Previous owner of our house crackle painted the cabinets-is there a way to cover up without sanding/striping?

I wouldn't recommend painting over a crackle finish. It would be better, though a lot more work, to strip the paint down to the wood, sand the wood lightly, then prime coat it and repaint the cabinets with two finish coats of enamel, or stained and varnish them after the sanding.