Skip to content 
Brenda Gantt Cabbage Casserole Recipe: Creamy, Crunchy and Pure Southern Comfort
You only need to watch Brenda Gantt talk about a recipe and stir a skillet to know why her recipes are a big hug to you. A case in point is her cabbage casserole, which consists of soft cabbage, caramel onions that are covered by a blanket of cream, topped with a crust of gold and butter Ritz cracker-and cheddar. It is easy, cheap, and just the type of food that people lick the plate to get the last bite.
The entire, friendly master-guide to making a Brenda Gantt Cabbage Casserole Recipe at home, with an ingredient expounder, timing, pan sizes, tips to make-ahead, and substitution hints in case you are out of something (or cooking with different diets) will follow. I shall also be judicious with a few personal touches, since of course, that is how Brenda does, and in my opinion, half the flavor.
The fundamental template (cabbage + onion + a creamy, condensed soup + mayo sauce + cheddar + a buttered Ritz topping) is consistent between credible recreations and Southern casseroles and you will find that thread mentioned and quoted all over.
The Cult Following of This Cabbage Casserole
To begin with, the texture play is impeccable, you have mushy yet nearly sweet cabbage, smooth savory sauce, sticky balls of cheddar, and crispy crust that cracks with each bite. It is addictive in itself and an inherent accompaniment to ham, roast chicken, meatloaf or a dish of fried pork chops. Unless you were raised in a family of community cookbook editors, you have, over the years, likely encountered variations on this recipe–this is the one, refined by the coziness of homemade cooking that Brenda gives it.
And then there is the convenience element. No special gear or special ingredients, only a head of cabbage, an onion, a can of condensed soup, mayo, cheddar, butter, and crackers. The greater part of it resides in the pantry. Dump and bake casseroles are gold in the south on weeknight, and this one is not an exception.
Lastly, this casserole is a dream-traveller. It is the dish that one can slide in the back seat during a church potlatch, warm in your lap to a neighbor or bring to a cousin. It can be reheated (it remains creamy, it remains crunchy should you refresh the topping), and it is quite astonishingly child friendly even to those people who claim they cannot stand cabbage.
What Does the Brenda Gantt Cabbage casserole Recipe Mean?
The casserole is cooked according to a consistent pattern in the orbit of Brenda (Facebook videos, community re makes, and copycats): a bottom layer of chopped cabbage and onion (cooked down or not at all to bake), a mixture of cream soup + mayonnaise + melted butter, and a layer of buttered Ritz cracker and cheddar crumb, which bakes to a rich gold. The remaining is done in the oven at 350degF (175-180degC) until it becomes bubbly and browned.
The line of ingredients concurs with the plausible reproductions:
Cabbage (classic is green), a sweet onion (Vidalia, should you happen to be able to get), condensed cream of chicken (mushroom or celery works), mayonnaise, melted butter, salt and pepper, shredded cheddar and Ritz style crackers.
You will even find almost the same ones on the Southern cooking websites that precede or accompany the viral videos of Brenda–evidence that the casserole in itself is a real local dish, that she has helped to popularize once again.
The Ultimate Guide to Ingredients (and What all of them actually do)
This is not a grocery list, all the ingredients have roles. Knowing that you make your casserole consistently good even when you riff.
Cabbage and Onion: Fine to Chop, Which Type, and Why
Cabbage: The standard is green cabbage which is hard, cheap and regular. Cut into bite sized (About 1 to 11/2 inch sips) pieces. Too small and it dissolves into the sauce and too large it will fight the fork. When you have a small head, the casserole will fit in an 8×8 inch dish; when it is large, it will be in a 9×13. You may also cook Napa or Savoy (they should also be wilted sooner), and even red cabbage without being bothered at all by color–but red will give the sauce a color.
Onion: A sweet Onion (Vidalia) provides smooth sweetness and prevents the sourness of mayonnaise and the saltiness of the topping/cheese. Slice or rough chop; half moons form thick slices; they are nice-textured. In case the raw onion bothers you, saute in a small amount of butter until it is only translucent–this gives it a rich flavour without being distributive.
The Creamy Layer: Soup + Mayo + Butter (and Smart Substitutes).
Condensed soup adds an instant glaze, and body, cream of chicken is savory and traditional, however, cream of mushroom or celery are both traditional alternatives. It should be mixed with mayonnaise (creaminess, that old-fashioned Southern tang) and melted butter (smoothness and taste). These three should be mixed until they become smooth and then spread evenly to bake uniformly without fracture. In the event that you are shunning canned soup, you could replicate it with a fast white sauce (butter + flour + broth + splash of cream).
Mayo vs. sour cream: Mayo is conventional in this type of casserole; sour cream is a little light and a little less silky. Other domestic cooks combine (1/2 cup mayo + 1/2 cup sour cream) and testify to it. All roads lead to creamy.
The Topping: Why Ritz + Cheddar + Butter Works So Well.
People fall in love in the topping. The Ritz brand crackers are crushed in melted butter and sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar to make a savory crumble, which is bronzed and crisp in the oven. It is a textural contrast well executed and you will come across millions of Southern casseroles and know why. When you are out of Ritz, you can use panko or even crushed cornflakes; just preserve the butter + cheddar structure so that it is browned.
By Step: Preparing a Brenda Style Gantt Cabbage Casserole
I will show you the traditional bake which has been popularized by Brenda with times and pan sizes which work well in most household ovens.
Prep & Layer (10 minutes)
1) Preheat to 350degF (175-180degC). Prepare a 9×13 inch pan (or 2 quart in case of a smaller head of cabbage).
2) Cut cabbage (approximately 4 packed cups of cabbage to be used in a 2 quart dish; or 9×13) and cut onion. Pour into the dish and sprinkle with a lot of salt and pepper. In other recipes, the cabbage/onion is first sauted in butter (8-10 minutes); the step makes it sweet, and saves bake time, although you must be in a hurry.
3) Whisk the sauce: 1 Can condensed cream of chicken (10-10.5 oz), 1 cup mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup melted butter (half a stick). Sprinkled over cabbage and onion. It does not matter whether it is thin–the heat will soften it and it will run down through the layers.
Top & Bake (35-45 minutes)
4) Prepare the crumb: Blend together 1 to 11 /2 cup Ritz crushed, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 3-4 Tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle over the dish. The topping must be over, but not smothered–it must have some open spaces, or the steam will be taken off and the bits of the crackers will be toasted.
5) Bake until it becomes bubbling on the sides and the top turns a deep golden – typically it takes 35-45 minutes. In case you pre sauteed the cabbage, you should check after 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes; the sauce will thicken a bit as it cools such that it scoops easily.
Pro tips, Time, and Pan Math (So It Works Every Single Time)
Timing and Doneness Cues You Can Trust (Even Without a Timer)
You need pictures more than time: the bubbling sides, a crumb of a hundred percent tan (not clear gold), the cabbage which is tender when you stab it. In case the top browned ahead of the center bubbles, loosely tent with foil during the final 10 minutes. In case you brought it to a very deep 9×13, move it to about 45 -50 minutes and give it a slight rest before serving.
Pan size: A smaller quantity of cabbage (less than 2 lb) will work well in a 2 quart (8×8 or 11×7) pan, whereas a larger amount (e.g. 6-8 cup of chopped cabbage) will need a 9×13. In case of a potlatch pan, I tend to go twice on the topping as an insurance of getting additional crunch.
Pre cooking cabbage: It can be sauted in butter and baked after 8-10 minutes which adds flavor and makes baketime more predictable. It is an ingredient in the old school cabbage casseroles, and it adds that slightly sweet buttery taste that makes you scream that grandma is making it.
Substitutions of the Ingredients and Dietary Modifications (Not to lose the Soul of the Dish)
No Cream of Chicken? Gluten Free? Vegetarian? Here’s Exactly What to Do
No condensed soup: Prepare a simple made-at-home condensed base (2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour simmered in 1 cup broth; seasoned and a dollop of cream). Or replace cream of mushroom/celery- both are Southern replacements in this casserole style that have become well worn.
Vegetarian: Replace chicken products with cream of mushroom /celery. The rest stays the same.
Gluten free: Prepare one of the condensed soups that is gluten free or make your own white sauce (or gluten free), then garnish with gluten free crackers or buttered panko (made of gluten free bread). You can keep the butter + cheddar combination to make texture remain on point.
Dairy light: Light half the mayo, with half sour cream, it is a long-standing alternative, which remains opulent and a bit more tangy.
Increased protein: Add in browned ground beef to feel a theme of cabbage roll casserole (there are Brenda adjacent recipes that proceed that way) or with roast meats. Only have the moisture under control otherwise the topping will be soggy.
Tastier & Entertaining Alternatives (Nevertheless, True to the Style of Brenda)
My Most Favorite House Tweaks.
Light saute with onions twice: It gives the bottom a nice taste and adds fragrance to the sauce without overwhelming cabbage.
Heat a pinch of garlic powder in the sauce. It borders the savouriness without glooming as garlicky.
Cheese option: Add sharp cheddar (to add tangy) with a milder melter such as Monterey Jack in case you would like to be able to stretch it. Majority of the trusted versions have cheddar on the front of the pack, not without a reason.
Crunch scale: To make toasting heartier, add additional crushed Ritz, or leave it in the broiler until the end (be careful!), in order to further toast.
Even a Southern fan of casseroles in general will find this reflective of an old fashioned cabbage casseroles throughout the region, and that Brenda was just bringing the attention back to a time-tested classic.
Make Ahead, Reheating, and Freezing (What Actually Works)
The Plan Ahead Playbook (So It’s Hot at 6:00 with Zero Stress)
Prepare (day before): Prepare with the layer of sauce, cover and refrigerate. Prepare topping by themselves and chill. Prior to dinner, preheat the dish, bring it to room temperature (take 20-30 minutes), top, and bake. This is what makes the crackers not to soften during the night.
Reheat: Loosely covered, warm at 325 -350deg F until hot. In case the top was softened, sprinkle a spoonful of fresh crumbs + cheddar and bake 5-10 min. to re-crisp. The casserole can be stored 3-4 days in the fridge, it is that type of even better the next day meal.
Freeze Not perfect (cabbage may weep and become even softer) but possible. Freeze uncovered; defrost overnight, remove all the liquid, and pour in a new topping and bake. You may find a kind of lightened texture–delicious.
What to Serve With Cabbage Casserole of Brenda Gantt.
Plates, Pairings, and a Few Ideas of I brought this to the Potlatch.
Sunday Supper: This casserole with roast chicken, or skillet pork chops or meatloaf with tomato salad. The combination of the crispy topping and moist meat is heavenly.
Holiday Table: Ham, turkey or prime rib – the casserole is a good, homely change in contrast with a sharp cut.
Casual Night: It is good enough to serve it alone as the main dish with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and a skillet of cornbread; it is hearty enough.
Potlatch: Put the hot dish into a carrier and drive away. It goes hand in hand with “ritzy” Southern casseroles. (In dozens of respectable Southern places cabbage is served with this very cheddar cracker finish–so you will go right home.)
The Full, Printer Friendly Recipe Card (Brenda Gantt Cabbage Casserole).
Ingredients
For the base
1 small medium head Green cabbage, chopped (approximately 4-6 cups)
1 huge sweet onion, cut or chopped.
Salt & black pepper, to taste
Its contents: 2-3 Tbsp butter, optional (when cooking cabbage/onion first)
For the creamy layer
1 can (10-10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup (or mushroom / celery)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
For the topping
1-11/2 cups of crushed Ritz style crackers.
1/2-1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
3-4 Tbsp melted butter
(Collection of ingredients in line with the most popular reproductions and traditional Southern cabbage casseroles.)
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350degF. Grease a 2 quart (when using a small head) or 9×13 inch dish (when using a large head).
2) (Not compulsory, but advisable) Melt butter, 2-3 Tbsp, saute cabbage and onion, 8-10 minutes, until it begins to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the baking dish. (Should you pass over saute, use raw cabbage/onion, season it well.)
3) Whisk soup+ mayo + 1/4 cup of melted butter till smooth. Sprinkle all over cabbage mixture.
4) Add crackers, cheddar and 3-4 Tbsp melted butter. Spray it over the top in a smooth coat.
5) Bake 35-45 minutes, or until lightly bubbling and deep golden. Rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Troubleshooting and FAQs (Real World Answers)
My topping was brown yet the center was not bubbling. Now what?
Allow an additional 10 minutes at a temperature of 325-350degF and foil it in case the top is becoming too dark. When the sides start bubbling, that is the signal of your doneness; that the sauce is hot and the cabbage has gone through.
Is it possible to use miracle whip in place of mayonnaise?
Southern casserole writers fret on it–it is sour and sweet. Use a real mayo (Duke is the most popular in genre).
Do I have to use Ritz?
Nope. Panko or cornflakes are a perfect match, just make sure that the butter + cheddar in the topping is fried and melted together to create crispy, cheesy crunchy bites.
What would I do in case of vegetarians?
Replace cream of mushroom or celery and leave all other things unchanged. It remains a casserole comfort food.
A Short Word About Brenda Gantt (And Why Her Recipes Taste Like Home)
Brenda was a household name in early 2020 when she filmed a humble video (those biscuits!), and her warm and encouraging style attracted millions. She has since written best selling cookbooks–It’s Gonna Be Good, Y’all and Linger Around the Table, Y’all–filled with the same down-to-earth, story telling style that made us all fall in love with what she cooks. The cabbage casserole is an embodiment of that ethos: pantry food, cooking to the heart, and family in the center.
Although numerous of her cabbage casserole how tos are being shared as videos and community re makes, the standard of cabbage + onion + creamy soup/mayo layer + cheesy Ritz crumb at 350degF has already become almost canonical online, so provided you get the method above nailed, you are squarely in Brenda territory.
Health Conscious Adjustments (That Still Taste Like Supper at Grandma)
Lighter, Gluten Free, or Extra Veggie-Heres How I Do It
Reduce calorie content of sauce: Substitute with 1/2 cup Mayo + 1/2 cup sour cream and replace this with cream of celery. The taste is not too fatty.
Gluten free topping- GF crackers (or GF panko) with melted butter and cheddar. You keep the texture intact provided that you do not cut corners on butter.
More vegetables: Add Sherred carrot or sliced bell pepper that is thinly sliced with cabbage/onions. The total volume is kept accountable to ensure that the bake time is not spiked. (Classic Southern ones are simply cabbage + onion – additions are your personal twist.)
Creative Reader Style You Will Adore
Cabbage Roll” Casserole, Beefy Version
In case your family is a fan of stuffed cabbage, brown 1 lb ground beef and add an onion, season and roll into wilted cabbage, then sauce it and topping. Bake as directed. You are sort of combining the style of Brenda with the cabbage roll casserole tradition that appears under her name online- different dish, same comfort.
Mushroom Cheddar and Herb
Add cream of mushroom, saute the sliced mushrooms together with the onions and add fresh thyme to the sauce. And sprinkle with another slap of Parmesan mixed in the crumbs to add a nutty flavor. Another type of swap is excellently sustained by Southern style foundations.
Final thoughts (and a proposal)
That is why this casserole is something pinned on refrigerators and slipped into church bulletins all over the South it is amnesty, filling, and it comes out like love. When you prepare this Brenda Gantt Cabbage Casserole Recipe, you might want to leave it on the table a minute before you eat it. You can see how the top is all glowing, how the sides are still bubbling, how the kitchen smells of butter and Sunday afternoon. The stopping there, that recipes cannot teach you. The gratitude. The people you’ll feed.
And in case a neighbor sends a text of what they can bring–all one has to do is smile and reply, Y’all come hungry.
