Cabbage Beef Skillet

Inspired by a dish I saw being shared on Facebook. I don't have a direct link but I know it originated from the site afamilyfeast.com. But it's a pretty loose interpretation anyway :)

We love cabbage, as some of you may have already noticed. I love it raw, blanched, sauteed, roasted, etc, etc, etc. So for this I'm combining beef, bacon, and cabbage!

Gather:

• 1 cup wild rice (i used a bulk blend of wild rice and lentils)
• 1/2 a cabbage chopped
• 4 oz bacon ends
• 1/2 a chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbs red wine
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 can tomato sauce and 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper

Start by cooking the rice. While the rice is cooking work on the rest. Steam the cabbage chunks until bright, just a few minutes, and set aside. In a large skillet cook the bacon just until starting to brown. I like to cook it with the fat both for flavor and because it's good for my cast iron, then I remove the fatty bits and leave the meaty bits. This is less necessary if using bacon strips, but the bacon ends tend to have thick chunks of fat that are not fun IMO to bite into.

Add onions and saute a few minutes, then add garlic. Saute another minute then throw in the wine to deglaze. Scootch the bacon mixture to the sides of the pan then cook the beef in the center. Once the beef starts to brown start stirring in the bacon and onion mix and work until meat is fully cooked and onions are well mixed in. Now we add the tomato sauce and paste, sugar, and seasonings. Simmer at medium heat for 5 minutes then stir in the cabbage and rice. Taste, adjust seasonings if necessary, and serve.

All that deliciousness, still only 350 calories per serving!