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
Read more comments
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
Save this Recipe!
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.
Disclaimers
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.
Wendy Speare says
This is a delicious dish and low carb. I followed the recipe, except that I added 8 oz of sliced fresh mushrooms when I browned the ground beef. I used ground chuck that was 80% lean. The mushrooms soaked up some of the juices from the meat so there was no need to drain it. I also drained the cans of tomatoes into a strainer over a bowl. I didn’t end up with any excess juices. We like this recipe so much we’ve made it 3 times now.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Wendy! I'm so glad you like this casserole. Thank you for the review and for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Shawn says
A wonderful, wonderful savory dish. One of my favorite meals to make and I've only made it once!
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.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Shawn! I'm so glad you enjoyed this casserole. Thank you for sharing your tweaks.
Chantel says
Very good..my husband enjoyed also. Only thing I would change is add another 1/2lb of ground beef...husband meat eater.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you and your husband enjoyed this casserole, Chantel! Thanks for the feedback.
Duncan Monte’ Blake says
Hands down this is the best cabbage recipe I have come across in 50 years.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Duncan! Thank you so much for the review.
Neva says
Made this exactly per recipe, it was GREAT!
My mom also loved it, her only suggestion to me (because she loves cabbage so much) was "MORE CABBAGE, PLEASE!" LOL! So for tomorrow's leftovers, I will chop the remainder of the head of cabbage I used for this DELICIOUS recipe and saute/fry it with a bit of the lovely spice blend in your recipe, and serve alongside.
Many, many thanks for this outstanding recipe, it is a KEEPER! ❤️
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Neva! I'm so glad this was a success and love your idea of using that leftover cabbage.
Karen says
Excellent dish! My husband loved it too. Thank you for sharing.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Karen!
Heidi Feltman says
I substitute mushrooms for ground beef and it’s delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Heidi!
Sylvia says
I used about a third of a cabbage to cut out some of the carbs. Instead of the tomatoes I used a cup of homemade marinara sauce with 1/2 cup of water. I substituted oregano for the thyme and added some parm cheese with the cheddar. It gave me the feel of eating pasta. I will make this again for sure. The paprika and cayenne give just the right amount of heat to the dish.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Sylvia!
Dub says
No need to cut back on the cabbage. Cabbage is very low in carbs.
Sandy says
I made this in a 12" cast iron skillet so I wouldn't have to cook in a skillet then transfer to a baking dish. I live at high altitude, so things take longer to cook until tender. I decided to cook the cabbage a bit before adding to the burger mixture (microwaved for 5 minutes).
This was fantastic!! My husband commented that it contained a lot of cabbage. I said "So? It's really good, right?". He agreed and went back for seconds. .
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you guys enjoyed this casserole, Sandy! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Jean says
This is an easy recipe to put together and so healthy for anyone eating a low carb diabetic plan. Loved it!!! Thank you for sharing. All the best!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Jean! I'm so glad you liked this casserole.