With shredded cabbage and a savory blend of delicious ingredients, this Stuffed Cabbage Casserole is the perfect low carb weeknight meal. You'll love the combination of aromatic spices and luscious tomato sauce.
Cooked to perfection, this convenient and delicious twist on stuffed cabbage rolls is sure to be a family favorite. Best of all, it's easy to make in one skillet in under half an hour!
Jump to:
- 💚 About This Recipe
- 🧂 Ingredients Needed
- 🔪 Instructions
- ❔ FAQs
- 💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- 💡 Substitutions and Variations
- 🥫 Storage and Reheating
- ⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
- 🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
- ✔️ More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
- 📋 Recipe Card
- One Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
- 💬 Reviews and Comments
💚 About This Recipe
This fun take on "unstuffed cabbage rolls" is your new favorite weeknight meal! Just like the classic stuffed cabbage dish, this recipe is packed with beef, veggies, and delicious cheesiness.
What makes this dish special is the ability to quickly and easily cook it all in one skillet. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare this recipe, making it an excellent weeknight dinner or a quick weekend meal.
If you're a fan of cabbage, you'll also love this Braised Corned Beef and Cabbage dish. Perfect for Saint Patrick's Day but great for a family dinner anytime!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- ground beef - makes your lazy cabbage rolls hearty and filling, but can be substituted with turkey or chicken for a slightly leaner meal.
- pepper and onion strips - I buy these frozen and pre-sliced, but you could also use fresh bell peppers and onions and chop them yourself.
- tomatoes with chilies - adds a touch of heat. Regular canned tomatoes can be used if you like.
- seasonings - I use onion powder, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with other spices and herbs.
- shredded cabbage - buying pre-shredded cabbage is a great way to instantly cut down on prep time.
- cheddar jack cheese - adds a melty, cheesy top layer, and can be substituted for any cheese of your choosing.
🔪 Instructions
- Cook ground beef, peppers, and onions in a large skillet until the beef is nearly browned.
- Drain off most of the liquid of the tomatoes and add to the skillet along with the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Top the beef mixture with the cabbage and cover the skillet. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and mix the cabbage into the meat, then add a layer of shredded cheese.
- Cover again and cook until the cheese is melty.
❔ FAQs
This is likely due to overcooking. Because you have to give the cabbage time to cook and soften, be sure not to fully cook your beef before adding the cabbage layer. This can dry it out and make it tough.
No, soaking isn't necessary for this recipe. Shredded cabbage will cook faster than if it was left in larger pieces.
Absolutely! Many people associate casseroles with the oven, but technically any recipe cooked in a single pot, skillet, or dish can be considered a casserole.
If you love easy and delicious casseroles, try this taco casserole recipe - it's sure to become a family favorite! Or check out this low carb Philly cheesesteak casserole for a simple way to serve your crew the famous Philly flavor combo without having to stand over a hot stove.
By the way, did you happen to notice the beautiful wooden cutting board in the process photos and the finished photos? That cutting board is from Forest Decor, a U.S. based company that makes exclusive, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted olive wood products from sustainably harvested, naturally food-safe Tunisian Chemlali olive trees, which are known for their exceptional quality and exquisite grain patterns.
Every item they sell-from their olive wood cutting boards to coasters, wooden gift items, olive wood kitchenware, and more-is hand carved by the Forest Decor team of talented artisans. They make perfect gifts for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, or any special occasion!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Drain some of the grease from the cooked ground beef if you're not using something extra lean.
- The Rotel brand of tomatoes with chilies is excellent, and it's what I use in lots of dishes to add the perfect amount of kick!
- Feel free to adjust the amount of cheese you use on top if you like it extra cheesy.
📌 Low carb and packed with nutritious veggies, these lazy cabbage rolls are great for when a craving strikes but you don't want to go through lots of prep and cleanup.
Hint... for a complete low carb meal, make this amazing homemade low carb bread recipe to serve alongside your stuffed cabbage casserole!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- This casserole is great as a low carb option, but you can also add 1 to 2 cups of cooked rice to stretch the portions further and make an even more filling meal.
- Add more veggies like mushrooms, carrots, or broccoli for even more flavor and nutrition.
- Substitute ground turkey or even ground chicken for the beef for a slightly lightened-up version.
- In addition to the seasonings listed, you may want to add some salt and pepper for base flavor. Red pepper flakes are also a great way to easily add some extra kick.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Keep your leftover beef and cabbage casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can easily be reheated in the microwave, or transfer to an oven-safe dish and reheat it that way.
This casserole can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
If you like, buy a full head of cabbage, a red bell pepper, and an onion ahead of time. Then chop them up and keep them in the fridge or freezer until you need to use them. This can cut down on cost and keep prep time short the night of!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Everything you need for a full meal is included in this stuffed cabbage casserole, but if you're looking for something a little extra, a great option is to serve it over top of Slow Cooker Quinoa or Instant Pot Quinoa! Or pair it with a Cornbread Casserole or these yummy Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes.
Another great option is anything from this list of St. Patrick's Day Desserts!
✔️ More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
- Corn Dog Casserole - Channel the classic and nostalgic flavor of corn dogs with this yummy and easy casserole recipe.
- Eggplant Polenta Casserole - You'll love this slightly healthier take on lasagna featuring eggplant and cooked polenta instead of pasta.
- Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole - This casserole is perfect for a special breakfast or brunch.
- Sloppy Joe Casserole - This tasty take on Sloppy Joes from Bowl Me Over is a comforting weeknight meal the whole family will adore!
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Love this recipe? Awesome! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! ⭐
📋 Recipe Card
One Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 14 ounces frozen bell pepper and onion strips (1 package)
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies (1 can)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
Instructions
- Add the ground beef and the frozen pepper and onion strips into a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute while breaking up the ground beef until the beef is almost fully cooked.1 pound extra lean ground beef, 14 ounces frozen bell pepper and onion strips
- Lightly drain the can of diced tomatoes, then mix it into the skillet with the beef along with the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.14 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Top the beef/tomato mixture with the cabbage and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender.3 cups shredded cabbage
- Remove the lid and mix the cabbage into the beef/tomato mixture. Top with cheese and recover for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
Notes
- I used the Rotel brand of diced tomatoes with chilies.
- Use additional shredded cheese if you like things really cheesy.
- If you don't have extra lean ground beef, you'll want to drain some of the grease after browning the meat.
- You can substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Rice was not included in this recipe to keep it low carb. However if desired you can stir in 1 to 2 cups cooked rice. This will make the dish go farther as well - up to 6 servings instead of 4.
- You can customize your casserole by adding ingredients like carrots or mushrooms for extra flavor and nutrition.
- Season with salt and/or pepper if desired. Or add some red pepper flakes for a little spicy boost!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Thanks so much for reading! I also invite you to follow me on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, or INSTAGRAM to keep up with what's going on in my kitchen.
And you might want to check out my Dizzy Busy and Hungry store on Amazon for a whole bunch of great kitchen products I love!
Happy cooking!
Ellen Pelliccio says
I did not drain can of tomatoes and added a cup of fully cooked rice which soaked up juice from tomatoes. Great easy recipe!
Kristin King says
That's a great idea! So glad you like this recipe - it is definitely one that I come back to again and again because it's so easy and my family loves it! 🙂
Linda Isaac says
My family loved this!
Kristin King says
Yay, so glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Carol says
Made this Stuffed Cabbage Casserole and was delighted with the flavor and how simple everything came together. My hubs added more "heat" as he loves spice, was enjoyed the recipe just how it was written.
Kristin King says
Hi Carol, so glad to hear you enjoyed this. Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂