Looking for a low carb side dish for Thanksgiving or holiday cooking? Try this Braised Cabbage with bacon and Michigan Honeycrisp apples! You won’t miss the carbs after trying this Keto and Whole 30 friendly dish.

In a perfect world, I could easily eliminate the high carb foods I love…but I just can’t say no to pasta or pizza! To find a balance, I’ve been experimenting with some easy side low carb side dishes for weeknight meals. Maybe one day I’ll try a variation of keto and Paleo that works for busy moms!

Cabbage is always affordable and it’s great to bulk up meals. I’ve shredded it for slaw to top tacos with carrots and cilantro. It’s also delicious in a stir-fry or to do half and half with rice for fried rice.

The key to chopping cabbage is cutting in quarters and removing the tough core by where the stem is. After, you can shred with a knife or in a food processor. My go-to processor is the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup–there’s a slice and chopping blade that makes prep days so easy!

I’ve made this braised cabbage in the slow cooker, in a skillet and baked in this adorable Ayesha Curry casserole dish. I love the little hearts on the handle! All ways turn out the same, it just depends on how much time you have to prepare!

The chopped apple gives another layer of flavor to the cabbage. Bacon adds a bit of salt and the apple is a subtle sweetness. If you can’t find Honeycrisp, try Gala or Golden Delicious.

Try this as a side on Thanksgiving or Christmas for turkey, or on a weeknight with chicken or pork!

Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Apples

Looking for a low carb side dish for Thanksgiving or holiday cooking? Try this Braised Cabbage with bacon and Michigan Honeycrisp apples! You won't miss the carbs after trying this Keto and Whole 30 friendly dish.

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: Apples, Bacon, Cabbage, Low Carb, Whole 30

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 large head of cabbage, shredded around 1.5-2 pounds
12 ounces bacon chopped
2 large honeycrisp apples seeded and chopped
1 cup white onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper, to taste Remember, bacon is salty!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, add chopped bacon to the dry skillet. Turn heat to medium. Allow bacon to crisp up, stirring frequently.
Once bacon is cooked, remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Put on a paper towel covered plate.
In the bacon grease, add chopped cabbage. Stir quickly to coat. Add garlic, onion and apples. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until everything is softened.
Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Add chicken stock and season with paprika, pepper and salt (use salt sparingly, since bacon is salty!). Stir and cover.
Bake for 40-45 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. Return bacon to dish, stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered.
Remove from oven when the dish is a caramel color. There will be a little remaining liquid, which is fine!

Recipe Notes

To slow-cook: cook bacon, as directed. Add all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours, LOW 8-10.
To cook on stovetop: Instead of pouring into a casserole dish, cover on stovetop and allow to slowly cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring frequently.