Slow Cooker Cabbage & Macaroni

Name: Slow Cooker Cabbage & Macaroni
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 315 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 medium Green Cabbage, cored and finely shredded; 115g salted butter, cut into small pieces; 225g Elbow Macaroni, dry; 360ml Hot Water, plus extra if needed; 1½ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste; Black pepper, to taste, freshly ground

Soft buttery cabbage and tender macaroni cooked together for a simple, deeply comforting one-pot supper.

315 mins Serves 5Slow Cooker

Ingredients ↓Method ↓

Ingredients

1 medium Green Cabbage, cored and finely shredded
115g salted butter, cut into small pieces
225g Elbow Macaroni, dry
360ml Hot Water, plus extra if needed
1½ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper, to taste, freshly ground

Method

15 mins prep300 mins cook315 mins total

Layer the shredded cabbage in the slow cooker with pieces of butter, salt and plenty of black pepper, finishing with butter and pepper on top.
Cover and cook on Low for 4–5 hours, stirring once or twice if convenient, until the cabbage is very soft and beginning to colour at the edges.
Stir well, scraping up any buttery golden pieces from the sides. Add a splash of hot water if the cabbage looks dry.
Stir in the dry macaroni and pour in enough hot water to leave a little liquid visible at the bottom of the pot.
Cover and cook on High for 25–40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the macaroni is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve hot.

Notes

The pasta cooks in the slow cooker only after the cabbage has softened, so it does not turn to mush.

Serve with sliced tomatoes or cucumber salad in warm weather, or buttered toast in colder months.

About this recipe

This humble cabbage and macaroni dish turns a few inexpensive ingredients into a soft, buttery bowl of comfort. The cabbage cooks slowly until sweet and tender before the macaroni is stirred through.

Serve it hot with plenty of black pepper as a light main or a generous side dish. A little grated cheese is welcome at the table.