Zuppa alla Valpellinese (Cheese and Cabbage Casserole)
Zuppa alla Valpellinese is a rich and hearty casserole made with layers of crusty rye bread, cabbage, Fontina cheese, beef stock and cinnamon. A rustic and comforting dish that's super easy to make and full of flavour. The perfect dish to keep cosy!
Servings: 6 - 8 servings
Equipment
- 11.5x7.5 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 700 ml (3 cups/23.5 fl oz) beef stock (reduced salt)
- 600 g (1.4 lbs) stale rye and wheat crusty bread (or wholemeal crusty bread)
- 400 g (14 oz) Fontina cheese (4.5 cups grated)
- Butter for greasing
- Generous pinch of ground cinnamon (just under 1/4 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350℉). Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
- Keep the beef stock warm but don’t let it simmer or boil. Turn it off if it does.
- Remove the core from the cabbage and cut it into strips. Wash it well in cold running water then add to the salted boiling water. Boil the cabbage for 5 minutes then drain and let it sit.
- Cut the bread into ½ inch thick slices and grate the cheese.
- Grease your baking dish and add a layer of bread at the bottom. Cover the bread with a layer of cabbage followed by a layer of cheese (use just under half of the cheese keeping slightly more for the top).
- Add another layer of bread and cabbage and top with the remaining cheese. Pour over the beef stock then sprinkle over some ground cinnamon (we used just under ¼ teaspoon).
- Bake in the oven, uncovered for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Remove and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Salt - even though this recipe uses reduced salt beef stock there’s no need to add any more seasoning other than the water for boiling the cabbage. The cheese, bread and stock add enough flavour on their own.
- Bread - do not use traditional wheat-free rye bread as it doesn’t absorb enough liquid. We used a wheat and rye crusty loaf but wholemeal or brown crusty bread will also work.
- Cheese - fontina can be replaced with gruyere or another Alpine cheese.
- Leftovers - Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and reheated in the oven (covered) until piping hot. The dish is at its best texture-wise on the same day it’s made
Nutrition
Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1413mg | Potassium: 773mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2116IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 502mg | Iron: 4mg
