Slow Cooker Poor Man Cabbage & Macaroni

1 medium green cabbage (2 to 2 1/2 lbs) cored and thinly shredded
1 stick salted butter, cut into pieces

8 oz. dry elbow macaroni

1 1/2 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 c. water (to cook macaroni in slow cooker, at end)

Layer cabbage and butter in the slow cooker: Place a generous handful of shredded cabbage in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Dot with a few pieces of butter and sprinkle with some of the salt and a good pinch of black pepper. Repeat in layers—cabbage, butter, salt, pepper—until all the cabbage and butter are in the pot. End with a light sprinkle of salt and plenty of black pepper on top.

Cook the cabbage low and slow: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, stirring once or twice if you’re nearby. The cabbage should become very tender, shrink down, and start to take on golden edges where it touches the sides of the crock. It will release its own juices and mingle with the melted butter, creating a glossy, rich coating.

Check for caramelization: About 3 1/2 to 4 hours into cooking, lift the lid and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the edges and bottom. Those golden, almost caramelized cabbage pieces are where the deep, sweet flavor comes from. If the cabbage seems dry, you can add a splash (2 to 4 tablespoons) of hot water, but it should mostly cook in its own juices and butter.

Add the dry macaroni: Once the cabbage is very soft and there are some golden brown edges, stir in the dry elbow macaroni. Pour in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of hot water, just enough so you can see a little liquid at the bottom but the cabbage is still the main component. Stir everything together so the pasta is tucked down into the buttery cabbage mixture.

Finish cooking with the macaroni: Cover the slow cooker again and cook on HIGH for 25 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the macaroni is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid. The pasta should be tender and coated in a glossy mix of melted butter and cabbage juices, with some pieces of cabbage turning a deep golden brown around the edges.

Season and serve: Give the mixture a good stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed. Grind plenty of black pepper over the top; those little black flecks are part of the look and the flavor that make this feel like Grandma’s. Serve hot, straight from the slow cooker, making sure each scoop has a good mix of tender macaroni and caramelized cabbage shreds.