Ms. Angela's Smothered Cabbage Recipe

Ms. Angela's Smothered Cabbage Recipe

Cook Time: 25 minutes

This simple, hearty dish combines ground pork with cabbage and Creole seasoning for a delicious one-pan meal. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, its flavorful and easy to make!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (such as Tony Cachere's)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 head cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
  • (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL), or more to taste

Directions

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, green bell pepper, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add the ground pork to the pot. Season with Creole seasoning and salt. Continue cooking, breaking up the pork with a spoon, until the meat is browned, about 5-7 minutes. Do not drain any excess fat from the pot.

Step 3: Arrange the chopped cabbage over the browned pork mixture, then top with the diced tomatoes (including the juice). Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Step 4: Allow the mixture to cook, undisturbed, for 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage has wilted and softened. Stir gently, taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.

Cook's Notes

  • You can substitute ground beef for the ground pork if preferred.
  • If you like extra tomato flavor, feel free to use the entire can of RO*TEL.
  • If not using Tony Cachere's seasoning, be sure to adjust the salt to taste.

Nutrition Facts

Each serving (1/6th of the recipe) contains approximately:

  • Calories: 263
  • Total Fat: 16g (20% DV)
  • Saturated Fat: 5g (24% DV)
  • Cholesterol: 49mg (16% DV)
  • Sodium: 431mg (19% DV)
  • Total Carbohydrate: 16g (6% DV)
  • Dietary Fiber: 6g (21% DV)
  • Total Sugars: 8g
  • Protein: 17g (33% DV)
  • Vitamin C: 91mg (101% DV)
  • Calcium: 102mg (8% DV)
  • Iron: 2mg (10% DV)
  • Potassium: 626mg (13% DV)

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Comments

France Cevallos

10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM

This was really good! I've never made or had smothered cabbage before, so I was up for something new tonight. This fit the bill! I used the full can of Rotel, since a half can didn't seem like enough. I also cooked it an extra 10 mins, since some pieces of cabbage weren't quite done yet. Perfectly seasoned with just a hint of heat. A great one pot meal for a busy night!

Brittany Stonecypher

10/05/2019 07:10:55 PM

I do keto and love trying new cabbage recipes. I used ground Italian sausage. I also tossed in a couple of handfuls of fresh mushrooms and used the whole can of rotel. I sautéed the chopped onion and bell pepper in my instant pot. I did everything the same except after tossing the tomato’s over the cabbage, I gave it a good stir and pressure cooked it for 2 minutes and done a quick release. It is very good! Will make again.

BlueMango4127

07/11/2023 09:56:10 PM

So good so simple so easy. Comfort food. I changed some things: added carrots instead of green pepper, subbed greek seasoning for creole, cut cabbage smaller, used tomato sauce instead of tomatoes, added chili sauce (home canned) and stirred it together a few times after adding cabbage. Delicious. Would be good with beef or turkey/chicken too I think.

Rickys Wife

01/24/2022 07:46:26 PM

This was delicious! I used one pound of bulk Italian sausage instead of plain ground pork and like others the whole can of rotelle tomatoes. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch today. Will definitely make again. ??

Shaw Kitty

03/01/2019 03:55:10 AM

Comforting on a cool evening. This was easy and quick to put together on a weeknight after a full day of work. As suggested by some, I did use a full can of Rotel and it really needed it, in my opinion. I used 1# of ground sirloin and half a package of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage for the meat. Two other family members gave a thumb's up. Not too high on calories or carbs either.

Julia Smith

01/30/2020 09:07:06 PM

Used ground beef instead of pork and whole can of Rotel. Very good with cornbread.

DreamyWheat9667

06/20/2025 02:50:18 AM

This was awesome! My teenagers really liked it. I really leaned into the “or more” on the rotel and put two full cans one hot and one mild and the spice level was perfect for us. I didn’t measure but probably also put a lot more seasoning in than it calls for but that’s us with all dishes we like heavy seasoning. It made a ton but I was really surprised how much of it we ate. I grilled some kielbasa on the side for my picky younger kids and I mixed it in with cabbage that was super good would be a good addition or substitution for the ground pork but I loved it as written!

Gabrielle Larco

05/16/2025 12:01:41 AM

Very good! I made it with ground turkey. I added more spice creole seasoning, a little bit of garlic salt, and added a full can of Rotel. I like spicy so I added some red pepper flakes as well. My partner and I loved it.

Alyssa Mogil

02/11/2019 04:47:29 AM

Yum! I love pork and cabbage but this arrangement was new for me. I did make some minor modifications - I used the whole can of tomato and pepper, doubled the Creole seasoning and added two chopped apples to complement the spiciness of the seasoning increase. Yum!

RowdyLemon2730

02/01/2025 10:30:56 PM

This was so good - we zipped up with a extra roasted chili peppers, easy good and pretty healthy too!

William Baker

05/12/2025 12:08:50 AM

My stomach is screaming yes.

Annette

04/14/2024 09:50:42 PM

I make this about once a month. The whole family likes it!

Susan C

04/04/2023 12:01:48 AM

Very yummy and easy to make. I'm not a big fan of heat so I will cut the Creole seasoning in 1/2.

pbcbears

12/08/2022 05:18:43 PM

We loved this. So easy to make. I did first stir-fry cubed potatoes to make it an entire meal. My husband had seconds and though it is supposed to serve 6, we finished it all.

hendricksvicki2

02/18/2022 06:40:17 PM

We absolutely loved IT

Sally Zimmer

04/01/2020 02:12:36 AM

We love cabbage so I made this for the two of us and we absolutely love it! I use a lot of cabbage so we have leftovers which are the best after sitting all night in the fridge. I used the full can of the tomatoes and it worked!

Mmorphew

02/27/2020 10:50:53 PM

Loved it! I like a little more heat so I used diced tomatoes with hahabaneros. Other than that, wouldn’t change a thing!

Allrecipes Member

02/09/2020 11:48:09 PM

My friend said it brought back special memories and he suggested I make it every single day!

RosyChai2355

02/09/2020 11:48:09 PM

My friend said it brought back special memories and he suggested I make it every single day!