This old fashioned cabbage casserole offers delicious tenderness alongside a satisfying crunchy topping.
This makes it an excellent low-carb choice for a vegetarian side dish or a meatless weekday meal that's enjoyable throughout the year.
Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
If you like this, you might enjoy my cheesy cabbage casserole recipe with tomato sauce too! Or browse through 40+ best cabbage recipes.
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Ingredients For Old Fashion Cabbage Casserole
- Green cabbage: I prefer regular green cabbage for its taste, but alternatives like savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage, or even red cabbage can be used in this recipe.
- Cream of mushroom soup: store-bought or homemade versions both work well. Alternatively, cream celery soup or chicken soup can be used.
- Mayonnaise: mayo is ideal for great texture and blending, but use thicker sour cream instead.
- Yellow onion: yellow onions caramelize nicely in the dish, but sweet onions can be used as a substitute.
- Butter: for smooth texture and for mixing the topping.
- Salt and black pepper: for a fun variation, try my homemade celery salt, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika (smoky or sweet), dried thyme, cayenne pepper, or chili powder.
- Cheese: mild or sharp cheddar cheese works wonderfully for its melting properties in the cabbage roll casserole. However, you can opt for other hard cheeses that melt well, such as gouda, gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, mozzarella, Swiss, or hard goat cheese.
- Crispy topping: I typically use schar or similar crackers (Ritz crackers) for the topping. Mix them with butter for a delightful topping. Please note that original Ritz crackers are not gluten-free.
- Related: Million Dollar Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers
How To Make Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
Saute cabbage. Chop the cabbage into coarse pieces. In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter.
- Related: Braised Cabbage
Add onion. Add the cabbage and onion, cooking for 8 to 10 minutes while stirring frequently, until it starts to cook down.
At the end of cooking, season the mixture with salt and pepper according to your taste.
Transfer the cooked cabbage mixture into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
Make the creamy sauce. Combine the mushroom soup and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring well.
Spread this mixture evenly over the cabbage.
- Related: Fried cabbage with bacon
Mix the topping ingredients. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, cheese, and cracker crumbs.
Sprinkle this mixture over the casserole.
Bake in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown.
Do You Need To Cook Cabbage Before Baking In The Oven?
- Cooking the cabbage before baking enhances its flavor significantly. While you can place the cabbage directly into the casserole, it will lack the additional depth of flavor.
- Sautéing the cabbage with onion in a skillet with butter will infuse flavor and caramelize the cabbage, enriching its taste.
Expert Tip
Sauteing cabbage reduces its volume and eliminates excess liquid. Skipping this step may lead to excess liquid, altering the flavor profile significantly.
Tips For The Best old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
- I like to chop the cabbage into larger pieces, around 1 ½ inches in cubes, as it tends to retain more juiciness and flavor.
- Want to make it more filling? Add 1-2 bags of cooked minute rice to your cabbage bake.
What To Serve With Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole
Storing Leftovers
- To Store. In an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. If you have leftover cabbage, check out my guide on how to store how to store cabbage.
- Make Ahead. If preparing in advance, it's best to keep the different components of the casserole separate. Precook the cabbage and combine the casserole ingredients following the recipe, excluding the cracker topping. Once assembled, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- When you're ready to bake, bring the dish to room temperature. If it is frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the cracker topping just before baking, then follow the baking instructions provided in the recipe
- To Freeze. For up to 2-3 months. Before enjoying, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the oven.
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Old Fashioned Cabbage Casserole With Crunchy Topping
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INGREDIENTS
For Casserole
- 1 ½ pound head green cabbage, 1 small head of cabbage, core removed
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 8 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 10-ounce can condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
For Topping
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 30 Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Saute cabbage. Chop the cabbage into coarse pieces. In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter.
- Add onion. Add the cabbage and onion, cooking for 8 to 10 minutes while stirring frequently, until it starts to cook down. At the end of cooking, season the mixture with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Transfer the cooked cabbage mixture into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- Make the creamy sauce. Combine the mushroom soup and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring well. Spread this mixture evenly over the cabbage.
- Mix the topping ingredients. In another bowl, mix the melted butter, cheese, and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over the casserole.
- Bake in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown. Let cool a bit and enjoy!
VIDEO
NOTES
- Mushroom Soup recipe.
- To Store. The ideal storage container for cabbage casserole is an airtight or any sealed glass or plastic container. When stored in this manner, the cabbage casserole can remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. If you have leftover cabbage check out these storage tips.
- To Freeze. When stored in a freezer-safe, airtight container, it can last for approximately 2-3 months in the freezer. When you're prepared to enjoy it, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the oven (preferably covered in foil) until it's thoroughly warmed.
- Make Ahead. If preparing in advance, it's best to keep the different components of the casserole separate. Precook the cabbage and combine the casserole ingredients following the recipe, excluding the cracker topping. Once assembled, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
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- When you're ready to bake, bring the dish to room temperature. If it is frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the cracker topping just before baking, then follow the baking instructions provided in the recipe.
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ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Common Reader Questions
If you require multiple servings, return the casserole dish to the oven set at 350°F and allow it to warm for approximately 10 to 12 minutes until it's heated through.
Alternatively, for individual servings, using the microwave is perfectly fine. While you might lose a bit of crispiness on the topping, the remainder of the cabbage will heat up wonderfully.
This recipe was adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen.
TAMARA R TROTTER
I have been making this casserole for years and never saute the cabbage and onion. Save yourself some time and dishes and skip that step just pour melted butter over cabbage and onion. Follow rest of recipe. Bake until bubbling. Delicious. Especially with pork.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
You could but sauteing cabbage before baking is a game changer!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
enjoy a good old fashioned cabbage casserole, so easy to make for dinner or as a tasty crunchy side!
Rose
My sister gave me this recipe years ago and it And it is some kind And it is some kind of wonderful
Julia
I'm glad you love this!