Cabbage and ham is a classic combination of flavors. The tender, sweet cabbage paired with the saltiness of the ham is a marriage meant to last forever. In the recipe below, we cook the whole head of cabbage on a bed of ham in the slow cooker.

It takes only 10 minutes to prep, and in three hours you'll have the perfect side dish, or you can eat it as the main course, as I often do. The ham is mixed with onions and garlic. As the cabbage slowly cooks, it releases its natural juices, and the ham slowly simmers and makes a sort of sauce. The fresh lemon juice brightens the whole dish, while the butter adds just the right amount of nuttiness.

2 cups small-diced ham
1 medium onion, small diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon pepper
1 head cabbage
3 tablespoons softened butter
¼ teaspoon salt

1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, add ham, onion, garlic, lemon juice and pepper. Mix well.

2. Take out the cabbage.

Peel the outer layers of the cabbage.

Slather butter all over the cabbage.
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Then sprinkle evenly with salt.

3. Place cabbage in the center of the slow cooker over the ham mixture.

4. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. The cabbage should be glistening!

5. Gently remove cabbage from slow cooker. Cut in half, and then into wedges.

Spoon ham mixture over each wedge and serve.

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