Foodie Fridays: Noodles with Cabbage and Ham

From Lillian's Cupboard

Noodles with Cabbage and Ham is a real comfort food.  My version is based upon a classic Eastern European dish called halushki.  This recipe makes a lot, so be sure to use a very large boiling pot and frying pan.  The latter should be at least 12 inches, and preferably larger if you have one, or you can cook the cabbage in two batches.  I used Mueller's whole grain yolk-free noodles, but of course any type will do.  If you don't like caraways seeds you can leave them out, but they are the main flavoring for this otherwise rather bland dish, so you may want to add another seasoning -- poppy seeds or dill would probably work.  The flavor actually gets better if you let this sit for about 15 minutes before eating (if you can wait that long!).

Noodles with Cabbage and Ham

12 oz. wide noodles, cooked and drained
8 oz. package ham strips
4 T. butter
2 T. oil
2 16-oz. bags coleslaw mix (any variety)
4 scallions, sliced
1 T. caraway seeds
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste

Combine the cooked noodles and the ham in the noodle pot.  Heat the oil and 2 T. butter in a very large frying pan over medium heat.  Sauté the coleslaw mix until it begins to soften, then stir in the scallions, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper.  Pour the cabbage mixture into the pot with the noodles and ham, add the remaining butter, and stir together until the butter is melted.  Let the pot sit for about 15 minutes, loosely covered, then serve.  Serves 6.