Easy Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Recipe

Easy Unstuffed cabbage casserole is so much easier to make. NO boiling or rolling required. Just throw it all in, saute and enjoy those classic flavors. One of our favorite simple cabbage recipes on our site you can make with rice or without. Get out your cast iron skillet and get started.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole Recipe

It took me quite a while to really love this crunchy veggie. My Grandmother used to put it into everything and it wasn’t my favorite. Fast forward 40 years and now I’m kinda’ obsessed. From baked, to Instant Pot cabbage recipes and even smoked cabbage with sausage, we love it all.

This time I wanted to make a cheesy warm dish with meat in it too. To serve it for dinner and not just a side this is what we came up with. A lot like the rolled ones with rice and sausage, this is a lot easier to cook for sure. It’s a cheap ground beef recipe packed with all the flavors you remember from your childhood.

Unstuffed Cabbage and Beef

I will start by saying that there is a ton of variety when it comes to slow cooker stuffed cabbage or this dish in general. If you always use ground spicy sausage instead of beef, then go with that. Have a special seasoning you MUST use? Go for it!

with Rice

Especially if you have a classic family recipe you treasure, you can use that as a base. BUT instead of blanching the leaves you can skip that and subsequent tedious steps because rolling is no longer required for this. If adding Instant Pot white rice, cook beforehand and layer on top of the meat once that is browned.

What meat goes good with cabbage?

For unstuffed cabbage rolls, ground beef, sausage or lamb is best. I love using 1/2 spicy sausage and 1/2 beef mixture to give it bolder flavors.

You’ll need a deep skillet, pot or dutch oven for this so it all fits and doesn’t overflow. Cabbage shrinks a lot once it is tender but in the beginning takes up a fair amount of room.

Cabbage Casserole Ingredients

1. Ground beef, sausage, ground turkey or lamb
2. Bell pepper is a nice tough, diced, any color
3. Onions can be diced and add flavor
4. Minced garlic jarred or fresh is best of course
5. Diced tomatoes is easier than fresh and has juices in there
6. Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
7. Garlic powder and onion powder we like in addition
8. Head of cabbage cut into squares, bite size pieces
9. Cheese is optional but a must with our family

First you’re going to saute and brown the meat with your diced onion and peppers. Use whichever color(s) you want in that regard. Of course you can leave those out if you prefer, some like celery or shredded carrot instead.

Low Carb Cabbage Casserole

If you notice, there is no rice in this mixture. You could certainly make a batch of white or Instant Pot brown rice and add it in after the meat is no longer pink. Southern cabbage casserole from my memories didn’t have that inside though, and makes it more keto friendly because of that.

We love this recipe with or without the extra carbs, just depends on what my mood is that day. Either way it’s comfort food that reminds me of my grandmother.

Another option is adding an extra layer of cheese and browning the top at the end. You’d just add the prepared mixture into a baking dish, add 1-2 cups of cheese to the top and wait until it’s melted at 400 F. for a few minutes.

I have heard some like to add a bit of brown sugar into their meat. I’d prefer ultra savory but to each their own. Like I said, use your favorite mixture of seasonings along the way. I prefer to add some while cooking and more at the end to taste. That way each person can customize it to their liking.

How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

1. In a large skillet or wok put oil, ground beef, and bell pepper. Cook at medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and cook 1 more minute.
2. You could alternatively make air fryer ground beef with these ingredients and then transfer.
3. Pour in can of diced tomatoes, and all seasonings. Stir. Cover top with chopped cabbage, leave a bit of room so lid can fit on top of pot.
4. Pour 1/4 c of beef broth on top of cabbage. Put lid on and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until cabbage is as tender as you’d like it to be.
5. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cup – 2 cups of cheese on top and heat just long enough for it to melt, then serve.
6. Alternatively you can set oven to 400 degrees, layer top with cheese and bake (in an oven safe cast iron pan or baking dish) until it is melted and golden brown.

OH MY Is right! Cheese is a must on top of ours, and lots of it but that is of course personal preference. Choose a shredded Mexican mixture for more bold flavors. It is a mouth watering 30 minute meal that even my kiddos have grown to love.

What can I do with lots of cabbage?

If you made pressure cooker fried cabbage by themselves, it’s a great side dish with just about anything. It has zero saturated fat, is almost calorie free and super versatile as you can see here. Have more tomatoes and tomato sauce left over and want to make a hearty dish like this in your pressure cooker too?

• Thin it out with more broth and make pressure cooker cabbage roll soup instead.
• This is one idea. We’ve made Ninja Foodi cabbage wedges to serve on the side of smoked brats, that was an incredible meal.
• We’ve also made Instant Pot cabbage casserole in our pressure cooker before. That one does have cooked rice in it to make it a heartier one pot meal.
• Our slow cooker stuffed cabbage soup is out of this world delicious served with this easy dinner roll recipe.

Air fryer cabbage is our latest creation that is easy. It doesn’t get as tender as it does in the oven, but I don’t like it super soft myself.

How long does cabbage last in the freezer?

If you love batch cooking you could cut a bunch of heads, store in freezer bags and it will last 8 week. If you blanch it first it lasts 9 months. I personally would rather buy fresh and make it that way, but to each their own.

Can cooked stuffed cabbage be frozen?

Stuffed or unstuffed it won’t freeze really well once all the ingredients are combined. It will likely become a bit mushy and the texture won’t be appealing. Instead just put it in the fridge and eat it the next day for best results.