Cabbage & Kielbasa Skillet

Continuing the theme in March, we'll consider this a tad Irish since there is cabbage in the recipe even though the pierogies make it Polish. This is another recipe I learned from my mother-in-law. There are no "measurements" so I looked up a few recipes and added the measurements I thought were close to the correct amounts.

Cabbage & Kielbasa Skillet

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1 box frozen potato & cheese pierogies

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp oil

1 small onion

1 medium head of cabbage

1 1/2 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage (light works well)
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1. Slice or coarse chop onions. Slice kielbasa and set aside.

2. Quarter and core the cabbage, then slice it into shredded cabbage. Place in large microwavable bowl.

3. Add 1/2 cup water and cover (not air tight) with paper towel, plate or an off-set lid. Place bowl in microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking at 2 minute intervals (stirring in between) until cabbage is tender. CAUTION: steam is very hot and can cause burns! Meanwhile . . .

4. Saute onion in large skillet with butter and oil until tender. (Tip: Adding a little oil to the butter when sauteing keeps the butter from burning.)

5. Add sliced kielbasa to skillet and heat/brown. (Are you still checking on the cabbage in the microwave?)

6. Add frozen pierogies to the skillet and cook according to package directions (5-7 minutes?). You can also remove onions and kielbasa first. (I usually pour them into a dish or bowl.) This will give pierogies more of an opportunity to brown and pick up the bits at the bottom of the skillet.

7. After cabbage has softened and pierogies have been cooked, add cabbage (and any liquid), kielbasa and onions to the skillet. Stir, cover and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve warm.
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NOTE: You can always boil the pierogies according to direction and toss them in at the end. We prefer to brown them in the pan for more flavor. You can also cook the cabbage in the pan instead of steaming it in the microwave or a stove-top steamer. After Step 4, add the uncooked cabbage, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook until cabbage is tender.