This slow cooker 4-ingredient Amish cabbage noodles recipe is the kind of simple, buttery comfort food my uncle has sworn by for years. It comes straight out of the old Midwestern farmhouse style of cooking, where cabbage, noodles, and butter could stretch to feed a whole family on a tight budget. The cabbage turns soft and caramelized around the edges, the wide egg noodles soak up a rich golden butter sauce, and a good shake of black pepper ties it all together. It’s cheap, filling, and tastes like something your grandmother might have simmered all afternoon, even though the slow cooker quietly does the work for you.
Serve these buttery Amish cabbage noodles straight from the slow cooker with a big spoon and a generous grind of black pepper on top. They’re hearty enough to stand alone for a simple supper, but they’re especially good alongside baked ham, smoked sausage, pork chops, or roast chicken. Add a simple side of applesauce or sliced tomatoes with salt for that old-fashioned farmhouse feel. A green salad or steamed green beans will balance the richness nicely, and if you have leftover noodles, they reheat beautifully in a skillet with just a touch more butter.
Slow Cooker Amish Cabbage NoodlesServings: 6
Ingredients
1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), cored and thinly sliced into ribbons
12 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Directions
Prepare the cabbage by removing any tough outer leaves, cutting it into quarters, removing the core, and slicing it into thin ribbons, about 1/4 inch thick. This helps the cabbage soften and almost melt into the noodles.
Lightly grease the inside of a large slow cooker (5- to 6-quart) with a bit of the melted butter to keep the noodles from sticking.
Spread half of the sliced cabbage evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker. It will look like a lot, but it cooks down and becomes very tender.
Scatter half of the uncooked wide egg noodles over the cabbage in an even layer. Try not to pack them down too tightly so the butter can seep through.
Drizzle half of the melted butter slowly and evenly over the noodles and cabbage, making sure to moisten as much of the surface as you can. Sprinkle with about half of the black pepper.
Repeat the layering with the remaining cabbage, then the remaining noodles on top. Finish by drizzling the rest of the melted butter over everything and sprinkling with the remaining black pepper.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. Do not lift the lid for at least the first 2 hours so the steam can build and help soften the cabbage and noodles.
After about 2 1/2 hours on HIGH (or 4 hours on LOW), gently open the lid and use a large spoon or tongs to carefully toss the cabbage and noodles together. The cabbage should be very tender and starting to caramelize around the edges, and the noodles should be soft and glossy with butter.
If the noodles are not yet fully tender, cover and continue cooking in 20-minute increments, checking and gently tossing each time, until the noodles are melt-in-your-mouth soft and the cabbage is silky. Taste and add a bit more black pepper if you like a stronger flavor.
Once everything is tender and coated in the rich golden butter sauce, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Serve the cabbage noodles straight from the crock, making sure to scoop from the bottom so each serving gets plenty of buttery cabbage and noodles together.
Variations & Tips
For a little more depth without adding extra ingredients, brown the butter on the stovetop before pouring it over the cabbage and noodles; it will give the dish a nutty, almost roasted flavor while still keeping to the same four basics. If your slow cooker tends to run hot and you’re worried about the noodles getting too soft, start checking a bit earlier and stir very gently to avoid breaking them up. You can also adjust the pepper to your family’s taste—some of my relatives like a heavy hand with it, which really brings out that traditional Amish-style simplicity. Leftovers reheat nicely in a skillet over low heat; if they seem dry, add a spoonful of water and a small pat of butter to bring back the glossy sauce. For those who enjoy a little texture, let the finished dish sit on WARM with the lid slightly ajar for 10 to 15 minutes to allow a few edges to get a touch more caramelized without drying out the whole batch.
