Freshly served cabbage and macaroni with black pepper
Freshly served cabbage and macaroni with black pepper
Variations & Tips
To keep this true to its poor man roots, I like to leave it at cabbage, macaroni, butter, and seasoning, but there are a few gentle ways you can adapt it.
For a little extra richness, stir in a small handful of shredded cheddar or American cheese right at the end and let it melt into the hot cabbage and macaroni. If you have an onion to spare, you can very thinly slice it and add it in with the cabbage at the beginning; it will melt down and sweeten the whole pot. A pinch of garlic powder or smoked paprika stirred in with the salt can deepen the flavor without adding cost.
For more protein, fold in a drained can of white beans or leftover chopped ham or smoked sausage during the last 20 minutes of cooking so it warms through without drying out. If you need to stretch the dish further, increase the cabbage and water slightly rather than adding a lot more pasta, which can soak up too much liquid and turn mushy.
Cabbage and macaroni with cheddar variation
Cabbage and macaroni with cheddar variation
Food safety tips: Always wash your hands and cutting board after handling the raw cabbage core and outer leaves, especially if they were dirty from the garden. If you add any meat, make sure it is fully cooked before going into the slow cooker at the end, since this recipe is designed mainly to warm and soften, not to bring raw meat up from a safe internal temperature.
Once cooked, do not leave the slow cooker on the warm setting for more than 2 hours at room temperature; cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in shallow containers, and reheat until steaming hot before serving again.
