Delicious and tender with plenty of crunch, this easy cabbage casserole makes a great vegetarian side dish and a meatless weekday meal all year round.

Vegetables get way more exciting when you know how to cook them – and this cabbage casserole recipe is the perfect example of that. It’s not only good for you, but this creamy, rich dish tastes great too!

Baked cabbage recipes like this one are packed full of essential nutrients, goodness, and flavor. Plus, with a few extra ingredients, can be easily transformed into filling mains or familiar sides that are easy to make, but deliver big when it comes to taste.

Ingredients Needed for Cabbage Casserole

• Green Cabbage: I use regular green for the taste, but savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage, or even red cabbage can work for this recipe.
• Cream of Mushroom Soup: You can use store-bought or homemade. Alternatively, you can use cream of chicken soup (homemade or store-bought).
• Sour Cream: In a pinch, mayonnaise will work just fine in this casserole.
• Yellow Onion: I find these caramelize better within the dish, but you can use white onion in a pinch.
• Butter and Olive Oil: for that silky mouthfeel.
• Salt and Black Pepper: I think these seasonings work well on their own, but if you want to vary the flavor or adapt to your tastes, try using garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika (smoky or sweet work best for this), dried thyme, cayenne pepper or chili powder in the mix or use dill or parsley to garnish.
• Cheese: Cheddar cheese is great for melting in the cabbage casserole, but you could use any hard cheese that melts well, like gouda, gruyere, Monterey Jack, mozzarella cheese, Swiss, or hard goat cheese.
• For the Topping: A mixture of butter and crackers (I use Ritz, but you can use any you have to hand).

How to Make Cabbage Casserole

Prepare the Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Lightly grease your casserole dish – I recommend using a 9×6.5 inch casserole or baking dish.

Slice your head of cabbage and chop the onion. Don’t cut too small – you want them to hold their shape as the casserole is cooking.

Crush the crackers. You can do this with a rolling pin inside a bowl or, for a cleaner approach, in a Ziplock bag. In a small pot or in the microwave, melt the butter. Mix the melted butter with the crackers until the mixture begins to stick together.

If needed, shred the cheese.

Precook the Cabbage

Then, heat the oil and the butter in a large, non-stick pan. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and cook for a further 5-8 minutes. Stir frequently until the cabbage has wilted and partially cooked.

Chef’s Tip: one of the easiest ways to make cabbage casserole taste even better is to precook the cabbage rather than adding it raw to your casserole dish. Adding salt to the pan (like I do) will make it wilt quickly and make it a lot easier to work with when you’re assembling your casserole. You really will notice a difference in taste!

Assemble and Bake

Next, transfer the cabbage mixture to the casserole dish. Add the soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese (save 1/3-1/2 of the cheese to top your casserole). Mix them to incorporate and level off. Sprinkle the casserole with the rest of the cheese and then cover with the cracker crust.

Bake at 350ºF/175ºC for 30 minutes or until the topping has turned golden brown.

How to Serve Cabbage Casserole

Never fear if you’re wondering what to serve with cabbage casserole – this versatile dish fits easily with your everyday menus.

• Pair it with an ordinary weekday protein for a deliciously comforting main meal – try with chicken (either roasted or fried), salmon, meatloaf or short ribs.
• Alternatively, if you want to make it a main dish, serve it alongside roasted or boiled potatoes and bacon.
• Swap out the fresh boiled cabbage with corned beef for this tender casserole for a boost of flavor from a favorite.
• If you want a fully vegetarian meal, try pairing it with cauliflower steaks, tofu, beans, lentils and rice, or BBQ jackfruit.
• If serving this casserole as part of a selection of side dishes, it works best with other comforting favorites of the dinner table like macaroni cheese, potato salad, gratin potatoes, roasted winter vegetables, or mashed potatoes.

How Long Is This Cabbage Casserole Good For? 

Cabbage casserole is best enjoyed when hot and fresh out of the oven. But, if you do have leftovers, they’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep them in an airtight container.

You can reheat it in the oven or the microwave at a lower temperature until it’s warmed through.

Can Cabbage Casserole Be Frozen?

To freeze your cabbage casserole, allow the dish to come to room temperature before transferring it into a freezer-safe bag or into airtight containers. It’ll keep for up to 6 months, but I recommend eating before then – cabbage freezes very well, but the addition of soup can change the texture of the casserole when reheated.

Allow the casserole to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. I recommend putting it in the oven or microwave at low heat to get it piping hot before serving. It’ll also turn the topping crunchy again.

Can You Make Cabbage Casserole Ahead of Time?

If you’re making ahead, keep the component parts of the casserole separate. Precook the cabbage and combine the casserole ingredients as per the recipe but don’t add the cracker topping yet. Once assembled, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

When ready to bake bring to room temperature (first, if frozen, let thaw in the freezer overnight, add the cracker topping, then bake as per the instructions.

More Vegetarian Casserole Recipes

• The Easiest Corn Casserole
• Vegetable Casserole
• Pineapple Casserole

If you try this cabbage casserole recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!