Hearty potatoes, cabbage, sweet onions, salty cheddar and fresh
thyme, with a dollop of sour cream—can you think of a cozier side
dish?
inspiration
I know for a fact that I am not alone when I say sometimes I plan a specific dinner and then don’t want to make it. On one particular midweek night I was supposed to make the hands-off, tried-and-true classic baked potatoes, but I got home from work late and they take forever to bake in the oven. I rummaged around my fridge and came up with an assortment of leftover ingredients that needed using. Besides, was in the mood to some real (but still light) cooking. I wanted the steam and sizzle of oil in my shiny cast iron skillet, the smell of cooking onions. Sure, it was a Wednesday, but it was cold and rainy and I had nothing better to do.
I’m always on a real cabbage kick in the winter (you can find last year’s cabbage recipe here) so I usually have some floating around my vegetable drawer and I hate to let it go to waste. Besides, pretty much any vegetable can be paired with potatoes.
why i love this recipe
Snowy, foggy winter nights call for something hot and filling, and this is perfect. While it makes a simple, serviceable dinner, it works best as a side dish. It would be lovely next to some roast chicken or beef or pork. With some bread and butter or roasted carrots. Or all of it, honestly, if you’re in the mood for a Really Proper Dinner. Potato hash with cabbage and cheddar is also simple—it doesn’t call for very many ingredients or anything expensive. You probably already have a few things on hand.
And seriously, who doesn’t like a good potato-and-cheese side dish? There are endless different versions of that pairing for a reason. Might as well add another one to your arsenal!
details
I considered frying the potatoes in the same pan as the cabbage and onions, but in the end, it was a lot more time-efficient to roast them. That way you can get the other vegetables cooking while the potatoes roast. Roasting potatoes is very easy—all you need is olive oil, salt, pepper, and a baking sheet. You can use foil if you want easy clean-up but the potatoes won’t get as brown. Just toss the cubed potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them for 20-30 minutes at 425F. Every oven is different, so check the potatoes at 20 minutes and go from there.
The cabbage-onion mixture is also easy. You’ll just heat up some olive oil in a pan—I use cast iron, but use whatever you have—and cook the cabbage and onion down until they’re both soft and browning. I love watching this process. It always smells good and seems a little like magic. A little bit of apple cider vinegar added at the end brightens the flavors.
Once you add in the potatoes, you’re almost done. Broiling the cheese takes a couple of minutes at most, so don’t walk away! Thyme brings an earthy, herby, Irish countryside vibe, and tangy sour cream is a must.
notes
Here are a few notes to help you make this dish successfully:
potatoes: I recommend russet here, but another type like red or Yukon would work if that’s what you have! Keep in mind they’ll have a different texture.
cheese: I used regular old sharp cheddar, but mozzarella, provolone, or muenster would also be good here. Or, even better, a good smoked cheddar.
onion: I used yellow but white would also be good. Red will work in a pinch but will have a sweeter, milder flavor.
thyme: I like the flavor thyme gives here, but another fresh herb like chives or parsley would also be great.
sour cream: If you’re not a fan, use whatever alternative you usually choose, such as Greek yogurt.
I hope you love potato hash with cabbage and cheddar. Need more wintery recipes? Try grilled pb & j with cinnamon honey butter, everything chicken, broccoli & cheese bake, and dutch oven dublin coddle.
potato hash with cabbage & cheddar
Ingredients
Method
- Roast potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425F. If you haven’t already, thoroughly wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Chop them into (roughly) 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubed potatoes with a generous amount of olive oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast them for 20-30 minutes, or until they’re browned on the outside and soft in the middle. You can toss them halfway through, if you want, but you don’t have to.
- Cook the onion-cabbage mixture.While the potatoes are roasting, chop the onion into large dice and the cabbag einto rough strips or squares. How large is up to you, but keep in mind that the bigger the cabbage, the longer it takes for it to cook. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and browning. Add cabbage and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until browning in some places, another 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in apple cider vinegar.
- Combine. Remove 1 tsp of thyme leaves from the stem. Add potatoes and most of the thyme to the onion-cabbage mixture. Gently toss it all together. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil under high heat for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Sprinkle the rest of thyme over the hash and serve warm, with sour cream
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