Simple Cabbage and Hamburger Recipe

Simple cabbage and hamburger recipe with cheese is here. Baked in the oven with lean ground beef and tomatoes, if you loved our Instant Pot Cabbage Casserole this is yet another version cooked in a skillet and baking dish instead.

If you love this green veggie but need some new meal ideas to make with it, this is a real winner. Adding protein with beef or even spicy ground sausage is a great way to jazz this otherwise bland head up. Make it cheesy or dairy free for dinner this week! (affiliate links present)

What to Make with Cabbage and Ground Beef

To start with all this you should understand How Long to Boil Cabbage which is somewhat subjective depending on how soft you want it to be. BUT keep in mind that after this step it will be heated longer with the meat too so you want it a bit al dente.

We have shared a lot of Simple Cabbage Recipes on our site over the years. It was my Grandma’s favorite vegetable of all times but it took me a while to love it. Once I fried it with seasonings and some meat I couldn’t get enough of it and created a whole lot of dishes we now serve often.

Hamburger and Cabbage Casserole

You could add even more meat into the dish if you wanted to. Like our Fried Cabbage and Bacon Recipe, I mean pig goes well in anything and adds extra flavor for sure. Have a lot of leftover ham after the holidays? Use that instead!! I have used Jimmy Dean sausage at times too and once again that gives this dish a whole new flavor as well.

Ingredients

• Cabbage cubed
• Water for boiling
• Lean ground beef
• Diced tomatoes or Rotel
• Onion diced
• Bell pepper diced
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Sugar
• Garlic powder
• Cheddar cheese shredded, optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Can you use red instead of green cabbage?

Yes you could use either color or half and half if you wanted to. Keep in mind that purple or red is firmer in nature and will take a bit longer to get tender initially. The flavor is similar so use what you have on hand when making ground beef and cabbage casserole.

If you wanted to make this on the stove entirely you could. Using a Dutch Oven you could brown the meat, do the boiling, drain, add back in and combine with other ingredients to continue cooking like we did with our Swamp Cabbage Recipe.

How to Make Hobo Dinner with Cabbage and Hamburger

• In a large skillet over medium heat with a dash of olive oil, brown all of the meat with onions and diced green pepper.
• As soon as it is browned, add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Stir.
• Fill a pot halfway with water and a pinch of salt over medium high heat until it reaches a consistent boil.
• Chop the cabbage into large cubed pieces and submerge.
• Boil for 3-5 minutes or until al dente but softened. Drain.
• Layer in a baking dish. Place meat mixture on top.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 F.
• Add cheese to the top and cook for another 3-4 minutes until melted. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.

How do you soften cabbage without boiling it?

You could make this in a skillet with a lid so it steams a bit with the meat on top of it like we did with our Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole. Keep in mind that the pieces will be crunchier than if you first submerge into hot water even for 1 minute first.

What can you make with leftover cooked cabbage?

Want to add more protein into the mix? Make our Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage instead of meat if you just have the leaves left or want to cook the whole head instead of just half. I will say that the texture is way better is boiled fresh but if you save some there are many dishes you can make with it on day 2.

Cabbage stir fry is another idea which will mask the soft texture that it will become when saved in the fridge overnight. Using fresh shaved carrots, green onions and bean sprouts that are firmer in nature will “fix” the texture issue you may have and make another dish you can have for lunch the next day.

Can you freeze cooked cabbage?

I mean technically yes you can but the result is not great when defrosted. This veggie wilts quickly and continues to soften as it cools. Leftovers overall don’t keep well in the sense that the texture isn’t great. Softening even more in the fridge or freezer, when heated a second time it will become mushy.

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