This hearty cabbage casserole has all the flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls but requires much less work.
The prep time is just 20 minutes, and the casserole is ready in about an hour and can feed six people.
This cabbage casserole reminds me of my grandma Chava's cabbage rolls. In her recipe, cabbage leaves were lightly steamed, stuffed with a mixture of beef, onions, and rice, and cooked lovingly in well-seasoned tomato sauce. It was a delicate, flavorful, and laborious dish.
I belong to a different generation. I expect my food to taste good but I also expect it to be easy and quick. That's why I love this casserole so much. It has all the wonderful flavors of stuffed cabbage but requires much less work.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this cabbage casserole. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Olive oil: If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil.
- Lean ground beef: I use 85% lean and 15% fat.
- Onion and garlic: Jarred minced garlic is acceptable, but freshly minced will have the best flavor.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme, and cayenne pepper.
- Diced tomatoes: Drain them well.
- Green cabbage: You want it roughly chopped, so it's best to buy a whole head of cabbage and chop it yourself. Bagged chopped cabbage is usually finely chopped.
- Shredded cheddar: I love the flavor of extra-sharp cheddar in this casserole.
Variations
- You can cook the beef mixture in ghee or avocado oil instead of olive oil. I often use ghee.
- Sometimes, I use ground pork instead of ground beef.
- Vary your spices. Ground cumin and dried thyme are excellent in this casserole. I like to add ½ teaspoon of each.
- Instead of cheddar, you can use other melty cheeses such as provolone. Shredded mozzarella also works, but its flavor profile is milder.
Instructions
One of the best things about this casserole is how easy it is to make. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
You start by cooking 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.
Expert Tip
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.
Recipe FAQs
While cabbage rolls are made with rice, there's no need to use it in this casserole. In fact, none of my casseroles contain a starchy ingredient, and we don't miss it in the least.
You could lightly steam it, but it's an unnecessary extra step. It's OK to simply mix it raw into the ground beef and cook it until it's tender.
I don't recommend that. It should be fine in terms of flavor and texture, but the color could be off-putting. I prefer using green cabbage.
Serving Suggestions
This cabbage casserole is an entire meal, so you don't need to serve it with a side dish.
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:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, 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.
More Cabbage Recipes
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Recipe Card
Hearty Cabbage Casserole
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
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- â…› 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 your 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.
Video
Notes
- 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 the fridge, in an airtight container, 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.Â
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Michelle Hite
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
Yay! I'm so glad this was such a huge success, Michelle. Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.
Diana Doyle
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
I'm glad you enjoyed this casserole, Diana! Thanks for the comment.
Denise P.
Absolutely amazing flavor. Followed this exactly. Absolutely delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success, Denise. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Marjorie Newton
I made a half recipe. Very happy with it and the next day left overs are even better.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this casserole, Marjorie! It's great that the leftovers were also good.
Glenna
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
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
Excellent easy fresh casserole. Have made two times exactly by the recipe. So good! Cabbage lovers rejoice!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you like this casserole! Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
Juliet
Delicious and easy! Made as written except I didn’t have thyme, so I used herbs de Provence.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you liked this casserole, Juliet! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Lisa
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
Sounds great, Lisa! Glad you liked it.
Wayne
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
Wayne, I LOVE the Tex-Mex variation! Thank you for sharing it.
Joy
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
Yay! I'm so glad this recipe was such a big success, Joy! Thank you for the comment.
Sarah M.
Hi Vered,
Is it possible to freeze the casserole? It is yummy, but I added too much cheese and it’s very rich. I would make it again with some minor variations.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Sarah,
Yes, you can freeze this casserole for up to three months.
Alan E Christensen
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
I love your changes, Alan! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Ania
Looks awesome but....what is the source of all this sugar?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Ania,
The sugar comes from the onion and diced tomatoes. It's not added sugar.
Ania
This dish is super delicious!! Made it twice already.
The only change I make is using less tomatoes.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you like this casserole, Ania! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.