Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

This easy cheesy cabbage casserole with Ritz Crackers is an excellent vegetable side dish. Chopped cabbage is baked in a simple, creamy cheese sauce and topped with crushed Ritz crackers and cheddar cheese (truly a southern style tradition!). Here's what other have to say about it:

Rebecca said, "Came out great! I have had to rethink cabbage normally not a vegetable I eat but this recipe was awesome."

Ava commented, "Made this yesterday, all gone no leftovers! That never happens, so yes it’s a keeper!"

When I told my husband I was making a cabbage casserole, he cringed.  He isn't a fan of cabbage, but I'm a huge fan of this cruciferous superstar! I love it whether it's smothered with bacon or in a dreamy casserole like this one! 

Need an easy make-ahead chicken casserole? You should totally try my Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole! It also has a Ritz cracker topping and is out of this world!

Reasons to Love this Casserole

• I love how simple this dish is to assemble; with just a little bit of chopping and mixing, it'll be in the oven in no time.
• Cabbage is often an affordable ingredient, making cabbage casserole a cost-effective option. It's a great way to feed a family or a crowd without breaking the bank. 
• Southern cabbage casserole is versatile, comforting, and oh so homey. It's also make-ahead friendly so you can get a head start on the main attraction!
• Since cabbage is available year round at your grocery store or farmer's market, this is one of my staple casserole recipes. We love to eat it at church potlucks, for Sunday suppers, and it almost inevitably makes its way onto our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter spreads.  

Quick Summary of Recipe Steps

Am I the only one who usually looks at the recipe steps first? I like to see what's involved before I decide to make the recipe or not! So, here's a quick summary of how to make this cabbage casserole:

1. Put chopped cabbage, onions, and melted butter in a casserole dish.
2. Stir together the condensed soup, mayo, and seasonings.
3. Mix the soup mixture with the cabbage and onions.
4. Top with crushed crackers and shredded cheddar cheese.
5. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.

Ingredient Photo with Notes

Basic ingredients are all that's needed to put together this easy cabbage casserole!

Ingredient Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Try a different flavor condensed soup, such as chicken or celery.
• Instead of Ritz crackers, a follower suggested using crushed corn flakes instead. I love the idea!
• If you're feeling pressed for time, you can absolutely use a few bags of shredded cabbage and frozen chopped onions. Just know that the smaller pieces of cabbage will slightly change the consistency of the final dish and will cook more quickly than their chopped counterparts.

Additions

• Add 1 pound cooked and drained ground beef (or sausage) to the casserole before baking. You can also add cooked and cubed ham!
• Sprinkle some crumbled cooked bacon on top to add a smoky, savory flavor to your cabbage casserole.
• Chopped nuts like almonds, cashews, or pecans can provide a delightful crunch and a hint of nutty flavor. Scatter them on top before baking.
• For some heat and extra flavor, add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes to the soup-mayo mixture.
• Try adding ½ teaspoon of dry will deed to the soup-mayo mixture (a reader suggested this!).
• A reader told me that she likes to add some shredded carrots for a little sweetness. Sounds fantastic!

Uses for Leftover Ingredients

You won't have a lot of leftover ingredients, but you will have some leftover Ritz crackers, so let's use them up in another side dish, an entree, or with an appetizer!

As a crunchy topping: Buttered Ritz cracker crumbs are perfect atop this Southern Green Bean Casserole.

As a binder: Use those extra crackers to make my Ritz Cracker Meatloaf! Irresistible!

With an appetizer: Sturdy enough to hold a scoop of this Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Dip!

Recipe Steps with Photos

Here are some pics of the easy recipe steps. For the detailed instructions, please use the Recipe Card!

Tips You Should Know

The cabbage will have a slight crunch after baking is complete.  If you like a softer cabbage texture, pan fry the cabbage for 5-8 minutes before proceeding to the next step.

If you prefer softer onions, consider finely mincing them or sauteing them before putting the casserole together.

Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids.  Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids from Bayco, available now on Amazon.

Easy Meal Plan

Make it a meal! Pair this cozy casserole with my savory Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops and finish it off with a serving of warm and fruity Peach Cobbler. Its an easy, comforting meal plan perfect for holidays or Sunday supper.

Best Way to Cut Cabbage

Here are my best tips for cutting up a whole cabbage:

• First, remove the hard core. The easiest way to do this is to bang the head of cabbage onto your countertop. Be sure to slam the core end of the cabbage onto the counter (one or two tries should do it). This will release the core and you can easily remove it with a twist of your hand.
• Now you can easily slide your knife down the center of the cabbage, cutting it in two equal pieces.
• Slice one cabbage half lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Then slice the strips into 1-inch cubes. Repeat with the other cabbage half.

Of course there are other ways to chop cabbage, so I've added this handy video of How to Chop Cabbage.

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Recipe

Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

Cabbage casserole with a creamy sauce and cheesy cracker topping. This southern cabbage casserole recipe is perfect for any large get together and is a great side dish. Goes great with ham and turkey! 

4.73 from 54 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Anne Clark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 head cabbage, chopped into 1-inch squares or strips See Recipe Note
• ▢ 1 stick butter, halved, melted
• ▢ 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) See Recipe Note
• ▢ 1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• ▢ ½ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ dash of cayenne, optional
• ▢ 1 cup shredded cheddar
• ▢ 1 sleeve ritz crackers, roughly crushed (not too fine, you want bits and pieces of crackers)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• For best results, please read the directions and notes before you begin making the recipe.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Rinse head of cabbage under cool water first then dry it.  Remove and throw away the hard core. Chop the cabbage into 1-inch squares or strips.  See recipe note (E).
• Place cabbage and chopped onion into a large casserole dish (9 x 13-inch).  Pour half a stick of melted butter over the cabbage. Mix well.
• Mix the soup, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl.  A whisk works well for this.
• Pour into the casserole dish and mix well with the cabbage.
• Mix the crushed crackers and cheese and pour on top of the soup mixture.
• Drizzle the remaining ½ stick melted butter on top of the cracker and cheese mixture.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until the cracker topping is crispy browned.

Notes

(A) The cabbage will be slightly crunchy after baking is complete.  If you like a softer cabbage texture, pan fry the cabbage in a little oil or bacon grease for 5-8 minutes before putting the casserole together.

(B) If you finely chop the onion (i.e., mince it), you don't need to saute it first. I like to mince the onion, but some people prefer larger pieces of onion, in that case, consider cooking the onion in a skillet or microwave to soften it up. 

(C) Store cooked cabbage casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

(D) You can freeze cabbage casserole but the texture of the cabbage and the Ritz cracker topping may become slightly mushy after freezing and reheating, but the flavor should remain good. You can freeze it in an airtight container for 2-3 months. You can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the oven at 350°F until heated through, which typically takes about 20-30 minutes depending on the portion size.

(E) Easy cabbage core removal trick:

• • The easiest way to do this is to bang the head of cabbage onto your countertop. Be sure to slam the core end of the cabbage onto the counter (one or two tries should do it). This will release the core and you can easily remove it with a twist of your hand.

• • Now you can easily slide your knife down the center of the cabbage, cutting it in two equal pieces.

• • Slice one cabbage half lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Then slice the strips into 1-inch cubes. Repeat with the other cabbage half.

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Nutrition

Serving: 4.7oz | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg