It’s been a minute, but I’ve got a new recipe to share, and it’s taken our family by storm. This Chicken and Cabbage “Alfredo” is seriously one of the easiest and most delicious things I’ve cooked in a LONG time.
It all started when…. I harvested our first cabbage of the year! We grow a decent size garden (at least for our backyard), and are working towards growing more and more of our own food each year. This year we’re growing a bunch more cabbages, beans, tomatoes, and squash, with the hopes of preserving some for winter!
All that to say, when you’ve got a lot of something it tends to force you to get a little creative. And while I love the traditional sauteed cabbage with bacon and onions (you just can’t go wrong with that!), my friend Sara told me about a cabbage dish she made that tasted like fettucine alfredo, and I just had to put my own spin on it!
What’s so great about cabbage?
Cabbage, in addition to being super tasty (and the start of one of my FAVORITE things: sauerkraut), is really great for you! It’s got lots of fiber which helps aid in digestion. It’s also an anti-inflammatory food. So it can actually help joint pain, stomach issues, and other inflammation-related problems. Lastly, it’s super filling but low calorie, which is great for weight management. My family and I love eating food. But we also love being healthy. So anything we can eat a lot of that isn’t going to put us over the edge calorie-wise is a winner in our books!
Can I Make this Dairy Free?
Absolutely! I am sure any dairy free milk or cream would work great, although the taste might change a tad. If you have trouble with the sauce thickening, you can always use a little xantham gum. But be careful, a little goes a long way with that stuff.
Ingredients
Like I said, this is one of the easiest recipes I’ve cooked in a long time. Things come together quickly, it’s all in one pot (one of my favorite things :)), and you can personalize it however you want!
The main ingredients are chicken breast and cabbage. Like I said before, cabbage is really filling, so I only used a half a head to cook this meal. Which meant we got to make it all over again the next night! I also added some zucchini and patty pan squash because, you guessed it, it was fresh from the garden. I think they were a phenomenal addition, but they aren’t necessary by any means.
The other important ingredient is heavy cream. That’s what makes the “alfredo” sauce, even though there’s no cheese in this dish. If you have access to some raw cream I’m sure that would make this even more rich and delicious, but regular whipping cream from the grocery store works just fine.
How to Make Chicken and Cabbage “Alfredo”
Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat and add your avocado oil.
Cut your chicken into 1/2 inch strips, and saute until brown on all sides. It doesn’t need to be all the way cooked, because you’ll finish cooking it when you simmer at the end.
Once your chicken is browned on all sides, remove it from your skillet and set it aside until the end.
Time for the veggies! Add a bit more oil if necessary, and add cabbage and onions to saute. Stir often, so the onions begin to sweat and the cabbage starts to cook down. You can add a dash of salt here to help bring out the moisture in the cabbage and onions.
Once the cabbage is starting to cook down and the onions are translucent, add sliced zucchini and patty pan squash. Saute until just tender.
Add in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Depending on how saucy you like things, you may want to use closer to 1/3 cup. Let your eyes be your guide.
Add chicken back into the skillet with cabbage, onions, and squash. Stir to combine.
Add some more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
Chicken Cabbage “Alfredo”
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch strips
- 1 lb green cabbage (I only used a 1/2 head of my cabbage
- 1 medium zucchini (7-8 inches long), sliced
- 1 medium patty pan squash, sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1/4-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium high heat and add your avocado oil. Cut your chicken into 1/2 inch strips, and saute until brown on all sides. It doesn’t need to be all the way cooked, because you’ll finish cooking it when you simmer at the end.
- Once chicken is browned on all sides, remove and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil if necessary, and add cabbage and onions to saute. Stir often, so the onions begin to sweat and the cabbage starts to cook down. You can add a dash of salt here to help bring out the moisture in the cabbage and onions.
- Once cabbage is starting to cook down and onions are translucent, add sliced zucchini and patty pan squash. Saute until just tender.
- Add in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Depending on how saucy you like things, you may want to use closer to 1/3 cup. Let your eyes be your guide.
- Add chicken back into the skillet with cabbage, onions, and squash. Stir to combine.
- Add some more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
- Dig in!
What do you think?
I’d love to hear what you thought of this chicken cabbage alfredo! Did you have some cabbages in your garden ready to be harvested? Or did you need a quick tasty dinner recipe? Let me know in the comments below, and tag me in any photos on Instagram @sweetgumspot. Happy cooking!