How to Cook Ham & Cabbage in a Slow Cooker

If you're in the mood for a bowl of hearty stew, follow this quick and easy Crock-Pot ham and cabbage stew recipe. Just throw the ingredients into the appliance in the morning, go about your day and come back to a piping hot slow cooker ham and cabbage stew.

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The USDA explains that slow cookers, including Crock-Pot, cook food slowly at low temperatures that usually range between 170 and 280 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking food in a slow cooker is safe, provided you follow certain food safety guidelines. For starters, you need to ensure that your cooker, utensils, workspace and hands start out clean.

Next, the ham should be completely thawed before you attempt to cook it in the slow cooker. It should be stored in the fridge right up until the time that you're ready to prepare it.

This is necessary because slow cookers can take hours to reach a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria, which tend to thrive at room temperature. Keeping the ham in the fridge and making sure it's thawed before you cook is a smart move. Doing so can help reduce the window of time that the bacteria have to multiply before the temperature inside the slow cooker is high enough to kill them.

The University of Minnesota notes that soups and stews cooked in a slow cooker should reach a temperature of 165 degrees to be considered safe for consumption.

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The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies lists a recipe for ham and cabbage stew. The recipe is compatible with the modified keto diet and the modified Atkins diet, which are less restrictive forms of the original regimens.

You will need:

• 1 ½ pounds of ham
• 1 medium-sized head of cabbage
• ½ cup of carrots
• ½ cup of yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• Herbs and spices, per your preference

Follow these steps to make Crock-Pot ham and cabbage stew:

• Prep the ingredients: Chop the ham, cabbage, carrots and onions into small, bite-sized pieces.
• Pick your herbs and spices: The Charlie Foundation suggests using garlic, fresh herbs, curry powder or chili peppers, depending on your preference. You can use any combination of spices; cabbage absorbs flavor very well and every combination will lend the soup a unique flavor profile.
• Put the ingredients in the slow cooker: Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Add water per the manufacturer's instructions. The University of Minnesota notes that the water level should cover all the ingredients to ensure that they cook properly.
• Let it cook: Set the timing and temperature per the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't want to make this stew in a slow cooker, you can also simmer it over the stove or cook it in a pressure cooker.

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According to the Charlie Foundation, this recipe provides 25 grams of protein, 7 grams of carbs and 20 grams of fat. If you're on the keto diet, you can add more butter or ghee to it, to meet your nutritional requirements.