Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

What looks like mashed potatoes topped with cheese baked in a casserole dish is actually one of our favorite alternatives to our beloved potato side dish. We love creamy-cheesy mashed or au gratin potatoes, but every once in a while, it’s nice to change up our usual go-to vegetable side dish and instead serve up this cheesy cabbage casserole. Our recipe for cabbage baked with cauliflower, onions, and heaps of cheese has quickly become one of our family favorites.

We’ve taken cabbage, cauliflower florets, and onions and transformed them into a simple yet rich and savory dish. We start with sautéed onions that are mixed with shredded cabbage and tossed with delightfully crunchy cauliflower florets. Then we whip up some creamy magic in the form of eggs, ricotta cheese, and sour cream. To these ingredients, we will also add little flour and corn starch to help thicken the creamy mixture. This is poured over top of the vegetables and then topped with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and a scattering of fresh herbs. After 30 minutes or so, the casserole comes out of the oven with a beautiful golden “crown” flecked with thyme and smells absolutely divine.

Grab a large serving spoon to scoop out a healthy serving of this wonderfully creamy and tender yet crunchy cabbage casserole. The cabbage has retained just enough of its crunch and the cauliflower florets are softened yet add great texture. And that creamy filling topped with melty cheddar and mozzarella is perfection. We think this will pair beautifully with just about any protein, so don’t be shy to have this alongside a piece of pork, salmon, or steak. Besides, clean up will be a breeze because there’s not likely to be any left in the dish!

Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

45 minutes to prepare serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cabbage, shredded
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ teaspoon corn starch
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ tablespoon thyme, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Sauté onion in olive oil until just softened. Add cabbage and toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Sauté for 1 minute before transferring cabbage and onion mixture to prepared baking dish.
  3. Whisk eggs, ricotta cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl.
  4. Stir flour, corn starch, and baking powder together in a small bowl. Whisk dry ingredients into egg mixture until smooth.
  5. Pour egg batter over cabbage and onions. Scatter cauliflower florets evenly over mixture. Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1 cup shredded cheddar. Sprinkle chopped thyme over the cheese.
  6. Bake for 35 minutes on the center rack or until top of casserole begins to turn a golden brown.
  7. Remove from oven to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Natasha's Kitchen.