Kalpudding (Meatloaf With Caramelized Cabbage) Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Beth

You can see in the picture above, it's when the cabbage is colored dark golden at the lightest, with lots of parts where it's dark brown, the color of chocolate. I haven't made this recipe (yet!) but I've found that the trick to even caramelization is to have the heat at just medium-high and cook patiently, because if you turn the heat up too high you'll burn some parts before the others are dark enough. I hope this helps!

Jim

Sometimes I feel like such a neophyte. How do you tell when the cabbage is "carmelized"? Not to mention "very, very carmelized".

Bebevonbernstein

High fives to all ya'll who gave thoughtful answers to this question. It is much appreciated in this age of snarky cooking comments and makes me smile so hard . . .

Happy cooking!

Finlandsvenskare

You can buy lingonberry sauce at IKEA!

Cole

I'm in the process of making this now and my kitchen smells wonderful. I mostly wanted to comment to thank everyone for making such helpful comments and being so civil, which is so rare in internet spaces. Thanks!

CW in Beautiful Door County

Awesome recipe! Used 19 oz package of ground turkey and added no salt to the cabbage (actually forgot to use). I was surprised at how much flame I had going under my Dutch oven, but it never got close to burning and the cabbage was perfectly done in 30 minutes. I was baffled as to how it all was going to fit an 8"x8" pan, But with the cabbage cooked down it all fit perfectly! The next morning I fried a slice up and served it under 2 sunny side up eggs for breakfast, out of this world!

Lawrence Moorhouse

This was a very good recipe. I looked up Swedish meatball recipe which contains Ground ginger, allspice and nutmeg so I added 1/2 a tsp of each to this recipe. Cooking the cabbage in molasses and butter is going to be a regular side dish in my house. The sauce was fantastic. Thank you Sam!

Saliha

And I used maple syrup instead of molasses, and it was delicious. I am not very fond of sugar in my savory dishes, so I used little over half the quantity in the recipe.

Linda

Used home-made cranberry sauce so don't know how "authentic" my experience was but I can tell you it was really, really delicious.

David

My spouse is Swedish and swore she would never eat this again - trauma from school lunch food where the cabbage was boiled. She loves it after I have made it. A couple of tips: N. Americans, if you do not have golden syrup, use maple syrup. Molasses doesn’t give it the right taste. Also, if you can find white Egyptian coriander (check Burlap and Barrel, as they have awesome Egyptian coriander), add two to three TB ground in a mortar. Also, cranberry chutney works really well.

joan

'carmelized' means the liquid will dry up and the food (in this case cabbage) will change colors, getting browned in spots as the sugar goes through a chemical change. since the cabbage here has the addition of molasses, a sticky sweetener, it has a helper in the process. don't leave this alone on the stove once the liquid is almost gone; stir and scrape up the cabbage until you will see a dramatic difference in the color of the cabbage and in the smell.

duliajaan

Very easy and flavorful. You could just stop with the caramelized cabbage and have a great side dish. I used whole milk instead of cream and water instead of chicken stock and the dish was fine. I found lingonberry jam at Whole Foods. I thought the sauce was a nice addition but you could skip that step if you want.

alcauch

I'm making this tonight for a small dinner party and will be serving Kabinett Riesling from Mosel and Oregon Pinot Noir. Other options would be Mencia from Ribiera Sacra for a red or Gruner Veltliner from Kamptal for the white. Hope this helps!

Sara

I made this with a pound each of beef and pork because that's what the package size was. My family of four, including two teenagers, ate half of it. My math on the nutritional info is that it was 430 calories per serving -- well within a normal dinner, including side dishes.
"Serving size" is a suggestion. Choose your portions sensibly and don't blame NYT for cooking with meat, butter, and cream?
This was delicious and easily fit within a reasonable daily meal plan.

Joyce

I agree that it looks like too much for an 8x8 pan. However, I used a Lodge 10 inch cast iron frying pan to bake it in, and it was fine. It was to the top when I put it in, but it cooks down.

Joanne

This was quite good. I would triple the sauce part of the recipe. I made it exactly as written except that I made the cabbage the day before and microwaved it to warm it before mixing in with the meat and putting it on top. Great comfort food.

Equilibrist

I really liked this, except that next time I would cut the molasses by half—the result was too sweet for me. I enjoyed the leftovers as a breakfast hash with potatoes and a fried egg on top.Oh, also, I cut the fat content by substituting evaporated whole milk for the heavy cream.

Equilibrist

I liked this, but the cabbage was far too sweet for me. I’d cut the molasses by half if I make it again.

Renee

I increased the meat to 1 lb ea. and cooked in a 13x9 in. pan. Good, hearty, traditional. Sauce is optional since I forgot it and it was fine.

maggie

my tastebuds were today years old when they were introduced to this complex comfort dish that is kalpudding. they're glad they won't age another day without knowing it's pleasure :)

Joey

A lovely winter meal, transporting me back to Sverige. I adjusted the amounts to use 1 pound of meat as the kind we buy is packaged by the pound. Served with the Parmesan roasted potatoes made for a lovely afternoon in the kitchen ending with a hearty meal with enough for lunch the next day.

Mary

I used a pound each of ground beef and pork. Takes much longer than 45 minutes in an 8x8 pan. I would use a 10 inch skillet. Lots of moisture, but solidifies after resting. Very tasty. Needed to add salt when eating it. I will add more in meat mixture before cooking next time.

Jennifer

Mine took so long we couldn't eat it for dinner! Will have to have as leftovers tomorrow. And so much moisture... Is that right??

Mary

Next time use 10 inch skillet rather than 8x8 pan. Good taste. Needed to add some salt to meat mixture.

Aline Libassi

My Kalpudding is in the fridge waiting to be baked off this evening. I ran out of Molasses so used agave syrup for the cabbage, but it did not give up much water. I am in Mexico and sometimes the vegetables may look the same, but have a different consistency. Obviously lingonberries are not available here so I will try to cook down some frozen cranberries (also like pure gold here and found in one store about an hour away during Thanksgiving) and add the rest of the sauce ingredients.

Kathy

I made the cabbage only today, I’m a vegetarian and it sounded delightful. That said, after cutting your cabbage, put it in a dish towel and squeeze dry. Start with dry cabbage. It does indeed take a long while, be patient, it’s amazing!

dianA

I'm always looking at carnivore recipes for inspiration to use with meat substitutes like Beyond Beef, tempe, tofu, etc. I'm not looking for snarky answers from anti-veg carnivores but wondering if anyone else has tried making this dish vegetarian. I'm aware that it won't be exactly the same but this seems like a wonderful recipe to riff from. Any suggestions or opinions?

Ian Westergren

Most Swedish cooks would mix the meat with boiled rice rather than bread crumbs. Also if you live in the southern tip of Sweden (Skane) the meat filling will be all pork.

Aline Libassi

I like the idea of boiled rice. The starch will probably hold the meat together better since there is no egg, like in a traditional meatloaf. Thanks for the tip. Also want to try it with red cabbage next time and substituting maple syrup for molasses, which here in Mexico is hard to find and is super expensive on Amazon Mexico. Always trying to find substitutes in these recipes while I am living in Mexico, but an avid fan of all of the recipes.

Laura Jane

I've made this and it is so, so tasty. I play around with subbing grains for some of the meat, just to boost nutrition and to use a little less meat. I've made it with 1/2 lb each of the beef and pork, and then subbed in cooked farro for the missing volume of meat and really like it.

Ginger Bee

Hmmm, not a great choice for those of us watching our saturated fats + cholesterol, alas! Beef, pork, heavy cream, and butter... ooh, la, la!

Kentfield Barbara

This was very good, but next time I will add more of the additional seasonings of allspice, ginger and nutmeg. A teaspoon of both allspice and ginger and a 1/2 of nutmeg. Also the lingonberry sauce is delicious and essential. I will double the recipe. I prepared both several hours ahead of time, and then cooked it for 50 minutes. Served with mashed potatoes and enjoyed a nice Swedish dinner with carrots tossed in butter, brown sugar and Dijon. Rutabaga work work also!

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Kalpudding (Meatloaf With Caramelized Cabbage) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put milk in meatloaf? ›

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

How to make crispy meat loaf? ›

Combine Panko bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a third shallow dish. Coat a slice of meat loaf on both sides with flour, then egg, and finally with bread crumbs. In a large skillet, heat oil until hot. Fry a few slices at a time 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Why do you put eggs in meatloaf? ›

Eggs play a crucial role in meatloaf recipes. They add to its moisture and texture while binding all the other ingredients together.

Why is my meatloaf tough? ›

Mixing your ingredients too much is a very common mistake that can really make for meatloaf with a tough, dry texture. Self-control is the key; once the ingredients are mixed in, stop. Remember, the meatloaf is going to be mixed more as it's shaped before baking. When shaping your loaf, looser is better.

Why put ketchup in meatloaf? ›

Whether you slather a thick layer of ketchup on top of the meatloaf before it goes into the oven, add a few tablespoons to the ground meat mixture, or serve extra ketchup on the side, this tangy-sweet, umami-rich condiment balances out the richness of the beef, making it an essential part of the dish.

Why does my meatloaf crumble and fall apart? ›

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

How do you make meatloaf not soggy? ›

Meatloaf that isn't soggy

Shape it into a long mound on a sheet tray lined with parchment or foil, and the excess fat will drain away from the loaf during cooking. If you've properly bound and shaped your meatloaf and haven't overcooked it, it will have the perfect texture without being soggy or dry.

What to use in meatloaf to bind it together besides breadcrumbs or saltine crackers? ›

Oats. Oats are a great breadcrumb substitute when used as a binder in meatballs or meatloaf.

Should you saute onions before adding to meatloaf? ›

I later learned how I could avoid this problem and make a fully smooth meatloaf by pre-cooking any vegetables, especially the onion, before adding them to the ground meat. This way the meatloaf gets the flavor without the rawness -- a method from the smart people at Cook's Illustrated.

Should meatloaf be covered while baking? ›

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Can you add too much egg to meatloaf? ›

Eggs bind the mixture, add flavor and increase browning, but too much egg will make a meat loaf tough and rubbery. Use about one egg per pound of meat. If using pork sausage, skip the egg. Milk adds flavor and moisture and helps distribute the seasoning throughout the mass.

What not to put in meatloaf? ›

8 Common Mistakes That Will Leave You With Subpar Meatloaf
  1. You're Not Sufficiently Seasoning the Meat.
  2. You're Using Lean Meats.
  3. You're Not Adding a Sweet Component.
  4. You're Not Adding a Starch.
  5. You're Adding Raw Vegetables to the Meat.
  6. You're Slicing Into the Loaf Too Early.
  7. You're Not Doubling the Batch.
Aug 25, 2021

Should I drain the juice from my meatloaf? ›

Cooking Instructions

Bake 1 hour to medium (160°F) doneness until not pink in center and juices show no pink color. Let stand 5 minutes; drain off any juices before slicing.

What happens if you put too much milk in meatloaf? ›

Too Much Liquid

Adding broth, milk, or eggs can enhance flavor and moisture, but too much can lead to a soupy consistency. Use these ingredients sparingly, and consider adding breadcrumbs or oats to absorb excess moisture.

What happens if you forgot the milk in meatloaf? ›

You actually don't need milk to make meatloaf and therefore you can make meatloaf without milk. What you need is a liquid to keep the meat moist, so you can make meatloaf with water or using a dairy free milk.

What does adding milk to ground beef do? ›

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

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