Cost Cutting Cabbage Casserole

"Kaalilaatikko" elevates humble ingredients into a hearty, budget-friendly dish

At this point, we all have noticed the drastic increase in prices at the grocery store. Only a few years ago, it seemed $100 could buy a whole cart full of ingredients, and today I feel like I walk away spending the same for just a few bags.

I have found one of the best ways to learn how to stretch a dollar is to look to the past. The generations before us built the backbone of traditional cuisines entirely on finding ways to make even the most humble ingredients shine. This recipe for Kaalilaatikko, or Cabbage Casserole, has become one of my favorites.

In fact, cabbage has become quite the trendy ingredient lately. What kale or cauliflower was in years past, cabbage is today. Of course, it has always been around. Waiting patiently in the produce section for St. Patrick’s Day or maybe a summer coleslaw. The truth is, there’s no reason cabbage shouldn’t be on a more frequent rotation in our meal planning. It is incredibly nutritious, packed with fiber, and costs mere pennies. This particular cabbage was selling for 69 cents a pound at my grocery store this week. Quite a bargain considering how many meals a giant head can provide.

When making my family’s version of Finnish cabbage casserole, I start by shredding the cabbage until I have 10 cups. That’s about 2 pounds of cabbage. Any remainder keeps well in the refrigerator for another dish.

Then I boil it in a large pot of salted water, almost like you are cooking pasta. After about 5 minutes, the cabbage is nice and tender, and it can be drained and set aside until it joins the rest of the dish.

Meanwhile, in that same large Dutch oven, brown 1 pound of ground beef along with 2 cups of chopped onion. The beef is the most expensive ingredient in this family meal (I paid $6.99 a pound), but you will see how far that small amount of meat is stretched to serve a crowd.

Uncooked short-grain rice goes into the same pot, once again, to bulk up the casserole and stretch the dish even further. Short grain rice works well, and I was taught to make this with porridge rice. It is seasoned with salt, marjoram, white pepper, and a couple of tablespoons of my secret ingredient, dark syrup. (Have you bought a bottle yet? This is also in my favorite recipe for Slice Cookies!)

Next, 3 cups of whole milk are added to the pot. This liquid makes the casserole rich, boosts the protein, and cooks the rice when everything goes in the oven. I haven’t tried this with 2% or skim milk, but I imagine it wouldn’t be as good.

Don’t even ask me if you can make it with non-dairy milk unless you want the ghosts of my ancestors to haunt you. Remember, this recipe originated at a dairy farm!

Then it’s time to add the par-cooked cabbage back in, and finally everything is transferred to a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

That’s it, now the oven does the rest of the work. The casserole bakes at 350 for an hour or so, until it is beautifully browned and bubbly.

Traditionally, the casserole is served with a few spoonfuls of lingonberry sauce on the side. This might sound odd at first, but the sweet and savory just play well together here. If you have ever enjoyed meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam at IKEA, it’s the same idea.