Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

Our unstuffed cabbage casserole with ground beef is easy. 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.

If you love this green vegetable stuffed you’ll love this unstuffed cabbage skillet casserole even more. Why? Because it’s so much less work! This is how to cook cabbage with meat and just one of our quick and easy casserole recipes.

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.

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!

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole without Rice

We made this version without any Instant Pot white rice, though we have made it with as well on other days. In that case you cook beforehand so it is tender and fluffy. You could do this with other varieties too like brown or even wild rice but the point is that it needs to be cooked before adding in with the rest of the ingredients.

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.

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.

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.

Ingredient Notes

As for the meat I generally will use 80/20 fat Ground beef (not too lean or it won’t have as much flavor) Jimmy Dean spicy sausage is a favorite if you like some heat, ground turkey or lamb are lowest in fat but don’t offer as much flavor because of that.

You will definitely want to add some minced garlic jarred or fresh is best of course to add flavor (and it is healthy too).

Diced tomatoes canned are easier than fresh and has juices in there that adds even more flavor into the mix.

In regards to the head of cabbage you choose it is best to get green as far as texture is concerned. You should cut into squares, bite size pieces to get them tender.

Cheese is optional but a must with our family, we go with shredded cheddar cheese but really I use whatever I have in the fridge.

I like to dice some bell peppers, any color works with onions but that is optional of course as an add in. Seasonings we add are; Salt and pepper are basic seasonings, Garlic powder and onion powder we like in addition

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.

Variations

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.

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 else can I make 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.