Cabbage and Potato Casserole With Bacon (No Cream Soup)

Must-Try Cabbage and Potato Casserole With Bacon: No Cream Soup Needed!

A small amount of bacon can season a whole pan of cabbage and potatoes. Cook the bacon first, use its drippings to soften the onion and cabbage, then bake everything with a little broth until the potatoes are tender. The casserole needs no condensed cream soup: the vegetables cook down into a substantial dinner, and a splash of vinegar keeps the bacon from making it taste heavy.

This is an economical dish inspired by the familiar combination of cabbage, potatoes, onions, and pork in Eastern European home cooking. It is not a claim to one traditional national recipe. The method is built for an ordinary baking dish and a modest grocery bill.

Cabbage and Potato Casserole Recipe

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: About 25 minutes
Cook time: About 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, about 4 ounces (115 g), chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 small green cabbage, about 2 pounds (900 g) before trimming, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
• 2 pounds (900 g) Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled if desired and sliced about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil or melted butter, only if needed for browning the top
• Chopped parsley or dill, optional, for serving

Equipment: A large skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish, and foil

Instructions

1. Heat the oven and cook the bacon. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the chopped bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Leave about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan. If the bacon yields less, add a little neutral oil.

2. Cook the onion and cabbage. Add the onion to the drippings and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the cabbage in batches, stirring as each addition wilts. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the caraway seeds, if using. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover and continue cooking for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cabbage has softened and most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. It should be moist, with no puddle beneath it.

3. Season the potatoes. While the cabbage cooks, slice the potatoes and toss them with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste a strand of cabbage before assembling; bacon and broth vary in saltiness, so add more salt only if needed.

4. Assemble the casserole. Spread half the cabbage mixture in the baking dish. Add half the potato slices in an even layer and scatter over half the bacon. Repeat with the remaining cabbage, potatoes, and bacon, reserving a few pieces of bacon for the top if you like. Pour the broth evenly over the dish. Cover tightly with foil.

5. Bake until tender. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Insert a thin knife into the center; it should pass through the potatoes without resistance. If the potatoes are still firm, cover the dish again and bake for another 10 minutes before checking.

6. Brown the top. Remove the foil. If the exposed potatoes look dry, brush them lightly with the oil or melted butter. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the top has browned in spots. For deeper color, broil for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely. Sprinkle the vinegar over the hot casserole and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Add parsley or dill if using.

How the casserole holds together without soup

Condensed soup usually supplies both liquid and thickness. Here, the potatoes do much of that work. As they bake, some of their starch enters the small amount of broth, which settles among the layers. The result is tender and spoonable, with a little savory liquid at the bottom, not a creamy sauce.

The cabbage needs attention before it goes into the oven. Raw cabbage releases water as it cooks, and a full head can leave a baking dish swimming. Cooking it first reduces its volume and lets excess moisture evaporate in the skillet. Keep the pan uncovered for the last part of that step. If liquid still collects when you push the cabbage aside, give it a few more minutes.

Slice the potatoes evenly so they finish at the same time. A 1/4-inch slice is thick enough to keep its shape but thin enough to cook under foil. The covered bake traps steam and softens the potatoes; the uncovered bake dries and colors the surface. Browning will be patchy because the top contains cabbage and bacon as well as potatoes. That is part of the appeal of this kind of bake.

Getting more flavor from less bacon

Four slices of bacon are enough to give the dish a smoky, savory flavor when both the meat and its drippings are used. Cooking the onion in the drippings carries that flavor into the cabbage, so the bacon does not have to appear in every bite.

For a tighter budget, use two slices of bacon and add enough neutral oil to leave roughly 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. The casserole will be less smoky, but the onion, browned edges, pepper, and vinegar still give it plenty of character. A pinch of smoked paprika can add a smoky note, though it will change the flavor.

You can also make the casserole dairy-free without changing the main recipe. Use oil rather than butter on the topping and check that the broth you buy contains no dairy ingredients. No milk, cheese, or cream is needed.

The vinegar goes on after baking so its tartness stays noticeable. Start with the listed tablespoon, distributed across the whole dish. At the table, anyone who likes a sharper finish can add a little more. Dill, parsley, or a spoonful of mustard alongside the casserole also suits the cabbage and potatoes.

Using cooked potatoes and other economical substitutions

Leftover cooked potatoes make assembly quicker. Use about 2 pounds (900 g) of boiled or roasted potatoes, sliced or cut into bite-size pieces. Because they are already tender, reduce the broth to 1/2 cup (120 ml). Bake the covered casserole for about 25 to 30 minutes, until hot throughout, then uncover it for 15 to 20 minutes to brown. Refrigerated leftovers should be reheated to 165°F (74°C) in the center.

Waxy or all-purpose potatoes hold their shape best, but russets work if that is what you have. They may break down more and make the dish softer. Green cabbage is the most straightforward choice; Savoy cabbage cooks faster and may need less time in the skillet. If the cabbage is unusually large, use about 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) after coring and save the rest for another meal.

Broth adds flavor, but water can stand in for it. Taste the cooked cabbage and adjust the salt before assembly, especially when using water or a low-sodium broth. A little extra onion is a better bargain than adding more bacon solely for bulk.

This casserole is filling on its own. For a larger meal, serve it with a fried egg or a side of beans. Those additions are useful when the bacon is serving mainly as seasoning rather than as the meal’s protein.

Make-ahead and reheating

The cabbage and bacon can be cooked a day ahead. Cool them, refrigerate them in a covered container, and assemble the casserole when ready to bake. Slice raw potatoes shortly before assembly so they do not discolor. If the cabbage mixture is cold, the covered baking time may be a little longer; use the knife test rather than relying only on the clock.

For a fully assembled make-ahead dish, it is simpler to bake it first, cool it, and refrigerate it. Cover and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until hot throughout, or cover the baking dish and warm it in a 350°F (175°C) oven. Remove the cover for the last few minutes if you want to revive the browned edges. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).

The casserole will be softer after refrigeration because the potatoes absorb more of the cooking liquid. That makes it especially good reheated in a skillet: add a small amount of oil, spread a portion in the pan, and let the underside brown before turning it.

A practical dinner from simple ingredients

The dish works because each ingredient has a job. Bacon seasons the pan, onion and cabbage provide most of the volume, potatoes make it substantial, and a measured amount of broth helps everything cook without turning watery. Cook the cabbage until its excess moisture is gone, keep the dish covered until the potatoes are tender, and finish it uncovered for browned edges. A little vinegar at the end brings the whole pan into focus.