Meltingly tender cabbage baked in a creamy sauce and finished with buttery breadcrumb, this delectable Cabbage Casserole recipe is an old-fashioned Southern favorite. Make it a new holiday tradition at your table!
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Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cabbage Casserole Recipe
- A Fancy Way to Enjoy a Humble Veggie. Is there any vegetable more humble than cabbage? (Rutabaga, perhaps.) We love it for Roasted Cabbage and Healthy Coleslaw, but there’s certainly nothing highfalutin about it—until you bake it in a rich white wine-infused cream sauce and sprinkle buttery panko on top. Cabbage, made glam!
- Perfect for the Holiday Table. Because casseroles are always a hit for the holidays. This cabbage casserole serves 8 to 10, and if we’re pairing it with Thanksgiving Turkey or Crockpot Ham and all those fabulous holiday sides, you can realistically squeeze a few more servings out of it, making it excellent for a crowd.
- Easy—and Easy to Make Ahead. This is a from-scratch casserole (no soup cans here!), but it’s still simple to put together. It relies on everyday ingredients you’re likely to have on hand. It’s also a recipe that gives you a good head start if you need one—just assemble it in advance and bake it on the big day.
How to Make Cabbage Casserole
The Ingredients
- Green Cabbage. Red cabbage is beautiful, but save it for Asian Cabbage Salad—the color will bleed into the cream sauce and make for an unappetizing casserole.
- Unsalted Butter. Butter brings out the best in cabbage.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic. Aromatics that build flavor in this cabbage casserole.
- Nutmeg. That little somethin’-somethin’ that makes cream sauces shine.
- All-Purpose Flour. This casserole has a roux-based sauce, so flour makes it thick.
- Dry White Wine. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are good options. To skip the alcohol, add extra broth.
- Broth. Mushroom broth will keep your cabbage casserole vegetarian, or use low-sodium chicken broth.
- Whole Milk. Whole milk creates a rich sauce. I don’t recommend swapping in a lower fat milk or plant milk.
- Breadcrumb Topping. Panko seasoned with salt and mixed with butter.
The Directions
- Prep the Cabbage. Remove the outer leaves and cut out the core.
- Slice. Cut the cabbage into thin strips.
- Cook. Sauté the cabbage and onion with the butter, salt, and pepper over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and nutmeg, cooking for a minute.
- Add the Flour. Sprinkle it evenly over the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a minute.
- Pour in the Wine and Broth. Slowly, slowly! This keeps lumps from forming in your sauce.
- Add the Milk. Increase the heat to a simmer, then turn off the heat after a minute. Stir in the milk and season to taste.
- Assemble and Bake. Transfer the cabbage to a baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top. Bake cabbage casserole at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown. Rest for 5 minutes, then ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Add Some Cheese. Nutty Parmesan would be a fantastic addition to this cabbage casserole. I recommend adding freshly grated Parmesan to the panko topping if you want to make it cheesy.
- Make It Herbaceous. Add finely minced fresh thyme to the cream sauce just before you begin streaming in the wine.
- Bacon It Up. Stir in cooked bacon (Air Fryer Bacon makes it easy!) before transferring the cabbage to the casserole dish.
What to Serve with Cabbage Casserole
- Pork. Breaded Pork Chops for an everyday kind of meal, or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin for a dinner party.
- Poultry. This Air Fryer Turkey Breast is perfection, and Baked Chicken Thighs would be fabulous too.
- Holiday Sides. You know the ones: Cornbread Stuffing, Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, and all your family’s faves!
- Grains. Hearty farro or wheat berries would be excellent pairings with cabbage casserole.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Deglaze the Pan. After you add the wine, make sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This adds a depth of flavor to the casserole.
- Use Freshly Grated Nutmeg. A pinch of ground nutmeg from a jar is absolutely fine, but freshly grated nutmeg is magical.
- Don’t Freeze Leftovers. While there are many casseroles that freeze beautifully (ahem: Corn Casserole), cabbage casserole is not one of them. The good news is that you can scale it down for a weeknight by halving the recipe, then use the other half of cabbage to make Cabbage Steaks.
Cabbage Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 8 -10 servings
This easy cabbage casserole recipe is the perfect holiday side! Tender cabbage baked with a rich, creamy sauce and crispy topping, it's delicious!
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Ingredients
For the Cabbage Casserole:
- 1 small head green cabbage
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- Pinch ground nutmeg optional
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine or additional broth
- 1 cup mushroom broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
For the Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Thinly slice the cabbage: Peel off and discard tough outer leaves. Stand the cabbage up on its stem, then carefully slice in half form top to bottom. Place one half on the cutting board flat side up and use the point of your knife to remove the core of the cabbage. Flip the cabbage over so it’s flat side down and very thinly slice the cabbage into strips. Repeat with the second half.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage, onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring regularly, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the cabbage mixture and cook, stirring, until toasty golden, and dry, about 1 minute.
- While stirring, slowly pour in the wine, then the broth, breaking up any clumps of flour and scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Increase the heat to a simmer. Let simmer 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Stir in the milk. Carefully taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer the cabbage mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the panko and salt. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden-brown. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Store leftover cabbage casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Do not freeze leftovers; they won’t thaw and reheat well.)
- TO REHEAT: Reheat smaller portions in the microwave or reheat the entire casserole dish in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Assemble up until the point of adding the topping, then bake the next day.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgPotassium: 324mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 599IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 1mg
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I didn’t know cabbage could taste this good. I also love how easy and simple this recipe is. I’m so glad I gave this a try. The only thing I did differently was add parmesan cheese on top. I served it together with roasted chicken for a complete meal. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m so glad you did too! Thank you Karen!
I wasn’t expecting much from a cabbage casserole, but this recipe blew me away. The combination of flavors was unexpected and delicious. It’s a great way to use up leftover cabbage and other veggies.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Jessica!
So yummy! I cooked my cabbage longer. I cooked it down until it was tender but not mushy. I added a sprinkle of fresh herbs for a pop of color, and it looked as good as it tasted. My family loved it, and there were no leftovers and that says it all! This casserole is a keeper!
Great to hear! Thank you Deborah!
This was a huge hit in my house! I didn’t have white wine, so I substituted with diluted white wine vinegar. The vinegar worked, but I bet that it’s even better with white wine.
Great to hear! Thank you Jessica!