Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles) is a comforting Eastern European dish (often Polish) with buttery egg noodles and fried cabbage often served during Lent and is the perfect recipe to use up leftover cabbage. Very popular in Pittsburgh!
Are you familiar with haluski (aka cabbage and noodles)? Is it a Pittsburgh thing?
Haluski is buttery egg noodles tossed with sauteed cabbage and onion with Eastern European and even Pennsylvania Dutch origin.
It’s one of those dishes I request from my mom when I visit for dinner.
I also order it when I go to fish fries for Lent. If they don’t serve haluski, I won’t eat there.
When I lived in south central PA back in 2014, nobody knew what it was. It kills me because it’s one of the easiest meals you can throw together.
I made a big batch of it and brought it to lunch so I could educate my coworkers. They all asked for the recipe, so it’s safe to say it was a huge success.
Fast forward to today, I make this cabbage and noodles recipe at least 1-2 times a month when cabbage is in season, which is usually late fall until early spring.
Why You’ll Love This Haluski Recipe
- Only 4 ingredients – One of the easiest dinners you can make with minimal ingredients
- Uses up leftover cabbage – Cabbage is a tricky ingredient for small households because 1 small head can equal 3-4 meals. Add this to your rotation next time you buy cabbage!
- Can be a side or main dish – Haluski is so versatile, you can serve it as a main dish alongside some garlic bread and a salad or serve as a side dish with fish, chicken, or kielbasa.
Ingredients For Haluski
This cabbage noodle recipe is made up of 4 easy ingredients:
- Egg noodles: Traditionally it’s made with homemade egg noodles, which has more of a homey feel to it. However, I rarely make my own pasta so I buy wide egg noodles.
- Butter: The sauce to cabbage and noodles is lots of butter.
- Onion: It adds another layer of flavor to the cabbage.
- Green cabbage: It’s not haluski without the cabbage! I only call for 1 pound, so look for the smallest head of cabbage. Chances are you’ll have leftovers, so you can make haluski again or save it for another meal.
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning
Some recipes call for cooking bacon directly in the pan then frying the cabbage and onion in the bacon fat.
Other people add kielbasa as well, another Pittsburgh favorite.
My mom never did any of that, but feel free to add it!
How To Cut Cabbage
Not sure how to chop cabbage? I wrote a separate guide with step by step photos for how to cut cabbage.
Before you begin, make sure your chef’s knife is super sharp. A dull knife means you’re more likely to slip and cut yourself on such a sturdy vegetable.
To make this recipe for haluski even faster, chop up the whole head of cabbage at once and keep leftovers tightly sealed in the refrigerator.
That way when you’re worn out from a long day at work, you can throw things in a pot and have dinner ready in roughly a half hour.
How To Make Haluski
It’s very easy to make this haluski recipe, making it a great recipe for beginner cooks. To start your cabbage and noodles:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a big handful of salt then your egg noodles. Cook until al dente, about 10-12 minutes.
- Melt your butter in a Dutch oven or large 12 inch skillet. I like to use a Dutch oven because it gives you more room to stir.
- Once melted, sauté your cabbage and onion until caramelized and soft. I start this when I add the noodles to the boiling water. By the time I drain the noodles, the cabbage is done.
- Add your noodles to your cabbage mixture and stir together. Add more butter if needed then season with black pepper.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
What To Serve With Haluski
I eat noodles and cabbage as a main dish, but others make it as a side. Here are some recipes for serving haluski:
- Baked Fish and Chips – Make your own Lenten dinner at home!
- Pierogi Nachos – Pierogies and Haluski go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly.
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy – Pork and cabbage go very well together.
- Green Onion Salad – Cabbage and noodles is a heavy dish, so add a vegetable side to lighten it up.
What To Do With Leftover Cabbage
Now that you have enough chopped cabbage to last all week, check out my recipes for what to do with leftover cabbage including:
Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles) is a Polish dish with buttery egg noodles and fried cabbage often served during Lent and is the perfect recipe to use up leftover cabbage. Very popular in Pittsburgh!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 cups chopped green cabbage (roughly 1/2 pound cabbage) (learn how to cut cabbage)
- 1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add a handful of kosher salt and egg noodles. Cook according to package directions, about 10-12 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons pasta water then drain into a colander.
- Meanwhile in a large Dutch oven or 12 inch large skillet over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Once melted, add the cabbage, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to low then saute for 15-20 minutes or until cabbage is brown and fork tender.
- Add the cooked noodles, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and reserved pasta water to the cabbage mixture and stir until butter has melted. Season with black pepper then taste to adjust for salt.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
Notes
- You'll likely have extra cabbage, so check out what to do with leftover cabbage.
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I have not heard of Haluska but it is now on my must try list!
LOVE FRIED NOODLES AND CABBAGE. I COOK NOODLES, BOIL A SMALL HEAD OF DICED CABBAGE , ADD SAUTES ONION & BUTTERI, FRY UP BURGER UNTIL ITS IN SMALL PIECES DRAIN, MIX ALL, PUT IN OVEN PAN TOPPED WITH CHEESE AND BREAD CRUMBS, DOT WITH BUTTER AND BROILED IN OVEN UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN (LOTS OF BUTTER & ONION) GREAT CHANGE. ENJOY
My husband;s Polish family has been having Haluski every Father’s Day since I married into the family (42 yrs. ago) and before. They add small curd cottage cheese into the mixture once it is all blended. It sounds gross but tastes wonderful. I was a very particular eater when I married but it is now one of my favorite dishes. You have to add the cottage cheese quickly as it will cool the other ingredients. I always make mine in an electric skillet and stir it in there to keep it warm.
Their other custom is to always serve it wish fresh rye bread.
I’ve never heard of adding cottage cheese, so now I’m intrigued!
My Polish family has made this with cottage cheese as well! The only difference being that when it contains cottage cheese, we always used spaghetti noodles. Without cottage cheese, then egg noodles.
Oh why the different noodles for cottage cheese?
We didn’t add cottage cheese, we added sour cream. We also added in kielbasa. Nothing says Pittsburgh like kielbasa!
Love the addition of kielbasa! Totally Pittsburgh.
Yep Pittsburgh! Kielbasa always on Easter . Hulaski, the same way I make it . When I think of cabbage..
Eastern European Slovakian,.
Looking for a good ethnic kapusta Soup.
Oh never heard of kielbasa on Easter. Love that tradition! As for the soup, I don’t have kapusta but I do have stuffed cabbage soup. Not quite the same but still cabbage https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2017/10/02/stuffed-cabbage-soup/
My Bushia made this with caraway seeds and a little vinegar. Kielbasa would be good, too. My Bushia made her own kilebasa and noodles!
I always chop some kielbasa in with it to make it a full meal. You could also use bacon.
Both excellent ideas! Thanks for sharing.
I do the same thing!
It is a delicious dish. My mother-in-law wss from the Ukraine. My father- in-law was from Budapest. So I got the results from both sides of the coin. Russian…Polish….Jewish and of course American. LOVED most everything they cooked. I regret not spending more time in the kitchen with them. My father in-law developed the ANGEL FOOD CAKE while he was employed by Western Oil Company…
Interesting about the angel food cake bit!
Polish here too. Called it “Lazy Pierogi”.
yes i use cottage cheese too, it’s great for a potluck to, throw in the crock pot. Everyone loves it.
Interesting! I’ll have to try it myself.
Adding cottage cheese is great – I do it that way all the time. If I have sour cream on hand, I’ll add a bit of that as well.
Almost 50 years ago I worked in a residential treatment center and our cook, Mrs Simik, made a noodle dish with cottage cheese. I e saw this recipe on Pinterest and purposely looked fat comments searching for cottage cheese. Yay! I’m sure this is it. I’ve thought of it SO often but didn’t know what it was. I also served my kids buttered noodles with sautéed kielbasa slices. My 43 y/o son recently asked what sausage I used – then he made it.
My mom made it with and without cottage cheese, I prefer without. She also cooked chopped bacon until it was almost crisp, then fried chopped onion in the bacon drippings , , then added the chopped cabbage and bacon, some water or chicken stock, covered it and cooked it until the cabbage was tender. Then she mixed in cooked bow tie pasta. I make it the same way, sometimes I use noodles instead of the bow tie pasta
how much cottage cheese given these amounts?
In case she doesn’t answer you, I’m guessing about 1/2 cup based on other recipes I saw.
Interesting, the cottage thing. It reminded me of what was a weekly meal growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, with family in Pittsburgh. It is bacon, Macaroni, and cottage cheese.. It’s on our tables for the 81 years that I’ve been: So simple, so filling, and so tasty, because of added bacon and onions. In a frypan, Chop and cook a lb of sliced bacon, remove and set aside. Chop and fry a cup of onion. Cook in bacon fat (amount you leave is up to you. More grease – more flavor) until it is not brown. Drain elbow macaroni (1/2 lb). In a hot pot, Mix noodles, onion and bacon fat to coat. Add 1/2 carton cottage cheese. Mix. No heat. Add more cottage to the plate as you would like. Serve immediately, as the cottage cheese will break down quickly! Salt/Pepper to taste.
Thanks for sharing!
Hubby’s Croatian/Hungarian grandma made this, but called it Fleck Fleck. Hubby says this was just like hers, and gave him lots of happy memories. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for sharing your memory!
This looks quite good…and buttery :) My European mother made a lot of stuffed cabbage when I was growing up but not this particular cabbage variation.
I love that you posted this haluski recipe! I first learned about haluski a few years ago and made it as a side dish for Thanksgiving. I personalty loved it.
I had haluuski back in the 60s . They were having a polish festival sale in the Streets odf Allentown Pa.
We tried them and fell in love with the simplictiy of making. I tty like everybody else on Orhtordox easter an iwill make them. We wer finnaly coming together in food and language. We have have been excange reciepes ever since. good to have commarodete betweenthe Nationalaaaaaaaaaaalitys
Great festival….miss that fun in Atown!
My mom’s side of the family is Polish, but I’ve never had haluski! (I wonder if it is a Pittsburgh thing…) If ever you have a craving for this and you’re wondering what to do with the other half head of cabbage, you should make holishkes (stuffed cabbage, but Epicurious has a wonderful recipe with a cinnamon-orange-tomato-based sauce that adds a warm, comforting spice). Now I want to go home and eat pierogi with my mom!
It’s Pennsylvania Dutch which is polish. Not usually made with anything else except an optional meat like corned beef or kielbasa.
This is a very good authentic version. Pierogies if you serve them are also cooked sauteed in butter and onions which is the PA Dutch way to prepare them. I’m not sure why people from PA or that region are unaware that they are PA Dutch. They are cooked and served all over at state fairs, festivals, all over the trip state area. It’s a Shane all of the younger people are loosing the knowledge and heritage from the area we live.
Thank you for the additional info. When you walk around Pittsburgh, it’s identified as Polish with no mention of PA Dutch, so that’s probably why we’re unaware.
That’s because PA Dutch = German. As in a mispronunciation of Deutsch. They descend from a sect of Anabaptists who were persecuted in Germany. There might have been ethnic Poles in the group of original immigrants… but they’re German.
Thank you JennieP! I was about to explain that to the group! I’m German, was married to a polish man and recently learned of just that history. I’m not sure my late husband ever knew it!!!
My dad was from the South Side. Grandma Lillierose used to make kabasi ( kielbasa). Cant find it anymore anywhere. Any ideas?sdlillie360@gmail.com
Are you asking for a homemade kielbasa recipe? I don’t have one.
https://tasteofartisan.com/best-polish-kielbasa-recipe/
Johnstown PA makes them and will mail. Company starts with an F. If you look up meat companies you’ll find.
The Pennsylvania Dutch we’re actually Germans not Polish it became dutch from Deutsch which was German
I am Pennsylvania Dutch, from the Hegins Valley….which is not at all Polish. Pa Dutch emigrated from Germany. I never heard of, nor had haluski until I met my husband. We grew up about 20 miles from each other. His mom was Slovak and taught me how to make it.
Yes it is Slovenian, no garlic though
hooray for you…wish i had known my Grandmother from Czechoslovakia….Many relatives from Pittsburgh
My grandmother, a Slovak and Grandfather , a Hungarian , had Haluski often. My Grandmother brought the recipe from their hometown now in Slovakia. Our recipe
has bacon in it. The bacon is cut into about 1/2 inch pieces, fried , and the cabbage
and onions are then fried in the bacon grease with tons of real butter added.
It’s a recipe now passed down four generations.
Yum! Lots of flavor with the bacon grease and pieces. Thanks for sharing your version!
My Grandfather came from the old country. My Grandma and he spoke Slovak at home. Gram always put bacon in her haluski, so we learned to make it that way. SO delicious! She also made a wilted lettuce/bacon/onion salad that was to die for. She used bacon grease for everything but homemade bread and in that, she used lard. She also added kielbassi in the same pot she cooked her pigs in the blanket in. Another delicious dish of hers. I sure miss her cooking! <3
Sounds like she was a terrific cook! Thanks for sharing your story with me.
I grew up with Haluski, always had cottage cheese served with it. I do believe my great aunts, they were Czechoslovakia but from Slovak side before Czechoslovakia split & they moved to Pittsburgh! So maybe it’s a splash of Pitt & Slovakian recipe! I do believe they offered a side of kielbasa if they could afford too but traditionally it was made as your recipe describes & always with cottage cheese topping it or on pushed up next to it (not mixed in). I however now that I am older & a confident cook started to add bacon to my haluski recipe, cooking it first & reserving some of the bacon grease to cook the cabbage. I have recently changed my method again & I now bake my bacon so depending on the time I willing to spend in the kitchen I will either cook the cabbage with butter as the bacon bakes or on occasion I will bake the bacon & reserve the drippings to cook my cabbage. My biggest concern is having crisp bacon to toss in the haluski to add a bit more crunchy texture & those who have missed my great aunt’s cooking are always amazed at how much the bacon does for their classic haluski dish. Do give it a try next time you make haluski! ????
I think cooking cabbage in bacon grease in addition to adding the bacon pieces sounds extra delicious!
We do it the same way here in skook (school kill) Schuylkill County. Mother was pure Dutch. And all the block parties served it up along with bleenies. From German churches to Irish churches. And was make with homemade noodles, which is the best.
I’m from CT, my family has been eating this for generations passed from my great grandmother who came to the US from Poland over 100 years ago. It’s def not a Pa Dutch (German) recipe.
CT polish here too! I grew up eating this, pierogi, galumpki and do many other things thanks to my Grammy! Soo good :)
Pennsylvania Dutch is German
My mother-in-law was Polish and always made pierogies and huluski.
I grew up in Western PA and PA Dutch is a dialect
of German.
A lady from Poland gave me this recipe but she added salt pork chopped and cooked until very done then added the cabbage cooked until all the moisture was gone then added to the noodles you added garlic onions to the salt pork and cabbage
Never heard of haluski! But, we love fried cabbage, so I know we’d love this! YUM!
Well I’m Polish, from NEPA and then I married someone in central PA who’s family was from Russia and pretty much ate all the same foods my Polish family grew up with, even though the rest of this area isn’t as familiar with it. I’ve eaten lots of haluski! It’s very popular at church picnics in NEPA.
I like lots of cabbage and I like to cook my cabbage a long time. I prefer homemade noodles but there are plenty of good egg noodles on the market out there. I sometimes use a healthier egg noodle. I’ve cooked the cabbage and froze it separately to be thawed and added to freshly cooked noodles later.
I’d eat it more often but I hate having my house smell like cabbage.
What part of NEPA are you in … I live in Nanticoke….. the first time I tried haluski ( tonight) I loved it ..
My stepfather and strpgrandfather imagrated to the states from
Poland they poland they made their home in Gary west virginia and became coal miners dad’s sister made haluskiandi loved it she lived in Ohio and was a great cook. I also loved her perogi some stuffed with cheese and some with prune or some with potato potato. They were all delish try f
I told you before but I LOVE this dish! Rustic cooking is awesome, and you cant go wrong with cabbage IMHO
I had never heard of haluski until now but looks and sounds like the perfect weeknight meal!
I’m from NEPA too and I make this (even posted it) and sometimes I add bacon or turkey bacon!
From the area also, but have to say my mother always added a bunch of caraway seeds to the cabbage while cooking. Adds to the rustic taste.
Oh I’ve heard of that too. Personally I’m not a fan of caraway seeds, but I think that’s a great addition if you enjoy them :)
Try celery seed instead of carroway
Nope. Never heard of haluski. But it looks buttery gooey and delicious, so I’d be willing to give it a shot.
Nope, never heard of it.
But those noodles look aweeeesome.
I made this the other day, but couldn’t find the link to your website, so I had to G**gle to find another one. Mine had the addition of crispy bacon and had garlic powder instead of fresh. I was thrilled because I actually crave cabbage! That’s odd isn’t it. Wonder what it means.
Hi, it’s not Haluski it’s called ŁAZANKI. Haluski it’s Czech dish (very good too)
Hi Dee,
I looked up lazanki, and that dish isn’t quite this dish. If you go to Pittsburgh and order haluski, this is what you get. I grew up with this plus churches sell haluski a lot for Lent. Whether it’s ethnically correct or whether Pittsburgh adapted the dish, this is haluski :)
Thanks so much for the recipe! I love this dish! My grandmother was Czech born but moved to Pittsburgh as a young girl. She always made a haluski soup, that I still make today, and it is my absolute favorite food in the world. It’s really just chicken soup with a dumpling-like noodle. It was always my understanding that a “haluski” is really just a noodle, but the term is often used to name any Czech dish that contains noodles. It’s interesting to see the debate about what a “haluski” really is, because everyone seems to have their own variation.
I’m originally from a small town near Warsaw, Poland and Haluski is called kluski (noodles) where i was raised. The regions and dialects, I guess change things a bit, but it’s still all European Noodles and Cabbage. Thx for such an interesting culture treat. I definitely have to try this dish to feel like I’m home again. Thx.
Thanks for the info about kluski!
My husbands gramma is Czech and she called it
Shinko/fleczki. I’m sure the spelling is wrong
Basic ingredients except she used ham celery and onions sautéed in butter sprinkled it with poppy seed…… yummmmmy
The poppy seed does sound intriguing!
Yes! I am just south of Pittsburgh and we LOVE haluski. Everyone makes it around here ( especially at church functions, holidays etc) . I grew up in NC and never heard of it until we moved to Pittsburgh. Now I make it once a month or more.
I am from Morgantown W.V. ( close to Pittsburgh). I actually just made this for the fouth of July for my boyfriend’s family, I am living in Puerto Rico, so no one has ever heard of this dish. In W.V. We always add bacon to the dish. No matter where I am everyone loves this!
I am from the Cumberland, Md. area near Morgantown, W.V. I just had haluski for the first time yesterday at a car show in Oceola Mills, Pa and loved it. I’m looking forward to creating haluski myself.
Another good thing you could do with the rest of the cabbage is make a German/Russian dish called Haloopies (hal-oh-p-sees). It is basically blanched cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, ground beef, and onion, then baked in salt water. You can top it with sour cream or tomoato sauce…yum!!
I’m actually eating haluski for lunch right now! I made a pot and just wanted to compare my recipe with others out there on the internet which is how I stumbled onto your site. While we live in Virginia now, we are originally Pittsburghers and it is so nice to hear that someone else feels the same way we do about PGH cuisine. We still eat haluski, halupki, pierogies, etc. Oh, we’re not Polish either. I guess it’s just something our families picked up from living in the area.
I grew up eating Haluski …. I’m from NEPA. My husband is part polish and absolutely LOVES haluski … I’m actually making it tonight for dinner!
It’s not just a pittsburgh thing :) It is a polish dish and I know many many people who make it and they live all over. I do live in Pittsburgh and I know perogies are something that is associated with Pittsburgh. My grandmother makes haluski and all my aunts make it, heck everyone makes it and we dont have polish in our family either. Just something that that taste GREAT and easy to make
This dish is huge in Cleveland/Ohio. I live in a suburb called Parma and we have a huge East Euro population, Polish and Ukranian. Pierogies, Cabbage and Noodles, Stuffed Cabbage and Potato Pancakes are everywhere. I think the dish is popular if the culture influence is there. I’m full blooded Italian but I have to say that East Euro food is one of my favorites. In my city we’re known for Pierogies and Cabbage and Noodles, even have it at Fairs., city, county and state Famously called Parma Pierogis are the best! Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both came here to eat pierogies and other East Euro foods. I add this dish to my New Year’s Day menu. I love Cabbage & Noodles! Have a Happy New Year! I follow you in all the sites!!!!
Hey Cleveland almost sounds like Pittsburgh with the Polish food. Pierogies are definitely are a big deal (ever been to a Pirates home game? We have pierogie mascot races!!). Happy New Year and thanks for following :)
Yes, Northeast Ohio is where I first discovered this delicious recipe. In Vermilion on Lake Erie it is sold at Papa Jo’s. Actually, I just finished the container we bought yesterday! I saw this website when looking for the recipe.
my austrian/slovak grandmother made this dish often, also homemade pierohies. i’m just a bit north of Pittsburgh and know these dishes are very popular there but i think it’s more of a heritage thing thing than a Pittsburgh thing, though many polish/slovak people did settle in the area. i make this with pork roast for new year’s instead of saurkraut. you can’t go wrong with this sweet cabbage and noodles dish and it’s much more palatable- so many people dislike saurkraut but cabbage on new year’s day with the pork is mandatory! it wins over cabbage-haters if you can get them to taste it once! so simple, so delicious! so old school home cookin good stuff!
Hello. I am of Lithuanian descent and grew up in an industrial Connecticut town. My mother always said that pork had to be served on New Year’s Day to ensure a healthy and prosperous new year. Presently, I live in Boston and when visiting the South Boston Lithuanian Citizens’ Club, I asked about the pork-on-New-Year’s-Day tradition, and no one there had heard of it. Do you know where it stems from? I ask because I love ritual and tradition.
We eat pork on New Year’s as well but not sure where it stems from.
Thank you for responding, Carla. It is a comfort to know others will be enjoying the tradition of pork this coming New Year’s Day, and we’ll raise a glass to you and your family!
I’m a true Pittsburgher with Mom from Ireland and Dad from Germany but my Mom never made this dish, but I sure do,,,
Hi Anne, I, too, am of Lithuanian descent !!! My relatives always ate pork on NY day !! We also ate a potato dish we called “Koshi” which was delicious- freshly grated potatoes, onions, bacon, egg, flour, etc made in a big casserole pan and baked like a cake. Our family hailed from Dubois, PA
Anne: I know your post was ions ago but I just had to tell you the pork on New Year’s is a German thing. I grew up in Pittsburgh then my family moved to the Cleveland area (a few posts back someone mentioned a city called Parma, that’s where I lived). I now find myself adrift in Massachusetts near Boston. They like to fancy themselves “gourmets”. Ha! Fat chance! Give me a pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, a good Kosher corned beef sandwich from Squirrel Hill, city chicken, stuffed cabbage, some pierogies, kielbasi or, my favorite Isaly’s chipped ham. I grew up eating haluski (I’m German, Irish and English) in both Pgh and Parma. Yum! Now I’m making myself hungry and it’s after 1AM and not an interesting thing to eat in my house!! I guess you can take the girl out of Pittsburgh but can’t take the Pittsburgh out of the girl.
I just love reading anything about my favorite place on earth: Pittsburgh.
All of those foods you listed are some of my favorites too!
Sooo glad I stumbled onto this site,
Pork is a celebratory dish in any pig-loving culture. Pigs relentlessly root ahead as they eat, as opposed to the backwards scratching of chickens and turkeys, and so are considered a symbol of progress. “And sauerkraut with pork was eaten for good luck on New Year’s Day, because, as the [Pennsylvania] Dutch say, ‘the pig roots forward’,
You eat pork that day because pigs root forward. It signifies moving forward in the new year and brings good luck.
I am making this today for first time..it was recommended to me by a friend that makes this to use Kluski egg noodles for even better taste than regular egg noodles..I found them in one of those natural markets but I heard walmart or some grocery stores carry them .
I think calling it haluski is the problem. I can never keep the Polish words straight. haluski, crusciki .. It’s all a blur. Everyone loves cabbage and noodles!
Now I need to give this a try! We love carbs, and we love cabbage – it has to be a winner :D
Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank so much for this! My grandparents lived in PA for most of their lives and she always makes this! This is awesome, whipping up a batch right now!
hi
Just hd halusky yesterday at a Catholic Church in Washington,Pa.Friday Fish Frys in Pgh are the best.Travelled from WV because its Lent!..No one down here has ever heard of such a thing.Thanks for the reciepe.
Yes fish frys are back in season! I also wonder if that’s a Pittsburgh thing because where I moved to, they don’t have fish frys here. They do celebrate Lent, just no fish frys.
We had this for Sunday lunch. This was very good and I know I’ll enjoy the leftovers for a lunch or two during the week.
I’m from south central PA and I definitely know what Haluski is! And a truly good haluski needs to be made with homemade noodles.
There is a town right across the river from my hometown 30 miles NE of Pittsburgh. Every year this tiny place has a festival called Ethnic Days where they serve all Eastern European dishes. Haluski and pierogies are always there. I think fish frys started maybe in Wisconsin. Chicago and Wisconsin have tons of restaurants that have fish fry EVERY Friday year round. I think VFW ones are best. I do think Western Pa. has lots of Eastern Europeans so those dishes are very popular there even tho Chicago has the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw.
This looks interesting. I’ve never had Haluski but it looks like a great Meatless Monday dish. Pinning this one too!
I made haluski a couple of times in the last 6 months for the kids at the pre-k center where I work. Something magical happened the last time I made it! I fell totally and completely in love with haluski, which I call Polish soul food! I think it is so good and such a down to earth, country, peasant food kind of dish. I applaud haluski!!! I too am from the Pittsburgh area (Washington, PA). As many people have stated, it’s very popular in this area and always on the menu at church functions, wedding receptions and during Lent. Long live haluski! If you haven’t tried it, what on earth are you waiting for???
Agreed! I love cabbage, and usually when I buy a head, I know it’s going to be enough for 4-5 recipes. And sure enough, one of those meals is definitely haluski.
I am a Pittsburgh girl gone South. (Moved to S.C. a couple years ago) I REALLY MISS all the ethnic food from Pittsburgh!!! So my recipe is the same as yours, only after cooking mine in the frying pan, I bake it in a blue speckled roasting pan for 30 40 minutes. To me, that gives it the “Friday Church Fish Fry taste” ! LOL (FYI- they NEVER heard of that either down here…) My family devours it- even the Californian daughter -in- law who’s never heard of any of my “Pittsburgh” dishes. But she sure liked the “Cookie Table” at her wedding- at my insistence!
I’m from Harrisburg, and growing up, we had Cabbage & Noodles about once a month as well. Too bad I didn’t have a taste for it when I was young. Thanks to people such as yourself, keeping it alive, I can get my fill now!
I grew up on the Hungarian version of this dish. It was simply chopped cabbage sautéed in bacon fat, with small pasta shells and lots of black pepper. Seeing this brings back very fond memories.
I love haluski!! I grew up near Pittsburgh and this was always on our table. Still a favorite ( I am making tonight) and definitely a staple during Lent!!
Oh absolutely during Lent! When I lived mid state for 4 years, nobody did the fish fries like Pittsburgh does. Now that I’m back, I can’t wait to start going to them again.
I tried your Huluski tonight for dinner; it was so good that it wasn’t around long enough to take a picture. Thanks for the recipe!
Always a good sign ;) Glad you had a great dinner!
I just made this for the first time and it was exactly how I remembered it when my aunt had me try it at an autumn festival in Bedford, PA. She said it was a common dish in PA and that’s all I needed to know to love it! She lives in Altoona and my grandparents lived in Rimersburg. I’ve spent a lot of time learning food dishes from that area to carry on family traditions. It keeps my grandparents close to my heart!
Oh I know all of those places you just listed! Glad this dish was able to bring back some fun memories :)
I know all those places too. I grew up in Johnstown and now live just outside Pittsburgh. My family is Ukrainian. I grew up on haluski, peroghi, halupki, vereniky etc. I just made this dish for the first time myself and its been probably 8 years since I’ve had my family’s. This is exactly how I remember it. Thanks for the nostalgia.
I have eaten cabbage and noodles since my kids were young. A babysitter taught us how to make it. I never knew what it was called until now. It’s just always been cabbage and noodles to us! A life saver for a single Mom of 3! Cheap meal, kids love it, what could be better? my kids are all grown and their kids are all grown but everyone still loves this simple dish!
Oh I absolutely agree! When I buy a head of cabbage, I can easily get several meals out of it (granted I’m only one person), and cabbage is cheap to begin with. When I don’t know what to make for the week, I usually end up with cabbage and making haluski.
Haluski is a Slovak dish in my family. Haluski is a potato dumpling. My Great Grandparents came here early 1920’s and Grandma Novak made it with the dumplings, sauerkraut and fried chopped bacon and onions. My father continues to make it and it is heavenly!!!!
Thanks, this is exactly how it is in my west coast Canadian family recipe. My great great grandpa came to settle right on the border just north of Seattle WA and was Polish.. My polish side of the family added cottage cheese at the end . the potatoes dumplings are small and similar to gnocchi but very wet dumpling consistency. Separately get bacon and onion until bacon is almost crispy and onion is caramelized. Poor all haluski into pot add cooked bacon n onion and then cottage cheese salt and pepper. This recipe can be time consuming as it can take awhile to cook off enough dough for a large family that had to have leftovers. It is almost better after its cool
And reheated. Thanks for sharing.
Oh interesting with the cottage cheese! I may have to try that some time.
In a simpler form, this is Hungarian peasant food. The version I grew up on was small macaroni shells mixed in with chopped cabbage fried in bacon fat, and lots of black pepper. Yum! Haven’t made that in years. The name is different in Hungarian also, but I don’t know how to spell it.
I grew up eating this in Texas; my Polish dad is from Pittsburgh! My mom made haluski at least twice a month. Love it! Still one of my favorite comfort foods.
Hi! I made this dish yesterday and it was really good! I was wondering if there is a side dish that you would recommend to eat along with it?
If you want to be a true Pittsburgher, the answer is pierogies ;) We usually eat garlic bread with it since it’s pasta, but you can also do a salad to help balance the butter. Or you can make the haluski as a side dish and serve something else for the main. Haluski is often served with fish for fish fries during Lent.
Have it with kolbassi! Very Pittsburgh.????
HOLY CRAP! Why have I never heard of this dish before? I made it for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! I sliced up some kielbassa and added it to the pan just before the cabbage and onion mixture was almost done and had it for a main course. I have enough left for another meal or two if I have it as a side. This dish WILL be made again! Ty so much “)
Love the idea of adding kielbasa! I’ll have to try that myself.
My father was Hungarian and I grew up on a version of this that I made just last week: macaroni shells with chopped cabbage that has been sautéed in bacon fat. Mix the pasta and cabbage together and add lots of black pepper. It’s about the only dish from my childhood that I still like and enjoy. It doesn’t need onion, garlic or anything else.
Love the addition of bacon fat!
Sorry to disappoint you but I grew up in Northern New Jersey and ate this all the time as a child. My father was first generation polish and my mother was from Denmark. We called this ‘Noodle Mush’ as a kit. My mother sautéed bacon and sliced kielbasa, removed from pan and into drippings sautéed onions and sliced cabbage until tender. A package of cooked egg noodles was tossed with the cabbage mixture and about a half stick of butter. A good tablespoon of caraway seeds and then the cooked bacon and kielbasa were tossed in Try it with the caraway seeds, I think it is the best part. Hope you enjoy my families version.
Thanks for sharing your version! I’m not a fan of caraway seeds, but I’m sure someone out there will read this and appreciate adding them :)
I’m from the Pittsburgh area and we have eaten Haluski as long as I can remember. One of my aunt’s made it for every family occasion we ever had. Her’s is the best! I don’t know what she does different. I have been so hungry for it since I seen this, so I’m making it right now.
Probably added a little bit of love ;) Glad this recipe brought you back memories!
I grew up in south central PA (Littlestown) and my Polish grandma used to make this all the time, although most of my friends didn’t know what it was. I love it!!
I’m making this now and it’s great because it’s so simple and tasty…I added a bit of bacon fat and am liking the flavor very much!
Love the addition of bacon fat! It makes everything better.
Halusky is a Slovak dish… Slovak, not Slovenian. I’m sure various Eastern European countries have variations. Love it!
My Slovak great-grandma made this ALL THE TIME! She was originally from the Rankin area of Pittsburgh. Then my great-grandparents moved out to the suburbs – North Huntingdon in 1959 after my great-grandfather had worked in the steel mills for over 30 years – last one was Irvin Works.
I grew up eating haluski, pierogies, stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage (the Slovak version truly has NO tomato sauce, but instead has sauerkraut and is thickened by a roux called “zhapraska” (sp?) Which is just a blonde roux with the addition of onions.
I LOVE PITTSBURGH!!! I miss my hometown all the time! I’ve lives in Los Angeles since I was 7…I’m now 46. I spent all my childhood summers in Pittsburgh though. I’m so thankful for that. Damn…now I want to go to Kennywood!!!
My hometown is North Huntingdon :) Small world!
This looks so simple yet delicious. We love buttered noodles in our family but I never knew that Polish tradition added the fried cabbage. I’ll have to give this variation a try.
I think you’re going to love it more than regular buttered noodles!
I love how simple this recipe is- only a few ingredients, but put together, it sounds beyond delicious! Definitely going to have to try it out!
One of the easiest dinners you can throw together!
I’ve never heard of this dish before but it sounds easy and delicious! I can imagine it’s a great base for some many variations as well!
I know a lot of people who add bacon to it as well.
I’ve so enjoyed reading all the memories of people growing up in PA and eating this dish.I am half Polish and grew up in northwest PA on the NY border.
I’m so anxious to make this dish for supper tomorrow night. We’re having roast beef and homemade applesauce with the cabbage and noodles. Company is coming!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sounds like a wonderful family dinner. Enjoy!
I live in Virginia now, but I’m an old Pittsburgh girl at heart. Two nights ago we made a huge roaster full of Hunky Hand Grenades (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) and being as I had one head of cabbage left over, I decided to make a big old pan full of Haluski. I think that yinz have the best recipe I’ve seen so I’m going to give it a try. Thanks.
Hunky Hand Grenades?! Now that’s a new name for me! I do the same thing with leftover cabbage. When in doubt, make haluski ;) Enjoy!
When I was growing up in central Pa about 10 mins from Harrisburg my family made this at the Bloomsburg fair every year as well as pierogies. All home made of course and it was made with the square homemade pot pie noodles and cabbage also had a little bit of a broth to it. Not soupy just enough to help it all stay moist and hot. It was amazing.
Oh interesting about the broth! I’ll have to try that and see how it goes.
Oh wow! I am so excited to try this Noodle recipe! Something different :) I have all three Ingredients .. can’t wait to try it! Yum
Let me know what you think!
Wow this is super easy and I bet it taste absolutely amazing. Love cabbage this time of year. I will save this recipe and put it on my next week family menu. My boys will love this I’m sure!
Keep me updated on how it goes!
Cabbage and noodles, what a great combination! I had never tried this until now but I love it :)
Thanks, Noelle!
I am half Slovak and grew up in Pittsburgh. My mother made halushki but with homemade dumplings. I do itnthe lazy mans way with store bought egg noodles. Secret to deliciousness is browning the cabbage and Visalia onion. My Irish daughter in law loves it.
Yes browning always makes it better! And don’t worry – I use store bought noodles too. Maybe some day I’ll try making my own, but that’s more of a weekend project.
Can I make this the day before and reheat in the oven?
I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure. I’m guessing it’ll dry out so you’ll have to add more butter. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t overcook your noodles. Another way is to cook the cabbage and onions ahead of time then cook the noodles and add them when ready to serve.
Hi, I’m from Minersville PA. My family has Slovak, Hungarian and Pennsylvania Dutch, roots. We grew up eating Haluski. I live in Washington state now..but I make it for my family and friends, and they love it. I remember my Mom making homemade pierogies also, but I don’t have the patience.
Ha I don’t have the patience for homemade pierogies either. I’m ok with others making it for me ;)
I learned about this tasty dish from my husband. He calls it halushka which is very similar to our last name: Haluska. One time a Polish woman at work saw my last name on my nametag and in a shocked voice asked me if I knew what my name meant. Yeah, I do,
Here’s a tip for anyone trying this for rhe first time. Do not skimp on the butter and salt.
Oh yes butter and salt is your friend! Also that’s funny with your last name. Love it!
My mother was originally from a small town near Pittsburgh and she used to make this for our family. The only difference when I make it is to cook the cabbage and onions until they start to brown and carmelize. That browning gives the finished dish a little more depth of flavor.
This is a dish from many eastern European nationalities, not just Polish. Anyone who has not tasted this should go get the ingredients and make it tonight. It is delicious.
Yes – the browner the better! Sometimes if I get distracted, I do end up caramelizing my cabbage and onions. So good.
I grew up with this. My entire family has. It’s been passed down through generations and I’m the only one left that can make it. My family does have Polish/Hungarian ancestry. My favorite memories is being in the kitchen with my grandma and making this with her. She used a slap chop because she like the cabbage finer. I also recommend salting the cabbage before cutting and squeezing it to remove excess moisture. This makes it cool faster and with more flavor. And pepper is a must. You can switch the butter out for oil if you want to be healthier. And yes, egg noodles. But I prefer the wide egg noodles. And if you want to be fancy, add bacon to this.
Great tip with salting the cabbage! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the recipe. I’m from Northwest PA and haluski is common here, too. It’s eaten by everyone, not just those with Eastern European heritage.
I’ve never made haluski before. But I decided to try to make it myself after my local Giant Eagle stopped selling frozen haluski in the local food section.
The only thing I did different from the recipe is that I browned the onion before adding the cabbage to the pot.
My daughter LOVES it and has already asked if I can make more in the future.
Browning onions helps bring more flavor, so great idea! Happy to hear you both enjoyed it.
The video lured me in!! I made it last night, and it’s delicious. I’ll try it with the kielbasa next time. So simple!!
Oh wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed it. And yes, people also love it with kielbasa and bacon.
Oh my Gosh Theresa Murray Wilted lettuce is my all time favorite! My mouth LITERALLY just started to water reading your comment lol!
Thank you for posting this recipe. My Grandmother, a first generation American, who’s parents were born in what is present day Slovakia, used to make this along with other delicious foods like Halupki, bogachals, paprikash, paska bread, kiffels, and so many more… Her parents immigrated to eastern PA and worked very hard. They never learned much in the way of the English language but left a legacy of children, grandchildren, traditions with family and kindness to everyone they met. One story I remember my mother telling me was that they never let anyone leave their house hungry. Not because they had money (they didn’t) or food (they had 10 kids so not much of that to spare either) but because they never knew if that visitor was going be be able to eat for the rest of the day and they wanted to make sure they had something to eat while they were at their house. To this day, the first thing I do when someone visits me, is break out a variety of food for them to eat – just in case they are hungry.
Thank you for sharing your story! I love how they and you always make sure everyone had enough food to eat.
I used this recipe as a base from directions I was given by a Polish man how to make this. I did not have to bake it at all, so I skipped the last steps but I did use the ingredients listed here and added some pulled pork and some bacon. I fried the onions and the meat in the butter, then broke up the meat, added the cabbage and some water and covered to cook about 10 minutes– meanwhile boiled the noodles, drained, and added to the pot, stirred well before serving. My family loved it, had seconds and is scarfing the rest for lunch. How can you go wrong with cabbage? Yum Yum
Love the idea of adding pork and bacon!
I’m making this now and it’s great because it’s so simple and tasty
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is the exact recipe I use, only we don’t bake it after mixing noodles & cabbage…and my family loves it.
I don’t bake mine either. Glad you like the recipe!
Read most of the posts here after finding this recipe I’ve been hunting for ages. Originally from Allentown, PA, with a former predominantly PA DUTCH culture, I had this at a summer school fair and loved it. Thinking it was of a PA Dutch background I could never find anything like it in recipes in the internet. Good old google found it for me today. Many think this a PA Dutch recipe but from others it sounds true Eastern European. The PA DUTCH are originally German in ethnicity but as EASTERN PA was the first melting pot prior to NYC the Germans there had many other ethnicities influence their foods and customs, especially the Eastern Europeans who settled in PA to work in the mines and factories. My mother made many things that originally come from Hungary and Poland, like stuffed cabbage, and Christmas kiffles, and nut roll. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Let me know what you think of the recipe!
Great combination! Look as a lazy meal but I could follow it usual. Thank for sharing this!
Yes, doesn’t take much effort to cook when you’ve had a long day!
I’ve been making “Hungarian Peas & Noodles” since the 1970s.
It’s basically halyshki with small can of drained peas, poppy seeds, and cottage cheese added.
Living 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh, I’ve enjoyed all the foods mentioned in posts from “Yinzers”🤗
Haven’t heard about adding peas before! I may have to try it.
This was fantastic, thank you! We enjoyed the seasoning, it gave it a nice extra kick. I made it with a sliced smoked beef sausage.
Love the idea of adding sausage!
This is the exact recipe I use, only we don’t bake it after mixing noodles & cabbage…and my family loves it.
Always a family favorite!
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. It was perfect, even on the second try. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Excellent straight-forward recipe. My grandmom made this when I was a kid (and my mom as well). She just called it “fried cabbage and noodles.”
I made it tonight and subbed in spaetzle in place of the egg noodles, and that works very well. I had a bit of bacon that needed using, so I fried that first, used the grease in place of some of the butter, and crumbled that on top at the end (with a little parsley!).
My wife had three helpings. :)
I like the idea of making it with spaetzle! Glad both of you enjoyed the recipe.
Great! So easy and convenient to do. Thank you much for sharing!
Happy to hear that!
I’ve never tried Haluski, but I followed this recipe on the weekend and my daughter loved it!
Glad you both enjoyed it!
My daughters love this, I will definitely try it your way, thank you for sharing. Looking forward to seeing more recipes. I’ll be back.
Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you for the recipe.
My grandma used to make Haluski for Lent but I would beg for it all year. I was reintroduced to Haluski when I moved to SW PA. You can get it there all year. Now I live in the PNW and nobody knows what it is. That is until now!
Sounds like it’s time to introduce PNW to haluski!
When done with cottage cheese,my other would fry the butter until it was dark without burning it then add the noodles and cottage cheese
I am very excited about this recipe! I love cooked cabbage but don’t cook meat and so I never know what to eat it with. I love cabbage. I love noodles. I love butter. I love onions. Let’s go!
Sounds like the perfect meal for you then! I also have cabbage soup (leave out the beef) https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2017/10/02/stuffed-cabbage-soup/ and cabbage noodles (substitute the shrimp with your choice of protein, perhaps tofu?) https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2015/01/05/thai-sweet-chili-shrimp-with-cabbage-noodles/
I started making this when you posted the recipe in 2020 – my husband LOVES it.
Thanks,
Sheila
Oh good! Glad both of you are enjoying the recipe.
I will make this when I get cabbage again. It looks great. Here it a dish my Stepmom taught me.
Cook angel-hair pasta, add grated garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese and black pepper, toss together. And dig in.
Thank you!
That pasta sounds easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I finally made this dish and we all loved it! Even my picky teenager. I ate it as a main course, and my son and husband ate it alongside their chicken. We had peas on the side (I actually stirred mine into the haluski–yum!). I’d say it makes 4 side servings, but not 4 main dish servings, but it ended up being just the right amount for 2 sides and one main dish. Very good dish and I love how simple it is, and versatile as a main or side, which makes it easy for my family of mixed non-meat and meat eaters. Thanks for another great recipe. p.s. Thanks also for the clear instructions for how to cut cabbage. Something so seemingly simple but I still needed someone to show me the right way to cut cabbage LOL!
Glad the whole family enjoyed the recipe!
I use bacon instead of butter. YUM!
Sounds like a delicious substitute!
My mom was from PA and her family was Polish so we were raised on “Cabbage and Noodles”. Its a dish my Japanese husband and Bolivian children LOVE! only difference is No onions are used, strictly cabbage, noodles and a whole lot of BUTTER
Ha yea I add onion to almost everything, but what’s great about haluski is how versatile it is.
My mom was from Braddock, PA, and would make this, but she always threw in a couple of beef bouillon cubes and would crush them up with the butter and serve this as a side dish with any beef dish, like a roast.
I bet the bouillon cubes added lots of extra flavor!
Growing up, my grandmother and eventually my Dad always made this for our family. Always served as a side to Swedish meatballs in brown gravy. YUM!
I searched for recipes, but none of the pics looked quite right. That is until I found your recipe. I guess my family was also into the black pepper. As soon as I seen your picture with the pepper sprinkled heavily I knew I found the recipe that would be close if not identical to my family’s recipe. It tasted exactly like I am used to.
The only thing missing were my dad and grandmother!
Thank you soooooo much!!
Ha yea my mom loved adding black pepper! Glad this is the version you were looking for.
I’m wondering if you deglaze the bottom of the dutch oven to get the good flavors caramelized at the bottom of the pot
No but you can certainly do it if you want.
I had Haluska for the first time at a fish fry in Delmont Pennsylvania. I fell in love instantly, and when my sister told me how easy it was to make, I was delighted. However, my husband doesn’t even want to be in the same room with cabbage he doesn’t like anything made with cabbage, so I make small amounts of Haluski for myself, it’s funny how just some noodles and fried cabbage will taste so good . thanks for this recipe and for the hints on how to cut cabbage. in the Chicago area, you are more likely to find macaroni and cheese as a side at fish fries.
I secretly don’t trust fish fries who don’t serve haluski LOL It’s just not the same!
My Polish sweetheart always added bacon and crushed carroway seeds to the mixture. Yum.
Sounds like great additions!
I am first generation Hungarian/American and married a man from Hungary who escaped during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.. I have been cooking Hungarian all my life. I visited my relatives in Hungary and this is how they make it too.
The Hungarian recipe for this dish does not use butter, it uses the bacon drippings from frying the bacon to cook the cabbage and onions. Cabbage is cut as if in coleslaw. almost shredded. And only use white pepper. Prefer FLAT noodles not the curly ones. Otherwise the method used if fine.
Thanks for sharing the Hungarian version!
I just read 75% of the comments here. LOVED all of them. My heritage is also Eastern European. Parents were from the Carpathian Mountains. Known as Lemkos. Apparently everyone has some kind of claim on halushki. Same dish, some with variations, but all from Eastern Europe. Wish I could meet every one of you personally. Brought back many beautiful memories.
Sounds like it! Every version sounds similar but also different.
Hi Carla. I had previously given you my version of Haluski, I have edit it, I stated after cooking onions, garlic in bacon drippings( yum), then adding cabbage. I had said I added poppy seeds, wrong ! I sprinkle caraway seeds ( big difference). Occasionally I will sprinkle bacon bits, not always. Thank you for accepting my revised recipe.
Poppy seeds could be interesting, but I know a lot of others use caraway seeds and bacon. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I followed your recipe exactly and my family loved it. Butter is the star here , so I used organic salted real butter!
Good call on the butter!
Thanks for the recipe. I am am nearby the Pittsburgh area. When it is not lent, I add cubed hame to mine. Sometimes I will use chicken broth to cut down on some of the butter and a pinch of brown sugar. Tasty dinner!
Sounds lovely with the ham!
Going to make it tonight.. my mom always made it!
Let me know how it turns out!
My grandma cooks chopped bacon first then cooks the cabbage in some of the bacon grease. Then adds cooked small bow tie pasta.. everyone loves it
Yea bacon seems to be quite popular!
I made this tonight, and my only issue was that I didn’t double the recipe. It was delicious
Happy to hear you enjoyed the haluski!
Where in south central PA? Haluski is definitely a thing for my half-Polish fam in Harrisburg! Or if you attend Eastern European church picnics. Pair it with some kielbasi and you’ve got yourself some good eats.
McConnellsburg
I sometimes stir in a sprinkling of brown sugar to the onions ,cabbage and butter before tossing in the noodles
Good idea! Helps it caramelize a little more.
I couldn’t remember how much butter to use as I’ve only made this dish once but ate it often when either of my grandmothers made it. Craving it so thanks for posting as I couldn’t find it in my Slovak-American cook book.
My grammy’s version was always sweet and savory as she would sprinkle about a 1/2C of sugar to the cabbage while it was steaming.
My other grandmother’s version took an extra step and used homemade egg drop noodles vs store packaged egg noodles. Those nooks and crannies really soaked in the buttery goodness.
I’ll have to try adding sugar to mine next time and see how goes!
This comment is about the recipe for haluski, the Polish dish made with sautéed cabbage and noodles. My grandmother was Hungarian and she cooked the same thing, only Hungarians call it “kapostás tészta” or cabbage noodles. She made it until she no longer cooked. Then my mother used to prepare it. I have tried making it myself, with mixed results. The last time, it tasted pretty much like theirs did. I’ve added about a tablespoon of sugar to the cabbage while it cooks. The trick is to get it really brown. At least that’s how I like it. I have ordered cabbage and noodles at various Hungarian restaurants and festivals, but it usually tastes too bland. The best version I ate was at a Czech holiday fair. It tasted the most like my grandmother made it.
Thank you for sharing your story!
Been eating Halushka for about 65 years. My mother m of course made it the best. But what I wanted to say about some left over cabbage.,First of fried cabbage and onions with bacon fried in That’s good but if u make that then get a large sweet potatoe cube it up throw in pan with cabbage , onions, bacon . OMG is it good
Sounds great with the sweet potato!
Hey Yinz guys!!!
Never heard of this until i moved to Pittsburgh in the late 80’s! I’m making it right now! I’m vegan and I’m using vegan butter and vegan “kielbasa” smells so good. I’m using wide eggless noodles. So good! Thanks for the basic recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am Lithuanian and have never made Halushki but this came out so good. So easy to do. I added some sausage since I didn’t have any bacon. Since it is Friday in Lent, I didn’t eat any of the sausage yet. Will have some tomorrow with the leftovers. Great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I live in Pittsburgh and I’m making it as I read this article. I was looking for a way to jazz it up a bit but stuck to the way I’ve had it. I’m pairing it with some lamb chops. the first time I had haluski was at the Greek food festival when I was younger and loved it. I only made it a few times. but I wish I would of made my beacon to get the grease from it to add some flavor to it like I’ve done in the past. Hope it turns out great without it.
It’ll still be great without the bacon! Hope you enjoyed it.
I was taught to make it with farmer’s cheese too.
I’ve heard of that addition too!
Where is the garlic??? I love garlic and lots of it!
Feel free to add it!
This was great! I’ve never had it before so can’t compare to what is “traditional” in various regions. It’s a very comforting, warming, filling dish. I know the recipe author doesn’t like caraway, but I can see how adding some caraway seeds would fit. Will be making again!
Yea if you enjoy caraway, it’s a great addition! Glad you enjoyed the haluski.
I am Slovak and from Ohio. This is comfort food for me. I grew up on it. It is something my Baba taught me to make when I was young.
Oh nice!
I think your recipe is the closest one to what my family has made since before I was born. The only thing we do different is we add cottage cheese. We boil the noodles, cook up the cabbage and onion. Then throw it all into a pot with butter, salt, pepper, and a 16oz container of cottage cheese. Now Because it has protein (from the cottage cheese) it becomes a full meal. I love it.
I’ll have to try it with cottage cheese!
Definitely not just a Pittsburgh thing. I grew up in Youngstown and this was a regular dinner for us. My mom would make home made noodles, but made them more like small dumplings. And of course, good kielbasa.
Oh nice!
It was delicious and I’m making it again. My husband loved it!
Wonderful! Glad you both enjoyed it.
I was a Pittsburgher, now live in SC. My maternal grandparents were from the old Czechoslovakia, the area they lived in is now Slovakia. This dish, halushki, is a favorite. My Baba made all her own noodles. I loved when she baked. The house would smell sooo good!! I married a guy of Hungarian background and make a lot of ethnic dishes. Favorites are chicken paprikas, stuffed cabbage, and a pork dish with rice, sour cream. Grew up in a borough called Munhall. And my husband is from West Mifflin.
Thank you so much! My grandma (a Pittsburger) used to make this for us all the time. My mom recalled the steps but not the ratios, and I’m so glad you posted this.
Glad you enjoyed the haluski!
I can’t wait to make this!!!
Let me know how it turns out!
This is the recipe I have always used…right down to lots of butter. thanks for sharing. Good to know someone else likes plain and simple. And oh so delicious!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
From Pennsylvania, by the way!
My grandmother taught me her version and I make it every year for New Year’s Day. It’s what you mentioned, frying bacon and then sautéing the cabbage in the bacon grease. We always added corned beef. A meal my family looks forward to every year.
I like the idea of adding corned beef!
Mon Valley born and raised! Definitely following you!
Happy to have you here!