Rumbledethumps - More Fun With Cabbage!

First, let's take a moment to simply appreciate this awesome name. Rumble - de - thumps!

If you've never heard of this delightfully whimsical sounding dish, let me enlighten you - rumbledethumps is a traditional Scottish dish comprised of mashed potatoes that are mixed with sauteed cabbage, onion and grated cheese before baking. It's thought that the name may come from the rumbling and thumping noises that fill the kitchen when combining the potatoes with the cabbage.

Rumbledethumps has it all -- creamy potatoes, sweet cabbage, mellow onions, and decadent cheesiness. It's simple, easy to make, cheap and delicious making it glorious peasant (or student or starving artist) fare. 

It's basically the Irish dish, colcannon with the addition of cheese. It's also similar to the British dish, bubble and squeak (another terrific name) which consists of potatoes fried with the leftover veggies -- cabbage, carrots, peas, brussel sprouts, etc., from a roast dinner.

I learned about it from Recipes From The Root Cellar and was thrilled to find yet another way to use cabbage and potatoes to good effect in this loooong (dare we say, endless?) winter.

Rumbledethumps
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

* 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1 pound cabbage (about 1/2 head)
* 4 Tbsps butter
* 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
* 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
* 1 teaspoon chopped chives
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cover the potatoes with salted water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently, covered, until completely tender, 15-25 minutes. Drain and mash.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onion and saute until they wilt, 20-25 minutes.

4. Add two-thirds of the cheese and all of the cabbage mixture along with the chives to the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Level the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top is golden brown. (You can always broil it for a moment if it's not browning to your liking.) Serve immediately.

You might also like:

• Baked Stuffed Squash,Three Ways
• Butter Braised New Turnips
• Steamed Potatoes With Herb Butter
• Shoestring-Style Brussel Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes With Winter Greens
• Turnip Gratin
• Winter Vegetable Pie With Roasted Beets, Cabbage & Goat Cheese