Amish Cabbage Noodles

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:

Prep Cabbage: 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.
Grease Slow Cooker: 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.
First Layer (Cabbage): 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.
First Layer (Noodles): 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.
Add Butter & Pepper: 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 Layers: 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.
Cook: 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.
Toss: 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.
Check & Adjust: 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.
Serve: 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.