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!"
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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:
- Put chopped cabbage, onions, and melted butter in a casserole dish.
- Stir together the condensed soup, mayo, and seasonings.
- Mix the soup mixture with the cabbage and onions.
- Top with crushed crackers and shredded cheddar cheese.
- 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!
Cabbage - one small head of cabbage is all you need. Believe me, once chopped, it's a lot of cabbage! The cabbage will be crispy when you take the casserole out of the oven. If you want the cabbage to be softer, you can pan fry it first.
Canned cream of mushroom soup and mayonnaise - mixed together for a super creamy sauce that clings to all the cabbage pieces perfectly with almost no effort.
Chopped white onion - I prefer to finely mince the onion for this recipe; minced onion will soften as it cooks with the casserole. If you prefer larger bits of onion, that'll work, too. Tip: Consider cooking the chopped onions to soften them up before putting the casserole together.
Crushed Ritz crackers and grated cheese - mix these two together to add a wonderfully crunchy cheesy topping that's wildly familiar on any southern casserole. You can use mild or sharp cheddar cheese.
Seasonings - salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper for a little kick!
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 with Fresh Peaches. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you get the head of cabbage home from the store, keep it wrapped in the original plastic. Place in your crisper compartment in your fridge. It should stay fresh for a week (possibly 2 weeks but I recommend using it within a week of buying it).
There are many cabbage casserole recipes that call for cooked ground beef. So, if you're interested in a more hearty cabbage casserole that's also a meal, add 1 pound cooked and drained ground beef (or sausage) to the casserole before baking. I would also suggest adding ½ cup beef broth to ensure the casserole doesn't get dry from the beef. Bake as directed.
You sure can! If you are making this a day ahead of time, go ahead mix all the ingredients (steps 1-6 of the recipe card below). But be sure to reserve the cracker and cheese topping until you are ready to bake it.
Sausage is a great main entree to serve with cabbage. Try my easy Brats in the Oven recipe. Super easy sheet pan recipe! It also goes well with ham, turkey, and salmon!
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Recipe
Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
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)
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
-
- 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.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November 2020 and was updated in April 2025.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Deborah says
We loved it. My husband is big ground sausage guy (like Bob Evans), browned first, added to cabbage mix. I also added dry dill weed to sauce...dill is good with cabbage!
Anne Clark says
Hi Deborah. I love your suggestion of adding ground sausage and dill! My husband loves sausage too so I’ll try that next time. Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I’m glad y’all liked the recipe 🙂
Dawn says
I never heard of cabbage casserole until my new husband mentioned it. Delicious & low carb! Will definitely make more.
Anne Clark says
Thanks, Dawn 🙂 I’m glad y’all liked it!
Dotty Nix says
We liked this cabbage casserole recipe very much. If you don’t like cabbage, you will still like this casserole! Very easy and very tasty!
Anne Clark says
Thank you, Dotty! I’m glad you liked it. It’s easy to like it, right 🙂
Carrie Chastain-Little says
Do you have another soup suggestion for people who don’t like mushrooms?
MyKitchenSerenity says
Hi Carrie. Thanks for your question. You can use cream of chicken soup as a substitute.
Kathy says
I used cream of onion because that’s all I had. It was tasty!
Anne Clark says
Sounds great, Kathy! I’ll have to remember that next time I make it 🙂
Debbie says
I did not like the crunchy taste of this dish. I would like it better soft. Was really hoping to like this!!
Anne Clark says
I'm sorry it did not work for you, Debbie. For softer cabbage, did you pre-cook the cabbage as mentioned in the recipe card? The recipe states to boil or pan fry the cabbage first if softer cabbage is preferred.
Paul and Natalie Steele says
Added 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. allspice and cloves, wow so tasty.
MyKitchenSerenity says
Thanks for the additions. Sounds good! Glad you enjoyed the casserole!
LaDell says
Had never had cabbage casserole before until this week. So I went looking for a recipe and found yours. Can’t wait to try it; however, I have one question. Do you sauté the onion or just add it raw to the dish?
MyKitchenSerenity says
Hi LaDell. Thanks for your question. I don’t sauté the onion. If you finely chop it, it will soften as it bakes. I’m glad you found my recipe and I hope you like it! Let me know 🙂
Rosalind Dunlap says
Could I put foil on and cook for a little while to soften the cabbage and then uncover and add the cracker chesse mixture and finish baking
Anne Clark says
Hi Rosalind. I haven’t tried that but I believe it would work fine. For me, I usually boil the cabbage for a few minutes beforehand. Let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Sherry says
Casserole was delicious, The creamy mixture was clambered. What happened? I mixed soup, mayonnaise and half the melted butter together and pored over top the cabbage and onions.
Anne Clark says
Hi Sherry. Thanks for your comment and question. The only reason I can think of is you said you mixed the soup, mayo, AND melted butter together. Actually, we would only mix the soup and mayo together and pour that over the cabbage and onions. Followed by the crushed cracker and cheese mixture. Lastly, we would drizzle the remaining 1/2 stick of melted butter on top of the cheese-cracker mixture. Hope this helps. Thanks for trying my recipe!
Ramona says
Awesome!!! Love it and make it on a regular basis now.
MyKitchenSerenity says
Thank you so much for your comment, Ramona. I’m happy you liked the recipe!
Steph says
Made it with leftover matzo from Passover, as I want going to the store bc of Covid. Good stuff!
MyKitchenSerenity says
Thank you so much for your comment, Steph. I'm glad you liked the recipe!
Aureny Garcia says
I Loved it. Thank u for sharing.
MyKitchenSerenity says
Thank you so much for your nice comment, Aureny! I'm glad you liked it.
Pat says
Love cabbage casserole! When I make cabbage casserole I use crushed corn flakes instead of crackers and the sauce is 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup milk and 1 cup graded cheddar cheese heated in a saucepan till the cheese is melted stirring mixture so as not to scorch it. Layer crushed corn flakes in bottom of casserole dish , spoon melted butter over flakes add cabbage and onion, pour sauce over this layer, cover with crushed corn flakes, sprinkle melted butter over corn flakes and bake in 350 oven till bubbly (about 25 minutes).
MyKitchenSerenity says
Thanks for your version, Pat! We love all kinds of cabbage casseroles 🙂
Kay says
Making this recipe now. Converting to keto friendly. No cracker crumbs or mushroom soup. Whipping cream for coup. Added little sour cream. Browning ground beef to add for one dish meal. So yummy I'll bet!! Added cayenne dash.
MyKitchenSerenity says
Hi Kay! Your keto version sounds delicious! I hope you let me know how it turns out. Thank you for sharing!
Cindy says
This was delicious! My husband and I loved it. I just added shredded carrots to it. Thank you for the recipe.
MyKitchenSerenity says
So glad the two of you enjoyed it, Cindy! Adding shredded carrots sounds really good! I'll have to try that soon.
Judy says
My mother makes this casserole every year for the holidays! I always enjoy it and look forward to it.