This Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles) recipe is made with egg noodles, bacon, cabbage, and lots of butter is ringing the dinner bell for tonight! Whether you’re looking for a simple side or a buttered noodle dish transformed into a full meal, this recipe is the answer.
Best Haluski Recipe
What can I say? Noodles are always calling my name. Noodles with bacon? Even better! I used to love enjoying a bowl of buttered noodles as an easy and craving-satisfying meal back in the day. While I still crave that simple comfort meal, I like to give it a bit more substance.
Haluski to the rescue! With plenty of butter, tender cabbage, and bacon tossed into the egg noodles, this recipe still has the taste I crave while adding some nutrition and savory meatiness to the meal. I can understand why this dish is such a staple in Polish and Slovakian homes.
What Is Haluski?
Varieties of this traditional dish can be seen all across Central and Eastern Europe. In some recipes the name ‘hałuski’ refers to dumplings in the dish, and for some it refers to the entire recipe.
The version I’ve made for you today is more similar to the Polish or Slovakian rendition, featuring egg noodle, sautéed cabbage, and my favorite ingredient, bacon.
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon – Thick cut works best.
- Butter – I like to use unsalted to have full control over the sodium.
- Onions – Lots of onion for this recipe. You can cut it down or add even more if you like.
- Green cabbage – Cored and shredded or cut into bite size pieces.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Egg noodles – Any type you like best.
How To Make Haluski
- Sauté: In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high until almost crisp. Melt 3 tbsp of butter in the dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook until it becomes translucent. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir and cook for 10 minutes covered or until the cabbage has softened.
- Cook noodles and finish: Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Add the cooked noodles to the dutch oven with the cabbage mixture. Add the remaining 3 tbsp butter, stir, and cook for a few minutes until everything is well combined and heated through. Taste for seasoning and serve with freshly ground pepper.
How To Shred A Head Of Cabbage
To shred 1 1/2 lbs of cabbage may seem daunting, but I promise it’s extremely easy.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the cabbage in half from the core. Slice a V shape around the core on the inside of each half and remove it.
- Depending how long you want your slices of cabbage, you can quarter the cabbage. Using a firm grip on the piece of cabbage your working with, slice 1/2″ slices or 1/4″ slices, working carefully. A nice and sharp knife helps here. For this recipe you want bigger pieces.
- You can also use a mandoline. Set the mandoline to the size required and use a steel mesh glove to avoid cutting yourself.
What To Serve With Haluski
This recipe can be served on its own as an easy main dish, or it pairs really well as a side to a hearty protein. Give these recipes a try:
- Romanian Meatballs
- Beer Can Chicken
- Roast Leg of Lamb
- Rosemary Garlic Pork Roast
- Instant Pot Beef Brisket
- Prime Rib Roast
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Beef Rouladen
Leftovers
Yet another thing I love about cabbage is that it keeps so well as leftovers. Unlike other weaker varieties of greens, it won’t get sad and soggy on you. Your leftover haluski will last 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
Reheat either in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat. If you use the stove, make sure to babysit it well and stir often to prevent any burning.
Freezing
I think that this recipe, because of the noodles and cabbage, is best without being frozen. Freezing and thawing can have an effect on the texture of these water-rich ingredients.
With that being said, you can still freeze this recipe if you don’t mind the texture change. Store your haluski in an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 months. Let your leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Great Recipes To Try
- German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)
- Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale)
- Colcannon
- Cabbage Bacon Salad
- Cabbage Soup
- Beef Rouladen
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Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon thick cut, and chopped
- 6 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 large onions chopped
- 1 ½ pounds green cabbage cored and cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 pound egg noodles medium-wide
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven cook the bacon until almost crisp.
- To the same Dutch oven add 3 tbsp of the butter and melt. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the cabbage, salt and pepper, stir everything together and cook for 10 minutes covered, until the cabbage softens.
- Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the cooked noodles to the Dutch oven, remaining 3 tbsp of butter and stir. Cook for a couple more minutes, until everything is heated through.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve warm with lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Notes
- Your leftover haluski will last 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Reheat either in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat. If you use the stove, make sure to babysit it well and stir often to prevent any burning.
Hi, I am from Slovakia, and I just wanted to say, that this food is not “Halušky”. Halušky is our national food. It’s like dumplings with sheep cheese, small fried pieces of bacon, and sometimes sour cream on top, as a decoration. This meal you’ve put here is called “Strapačky”. Have a nice day! Your recipes are amazing!
Hi Eric! Yes, I actually explained a bit of that in the “What Is Haluski” section. Glad you’re enjoying my recipe. 🙂
Not a Polish recipe. Pittsburghese of Slovak or Ukrainian origin. Haluski is a potato dumpling in Slovakia. A Polish person would have no idea what haluski is. In Poland this recipe is called kluski z kapusta, or lazanki z kapusta. Lazanki beng a square cut egg noodle popular in Poland. Regardless of its Origins it’s a great recipe. I like using egg noodle bow ties in mine plus a pinch of both hot and sweet paprika.
This was wonderful. I saw this being made on Diners Drive Ins and Dives (a much older episode, I don’t have cable anymore!) It is also easy to put together. I used whole wheat egg noodles.
It didn’t say when to add the bacon back in so I added it with the noodles. I used more salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground pepper really does add something as a topping, by the way.
I’m not a huge bacon fan; my husband is–thought he’d want more bacon but he said it was just right as is. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure, glad you liked it! You add it in step 1, you fry it first and then add the onion with the bacon in there.
This is wonderful, easy, comfort food. Totally delicious. Thank you, Jo.
The Haluski was great. The second night, it became a variation of Colcannon. I cooked russet potatoes, mashed them and added the leftover Haluski. It was a very tasty variation. Thanks for the recipe.
This is a great recipe! My husband loved it! Thank you for it!
I’m making this tonight! Looks delicious! Question: Do you leave all the bacon grease in the pot with the melted butter or do you drain some of it off, then add the butter?
Leave the bacon fat in! Different brands of bacon can have more or less fat. You can scoop some out if you find there’s a lot left over, but make sure to leave behind a few tbsp.
I enjoy your recipes immensely, and have tried many. My wish is that you would let us read the reviews that you say the recipes have received. There is a lot for us to learn from others experiences in their kitchen. All the many recipes sites I use provide the comments/reviews of their recipes. Would you please let me know why you choose not to share the written reviews with us.
Thanks!
The written reviews are available on all the recipes! This recipe is brand new so we don’t have anything on it yet. Scroll to the bottom of any of our recipes to see comments and reviews.