This hearty cabbage casserole has all the flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls but requires significantly less work. The prep time is just 20 minutes, and the casserole is ready in about an hour and feeds six people.
This cabbage casserole reminds me of my Grandma Chava's cabbage rolls, a delicate, flavorful, and laborious dish. This casserole is almost as good, but it's way easier to make. It's delicious, hearty, and filling, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made casserole. I like to think that Grandma would have approved.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef (85/15). Sometimes, I use ground pork.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Sometimes, I add ½ teaspoon of ground cumin.
- Diced tomatoes: Drain them well.
- Cabbage: I use one green cabbage. While purple cabbage would theoretically work, it won't look very good, as the casserole will have a purplish-red hue.
- Shredded cheddar: I love the flavor of extra-sharp cheddar in this casserole.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook ground beef, onions, garlic, and spices in olive oil. Add the tomatoes and shredded cabbage and cook until the cabbage is tender.
Turn the heat off and stir in shredded cheddar. Transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish and top it with more cheese.
Bake the casserole until the cheese is browned, 20-30 minutes, in a 400°F oven. Serve immediately.
A wonderful, savory dish. One of my favorite meals to make! We substituted ground turkey for the ground beef. I only had one can of diced tomatoes, so as someone else did, I threw in some spaghetti sauce. My long-passed mother would have loved this. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Shawn
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Recipe Tips
- When the casserole is ready, there will be liquid on the bottom. After the casserole has cooled slightly, you can carefully tip the baking dish into the sink and drain some of the liquid off. But it's OK to just leave it in the pan!
- While cabbage rolls are made with rice, there's no need to add it to this casserole. In fact, none of my casseroles contains a starchy ingredient, and we don't miss it in the least.
- There's no need to cook the cabbage before adding it to the other ingredients. Simply mix it raw into the ground beef and cook it until it's tender.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend that. It's too dry and lacks the tasty fat that adds so much flavor to food.
No. Swiss cheese doesn't melt easily and can become stringy. You can use other melty cheeses, such as provolone. Shredded mozzarella also works, but its flavor profile is milder.
You want the cabbage roughly chopped, so it's best to buy a whole head of cabbage and chop it yourself. Bagged chopped cabbage is usually finely chopped.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Like many casseroles, it improves after being refrigerated for a day or two. You can also freeze this casserole for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
This cabbage casserole is an entire meal, so you don't need to serve it with a side dish. However, when I add a vegetable side, I typically add a salad, a steamed vegetable, or a veggie that I can bake in the same 400°F oven as the casserole. Here are a few ideas:
Recipe Card
Hearty Cabbage Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef - 85% lean
- 1 onion - medium, chopped; 6 ounces
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes - well drained
- 1 green cabbage - medium, roughly chopped; 1 pound
- 1 ½ cup cheddar - shredded, divided; 6 ounces total
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart (7 X 11-inch) baking dish.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
- Add the garlic, paprika, thyme, and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add the drained tomatoes and chopped cabbage. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and stir in one cup of the shredded cheese.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle it with the remaining cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is browned, 20-30 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You want the cabbage roughly chopped, so it's best to buy a whole head of cabbage and chop it yourself. Bagged chopped cabbage is usually finely chopped.
- Instead of cheddar, you can use other melty cheeses such as provolone. Shredded mozzarella also works, but its flavor profile is milder.
- When the casserole is ready, some liquid will be on the bottom. After the casserole has cooled off a little, you can carefully tip the baking dish into the sink and drain some of it off. But it's OK to just leave it in the pan.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. Like many casseroles, it improves after being refrigerated for a day or two. You can also freeze this casserole for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Michelle Hite says
This was delicious!! I made a few modifications such as I added mushrooms and orange red and yellow bell peppers. I also topped it before baking with pepper jack cheese. Phenomenal is an understatement i absolutely loved it!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this was such a huge success, Michelle. Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Diana Doyle says
The best version of this recipe that I have tried to date. I made just a couple of changes. Since I do not care for garlic, that was omitted and I used a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 14.5 can of tomato sauce. I made an error by mixing the cabbage with rice while waiting for the tomatoes to cook down and meld. In correction, I microwaved the whole casserole for around 7 minutes before baking in the oven. Irresistibly good. You will be returning for 2nds and 3rds.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm glad you enjoyed this casserole, Diana! Thanks for the comment.
Denise P. says
Absolutely amazing flavor. Followed this exactly. Absolutely delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success, Denise. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Marjorie Newton says
I made a half recipe. Very happy with it and the next day left overs are even better.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this casserole, Marjorie! It's great that the leftovers were also good.
Glenna says
My husband and I loved this casserole….it was simple to make and delicious…we ate half and I froze half and thawed and reheated a couple of weeks later and it was just as good…(added some extra cheese on the reheated one…yum!!)
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Glenna,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and leaving detailed feedback! I appreciate it. I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it.
F. NEWTON says
Excellent easy fresh casserole. Have made two times exactly by the recipe. So good! Cabbage lovers rejoice!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you like this casserole! Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
Alan E Christensen says
The only thing I did different was I used hot pork sausage like Jimmy Dean's and used fresh thyme. Turned out really good!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I love your changes, Alan! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Ania says
Looks awesome but....what is the source of all this sugar?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Ania,
The sugar comes from the onion and diced tomatoes. It's not added sugar.
Ania says
This dish is super delicious!! Made it twice already.
The only change I make is using less tomatoes.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you like this casserole, Ania! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Juliet says
Delicious and easy! Made as written except I didn’t have thyme, so I used herbs de Provence.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you liked this casserole, Juliet! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Lisa says
I love this recipe! I have also made it with ground turkey instead of ground beef and added a layer of mashed potatoes with some nutritional yeast on top instead of the cheese. It was a delicious dairy-free variation.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Sounds great, Lisa! Glad you liked it.
Wayne says
Oh yeah...delish! On the 2nd go-round right now, but this time I'm substituting 1/2 of the diced-tomatoes for 6 oz of tomato-paste, changing the spices to Tex-Mex; also, added a small chopped Jalapeno and a chopped bell-pepper. Will definitely go back to the original recipe, but I'm looking for a different flavor-profile so I'll have a variety for this keto-friendly dish.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wayne, I LOVE the Tex-Mex variation! Thank you for sharing it.
Joy says
We tried this recipe for dinner last night. Made per the recipe, it was delicious. We couldn't quit raving about it all eveing. We'll definitely add this to our regular rotation.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this recipe was such a big success, Joy! Thank you for the comment.