This cabbage casserole with bacon is creamy, cheesy and topped with a buttery Ritz cracker crust for the ultimate comfort side dish. Whether you’re serving it for Sunday dinner or a holiday gathering, this baked cabbage casserole delivers rich flavor without being watery or bland.
Chef Jessica Approved ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Extra cheesy with bacon – We’ve taken the traditional cabbage casserole recipe up a notch by adding extra cheese and bacon. Because bacon makes everything better!
- Perfect crunchy topping – Buttery Ritz crackers mixed with melted butter and cheese makes for the perfect crunchy casserole topping.
- Easy condensed soup hack – The base of this hack is perfectly creamy and easy, thanks to a cream-of-something soup!
What to Gather
This cabbage casserole ingredient list is a little lengthy, but all of the ingredients are easily found at your local grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Green cabbage – Some recipes use braised the cabbage, others throw it in raw, simply massaged or even boiled. Ours is sauteed in butter, an then with onion and garlic to really infuse the whole dish with homey flavor.
- Condensed cream of soup – I almost always have a cream of something in the pantry. This recipe is forgiving, so you can use celery, chicken or mushroom soup.
- Cheddar Cheese– Use a strong cheddar, or another strongly profiled cheese, here. Cabbage doesn’t have much of a flavor profile and you don’t want to risk a bland casserole. An aged or sharp cheddar work best.
- Sweet onion
- Fresh garlic
- Unsalted butter
- Bacon
- Mayonnaise
- Coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Ritz crackers
How to Make Cabbage Casserole (Step-by-Step)
You are going to love how easy it is to make this simple cabbage casserole with bacon.
- Prepare oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven and coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray or vegetable shortening, set aside.
- Sauté cabbage, onion and garlic. Chop or shred the cabbage into ½ inch strips and break it apart. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and onion, cooking until it starts to soften and become fragrant, but still holds it shape. Add the garlic, cooking for an additional minute.
- Combine with remaining ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the condensed soup of choice, cheddar cheese, bacon, mayonnaise, salt and pepper until combine. Spoon this mixture into the prepared casserole dish, spreading to make it even. Set aside.
- Make topping. In another small bowl, combine the topping ingredients of melted butter, cheddar cheese and Ritz crackers. Spoon this evenly over the cabbage casserole.
- Bake until the topping is a golden brown. Remove and allow to set for ten minutes before serving. Top with chopped flat parsley, if desired.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I used unsalted butter to control the salt content, and added some coarse kosher salt for flavor. Do a taste test before adding any more.
- Seasonings – If you like a little spice in your life, try adding some red pepper flakes. You could also add seasonings like onion powder or italian seasoning for more flavor.
- Sauces – This cabbage casserole is already baked in a delicious, creamy sauce. But if you’re a saucy person, try serving it with something like a parmesan cheese sauce.
- Senses – This is a comforting, savory dish that fills the air with the rich, smoky aroma of crisped bacon mingling with tender, caramelized cabbage. The soft, buttery cabbage melts on the tongue, while the crispy bacon adds a delightful crunch.
Make It A Meal
You can serve this cabbage casserole with just about anything you’d like to! It makes a great side dish for any Irish dish, like homemade corned beef, guinness cheddar meatloaf, or instant pot corned beef.
You can serve it alongside other side dishes like irish colcannon, potatoes o’brien, or even a nice green side salad. The options are endless!
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, this cabbage casserole can be assembled ahead of time. Prepare the casserole filling and spread it into the baking dish, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. For the best crunchy topping, wait to add the Ritz cracker mixture until just before baking.
The best way to keep cabbage casserole from getting watery is to sauté the cabbage first so some of the excess moisture cooks off before baking. Be careful not to overcook it in the skillet, though- you want it softened, not mushy. Letting the casserole rest for about 10 minutes after baking also helps it set up.
For this recipe, yes. Sautéing the cabbage with onion and garlic gives it better flavor and texture, and it helps prevent a watery casserole. Raw cabbage can release too much liquid while baking and leave the casserole bland.
Green cabbage is the best choice for this casserole. It becomes tender as it cooks, has a mild flavor, and holds up well in a creamy cheese sauce. Savoy cabbage can also work, but green cabbage is the easiest and most reliable option.
Yes, this recipe is very flexible. Cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, or cream of celery soup all work well in cabbage casserole. Pick whichever one you already have in the pantry- this is one of those delicious little kitchen shortcuts we love.
You sure can. The bacon adds smoky, savory flavor, but the casserole will still be creamy and delicious without it. To replace some of that flavor, try adding a little smoked paprika, extra cheddar cheese, or even sautéed mushrooms.
If your cabbage casserole tastes bland, it usually needs a little more seasoning or a stronger cheese. Salt the cabbage mixture properly, use freshly ground black pepper, and choose a flavorful cheddar. Bacon also helps bring that savory punch, because let’s be honest, bacon rarely phones it in.
More Cabbage Recipes
Whether for St. Patrick’s Day or any day of the year, these cabbage recipes are all full of flavor and make the perfect side dishes for any meal.
Cabbage Casserole with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
Casserole:
- 1 head green cabbage
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion , chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- 10 ounces canned condensed cream of celery soup , alternately use cream of chicken or mushroom
- ½ cup cheddar cheese , freshly shredded
- ½ cup bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Topping:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1 cup cheddar cheese , freshly shredded
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers , coarsely crushed (about 30)
- flat parsley , for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray or vegetable shortening, set aside.
- Chop or shred 1 head green cabbage into ½ inch strips and break it apart. Melt the ½ cup unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and sliced 1 sweet onion, cooking for 5-8 minutes, until it starts to soften and become fragrant, but still holds it shape. Add the minced 2 cloves fresh garlic, cooking for an additional minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the 10 ounces canned condensed cream of celery soup, ½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded), ½ cup bacon (cooked and crumbles), 1/4 cup mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper until combine. Spoon this mixture into the prepared casserole dish, spreading to make it even. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, combine the topping ingredients of melted 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) and crumbled 1 sleeve Ritz crackers. Spoon this evenly over the cabbage casserole.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is a golden brown.
- Remove and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving. Top with chopped flat parsley, if desired.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Everyone loved it.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it and thank YOU for coming back to let us know!
I need to clarify that the recipe calls for three cans of condensed soup: celery, chicken and mushroom. Or did you mean to choose one can of soup? The directions are not clear.
Yes, just choose one- I’ll make it more clear. Thank you for the feedback!