Savoy cabbage casserole with meatballs

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 1 kg savoy cabbage
• 750 g potatoes
• 50 g ham, diced
• 500 ml water, with 5 tbsp salted vegetables or:
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 200 g cream cheese spread
• 1 tbsp, heaped butter, cold
• 1 tbsp, heaped flour
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 500 g minced meat, mixed
• 30 g onion(s)
• 1 tbsp, heaped mustard
• 1 tbsp, heaped tomato paste
• 1 egg(s)
• 75 g breadcrumbs
• 200 g cheese, grated
• Oil for the pan

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

For the meatballs, place the minced meat in a bowl. Dice the onion and add it to the minced meat along with the mustard, tomato paste, egg, and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients together. Form the meatballs into balls and fry them briefly over low heat. Remove from the pan and set aside. For the casserole, remove the outer leaves of the savoy cabbage. Halve the savoy cabbage, remove the stalk with a knife, and cut the leaves into strips. Fry the ham cubes in a little oil. Add the savoy cabbage and let it wilt slightly with the lid closed. Then set aside. Clean, peel, and dice the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Pour in 500 ml of water and season with 5 tablespoons of salted vegetable stock, or pour in 500 ml of vegetable stock. Heat the water and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and melt the cheese into the sauce. Season the sauce with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the cold butter and stir to melt. Place the potatoes in a casserole dish. Sift the flour through a coffee sieve onto the sauce mixture, pour it over the potatoes, and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then stir the prepared vegetables and meatballs into the potatoes. Cool the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit) and return the casserole to the oven for another 15 minutes. Just before the end of the baking time, sprinkle with the grated cheese and finish baking.