These super moist and flavorful pork meatballs with Dijon mustard and pretzels pair perfectly with creamed caraway cabbage. Add Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage to your family’s menu one day soon, and then get ready to hear the applause.
How to Make Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage
This Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage recipe came about as I was doing a freezer, fridge, and pantry raid, trying and use up some ingredients that had been left behind in the shuffle of everyday life. The results were better than anything I could have planned, and I feel confident you’ll think so too.
From time to time, there is a desperate need for me to reevaluate what’s in our large freezer in the basement. I hate to admit it, but things pile up in there because I’m not as organized as I should be, and instead of taking inventory of what’s already in there before going grocery shopping, duplicate items are purchased. All because I was too lazy and unorganized to check before heading to the store.
This Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage recipe came about after a much-needed case of inventory taking, and freezer purging. With the ground pork and bulk pork breakfast sausage being seriously close to a bad case of freezer burn, I knew I had to rush into action. Thankfully I was able to resuscitate them and happily give them back their second chance at life. Well, so to speak … 😉
As a binder for the meatballs, I decided to use some pretzels from the bottom of an opened bag we had in the pantry. I put them in a zip-top bag and crushed them lightly them with a rolling pin. And since pretzels and mustard go so well together, it was a no-brainer for me to add a good amount of Dijon mustard for that tangy flavor that compliments and cuts through the fattiness of the meat and rounds out all the other flavors.
In a large bowl, mix together ground pork, bulk pork breakfast sausage, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, Dijon mustard, crushed pretzels and brown sugar. Form into meatballs and bake on a rack in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, saute shredded cabbage in butter and olive oil. Add sliced red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage cooks down by half.
Stir in salt, pepper, caraway, allspice and brown sugar. Continue cooking for and additional 10 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in heavy cream, Dijon mustard and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Heat through.
Serve the baked meatballs over the creamed cabbage and enjoy!
Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage Recipe
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- 3½ teaspoons caraway seeds divided
- pinch allspice
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
- ½ cup crushed pretzels
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar divided
- 1 head green cabbage cored and shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 large bowl
- zip-top bag for crushing pretzels
- rolling pin for crushing pretzels
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil to cover baking sheet optional
- baking rack to fit in baking sheet optional
- large skillet
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, pork breakfast sausage, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, crushed pretzels and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
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Shape the meat mixture into balls the size of golf balls.
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Place the meatballs on a prepared baking sheet with a rack (optional) and bake the meatballs in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.
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While the meatballs cook, saute the shredded cabbage with the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Stir in the red onion, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
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Cover and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until the cabbage reduces by half.
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Once reduced, stir in 1½ teaspoon caraway seeds, allspice and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
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Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
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Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, 2 teaspoons Dijon and the apple cider vinegar.
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Remove the meatballs from the oven.
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To serve, spoon the meatballs over the creamed caraway cabbage and enjoy!
The salt in this recipe is just a guide. If you're watching your sodium intake, please feel free to cut back on the amount used.
If you're a big fan of allspice, please feel free to add more than just a pinch. Adding a touch more will give extra warmth (spice) to the entire dish. Just remember to taste as you go.
The apple cider vinegar at the end is optional, but it will add a brightness to the completed dish that is quite remarkable.
I’m hoping that this Dijon Pork Meatballs with Caraway Creamed Cabbage recipe is music to your eyes (and taste buds) and that my hand painted “music lovers” wine glasses are too. They’re something fun and functional, and they definitely make a great conversation starter. Just like a great meal 🙂
If there is ever anything I can paint for you, from glassware items, to fabrics (aprons and tea towels), please don’t hesitate to contact me by clicking on the little envelope icon found at the top of this site, or by visiting my shop on Etsy and Wazala. Custom orders are always welcome, and I will happily paint and design from any photo or description you send my way!
Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Where food, art, and fun collide each and every day!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
We love meatballs, and you have so many great flavors in these!
I love when great recipes are “discovered” by using up what’s sitting around! These sound so interesting – I’m a meatball lover and these sound fab! Pretzels?! Great idea!
So glad you like the recipe, Patricia. The pretzels were a fun addition that worked as a binder, and added extra flavor.
This looks and sounds devine
They truly are. Thanks, Becky!
Wow, these look incredible!
Thank you for helping me plan dinner this week!
My pleasure, Megan!
I am totally floored that you used crushed pretzels in these meatballs! 🙂 How clever! They sound and look delicious.
Thanks, Carrie! They worked out well considering I was creating on the fly.