cookbook."

"You may know about the Dillard House in Dillard, Ga., already but it is a wonderful piece of 'how it used to be.' It now has its own Web site but still retains country charm. We found it by accident years ago and love to return whenever we're near that area. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served family-style.

"There are more dishes on your table than you can imagine!"

Yes, Jennifer, I do know the Dillard House. When I was a college student in Athens, Ga., we often would drive to the mountains for something to do over the weekend. Somehow, we managed to scrape up enough money to eat at the Dillard House a few times. The Dillard House was heaven for hungry students away from home.

Cabbage Casserole

1 large head cabbage

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick margarine

3 cups Basic White Sauce (recipe below)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups buttered bread crumbs

Shred cabbage.

Cook 5 to 9 minutes in boiling water with salt. Don't overcook -- cabbage should remain crisp. Drain.

Layer in buttered 2-quart casserole: 1/2 of cabbage, enough white sauce to cover, remaining cabbage, remaining white sauce, cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Basic White Sauce

1 cup margarine

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 quart milk

Melt margarine in saucepan and add flour, salt and pepper to taste, and make a paste. Add milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly.

Virginia Easterling of Charleston mailed a couple of recipes clipped from this newspaper in years past.

This one is a slightly different take. A variation I've seen on it uses cream of celery soup instead of mushroom.

Cabbage Casserole

1 medium head of cabbage, chopped

1/4 of a green pepper

Salt

1 stick margarine, melted

Half a small package of Pepperidge Farm herbed stuffing

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Boil cabbage and green pepper in salted water for 15 minutes; drain.

In a bowl, pour melted margarine over dressing and stir to combine.

In a 4-quart casserole, layer half of the dressing, then half the cabbage, half the soup and half the cheese. Make a second set of layers of the remaining cabbage, soup and cheese, then end with remaining dressing.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

"This recipe was passed to me by a friend in Moncks Corner who is an extraordinary cook," writes Sara Dwyer of Charleston.

"I love stuffed peppers/cabbage, and this is a very easy version that makes a very large casserole. My husband does the majority of the cooking in our household -- he is excellent at it -- and he enjoys this dish very much."

Sara says the leftovers freeze well.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

1 medium head of cabbage

2 pounds lean hamburger

1 onion, diced

1 1/2 cups raw rice

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

1 quart whole or stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 can tomato soup

1 soup can of water

Cut cabbage in bite-size pieces. Cook cabbage in small amount of water until crisp-tender.

Put half of the cabbage in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish that has been lightly buttered or coated with non-stick cooking spray. Scatter the uncooked hamburger over the cabbage.

Sprinkle the onion over the hamburger. Sprinkle the rice over the onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Break up the tomatoes and pour over the hamburger mixture. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/2 tablespoon of the sugar.

Place remaining cabbage on top.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the sugar over the cabbage.

Mix the soup and 1 can of water in a small saucepan and heat. Pour over the cabbage.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

If you're looking for a recipe or have one to share, reach Teresa Taylor at 843-937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.