Cheesy Cabbage Casserole Recipe

Name: My Grandma Neva’s Cabbage Casserole Is the Best Thing She Ever Made
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing baking dish; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 medium-large head cabbage (2 1/2 pounds), shredded; 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (32 crackers); 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided; 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of celery soup; 1 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

My Grandma Neva was not the kind of grandma most chefs wax nostalgic about. When I was very little, my Mom told me that Grandma “lost her sense of taste and smell in a motorcycle accident.”

She compensated for this loss by throwing a little sugar into everything, and she liked to add “excitement” by adding food coloring to her recipes. Her bright pink sweet potatoes and bluish-green sliced sweet pickles are dishes I just couldn’t eat, despite my Mother’s urging to be polite. To her credit, though, she did make excellent peanut brittle.

So, it was a great relief when she served something that wasn’t unnaturally colorful. The day she served us this cheesy cabbage casserole, I was drawn to the topping of buttery Ritz crackers and cheddar cheese.

Ritz crackers were only brought out for fancy gatherings at our house, so it had cachet, and cheddar, it goes without saying, is always good. When I spooned up some of the casserole, it appeared to be a creamy, soft vegetable, and that was a good thing. I loved it, not just because it seemed safe, but because it really was good.

With all that cheese, how could it not be?

Cheesy cabbage casserole with a crunchy topping served in a baking dish with a serving spoon — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

Making Grandma’s Recipe My Own

Grandma Neva didn’t enjoy cooking for us, in part because she thought we were “too picky.” But when I told her that I liked the casserole, she talked me through the recipe. It made her happy to share it with me, and I’m glad that I asked. She didn’t make it again, so it’s been up to me to keep it going since then.

I’ve recreated the recipe from my memory of what I ate and based on what she told me. She said that cooking the cabbage before putting it in the casserole was optional, but I always do it so it won’t be watery. I want the silky texture of the cabbage to melt in my mouth, so the sauté is important.

As a shortcut, if you are pressed for time, you can use pre-shredded cabbage in this recipe. Just be sure to use green cabbage—you’ll be sorry if you use a bag with purple cabbage mixed in, as it will tint the mixture a disturbing grayish color. But you could always add some food coloring, I suppose, in the spirit of Grandma Neva.

Cheesy cabbage casserole topped with crispy crackers served on a plate with a fork and in a baking dish — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

More Recipes from Our Grandmas

Grandma Neva’s Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 60 mins

Total Time 70 mins

Servings 8 servings

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for greasing baking dish
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium-large heads cabbage (2 1/2 pounds), shredded
1 sleeve Ritz crackers (32 crackers)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish.
Sauté the cabbage:

Place a deep 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, then add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the shredded cabbage and stir. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is wilted and lightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the topping:

While the cabbage cooks, coarsely crush the crackers, either by pulsing them in the food processor or by placing them in a zip-top bag and crushing with a rolling pin. You should have about 1 1/2 cups crumbs.

Transfer the cracker crumbs to a medium bowl. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the crumbs, toss to coat. Add 1 cup of the cheddar and toss to mix; set aside.
Assemble the casserole:

When the cabbage is soft, stir the cream of celery soup and milk together in a measuring cup, then stir the mixture into the cabbage. Stir in the remaining cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper and remove the pan from the heat.

Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top evenly with the crumbs.
Bake:

Bake until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
365	Calories
22g	Fat
33g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	365
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g	28%
Saturated Fat 11g	53%
Cholesterol 47mg	16%
Sodium 550mg	24%
Total Carbohydrate 33g	12%
Dietary Fiber 7g	24%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 120mg	599%
Calcium 436mg	34%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 791mg	17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.