Cabbage Casserole

Tender, chewy, and surprisingly filling, this simple cabbage casserole makes for the perfect side dish. Just make sure not to overindulge, as it is so filling that it can easily take the place of your main meal if you aren’t careful!

Looking for something to serve alongside your cabbage casserole why not this Grilled Chicken Breast recipe? Or pair your cabbage with some delicious Grilled Halibut!

Cabbage Casserole

Crunchy, nutritious, and surprisingly filling, this cabbage casserole is all about providing a vegetable-rich side dish that feels like it it shouldn’t be healthy.

With plenty of mayo, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and a whole lot of cheese, this is the kind of side dish that you almost think should be a main meal on its own.

Could You Use Different Types Of Cabbage

This recipe calls for the use of some good old-fashioned green cabbage, which is basically sold anywhere any kind of vegetable would be.

However, while green cabbage would certainly be the more traditional for this kind of recipe, you could honestly use whatever kind of cabbage you want or that you can easily get a hold of.

This means that if you wanted to use white cabbage, for more a gentler, slightly sweeter flavor, you absolutely could.

You could also use red cabbage, but keep in mind that red cabbage has a tendency to leech its color into everything it touches, so you can expect every part of your casserole to turn into a bright, deep red or purple.

What Is The Benefit Of Pre-Cooking The Cabbage Before Baking?

Cooking your cabbage in advance of cooking anything else might seem like a bit of a waste of time, especially considering this casserole bakes for a full 30 minutes – isn’t that enough time for the cabbage to cook?

Well, while the 30 minutes in the oven probably would make the cabbage sufficiently cooked so as to be edible, the cabbage would lack a ton of flavor without the additional bit of cooking beforehand.

That little bit of cooking the cabbage and the onions together at the start adds a huge amount of flavor to the whole casserole, adding a ton of browning and caramelized flavor that you would otherwise totally miss if you didn’t cook it a little at first.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the little bit of cooking at the start helps to evaporate and break down the cabbage, making for a way better texture in your finished casserole. If you skipped the cooking step, you would get a lot of extra water sitting in your casserole that would make everything unpleasantly soupy.

Could You Use Bread Crumbs For The Topping Rather Than Crackers?

The Ritz crackers in this recipe add plenty of crunchy goodness to the top of this casserole, which provides not only that all-important textural contrast, but it also provides a bed for the melted cheese on top.

However, if you aren’t a fan of the lightly oily and salty taste of Ritz crackers, then why not consider using some regular breadcrumbs instead?

Any old canned breadcrumbs would work perfectly fine, but some crumbled and ground-up crusty, stale bread would absolutely work as well. Just make sure to add a little bit of salt to help compensate for the lost saltiness by not using Ritz crackers.

Why Not Try Different Cheeses For The Topping

One of the best ways to customize casseroles like this one is to change up the cheese used. Just by changing one cheese type for another, you can dramatically affect the smokiness, nuttiness, or richness of the whole meal with very little effort!

Here are a few different types of cheese for you to choose from, giving you the freedom to play around with your casserole a bit and end up with something perfect for your tastes.

• Pepper Jack Cheese

In a lot of ways pepper Jack is similar to cheddar, and so it works great when used as a topping for your cabbage casserole. Pepper Jack has the same sharpness as cheddar, however, unlike cheddar, pepper jack also has a peppery tang which adds is perfect for adding a little heat to your casserole.

• Gouda

Gouda has a more distinct flavor which some people love and others do not. If you fall into the former category and want to add a smokiness to your cabbage casserole try using it in place of cheddar for the topping.

For a slightly milder effect, you could also try using a 50/50 blend of gouda and cheddar as well!

• Monterey Jack Cheese

Monterey Jack is a popular melting cheese and is typically found in Tex-Mex dishes but can also be used for dishes like this cabbage casserole.

The slightly milder taste of Monterey Jack is ideal if you are not a fan of the sharpness of cheddar but still want a melty cheesy topping for your casserole. 

Looking for more delicious Side Dish recipes? Try these out:

• Honey Butter Skillet Corn

• Squash Casserole

• Creamy Spinach Casserole

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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