Well guys, I’m almost a third of the way through the Whole30. And I have to say- I actually don’t want it to end!
I feel GREAT. Not only have I noticed numerous health/physical changes, but I haven’t been this excited about cooking in a while. I’m cooking with ingredients I haven’t really used before, and finding super creative ways to make classic recipes to stay within the guidelines of the Whole30.
Which brings me to my recipe for this post.
Ever had stuffed cabbage? It’s one of those delicious, simple tasting dishes that is oh-so-comforting.
But it’s often NOT a simple process to make: it requires blanching pieces of cabbage, filling them with a mixture of beef and rice, rolling them like enchiladas, and baking. It can take a very long time to prep as well as cook.
This Spicy Stuffed Cabbage Casserole takes only FIVE MINUTES OF PREP.
It’s a hassle-free way to get the awesome homemade taste of stuffed cabbage, but your slow cooker does all the work.
No rolling, no blanching… just mix some things together and turn on!
And this version is Whole30 (and Paleo) compliant, because instead of using rice as in traditional stuffed cabbage, cauliflower rice is used instead. (But don’t worry: I included directions for using brown rice in the recipe below if prefer for all you grain-eating people.)
Let’s talk about cauliflower rice for a minute.
If you’ve been on Pinterest in the last few months, chances are you’ve seen something about this latest grain-free substitute for rice. And I have to say… it’s pretty darn good!
The taste of cauliflower is neutral enough that it can mimic rice in texture for many dishes, without overpowering the flavor. I made burrito bowls the other night with my smoky Mexican pulled chicken over cauliflower rice, and it was awesome!
And since I made a bunch over the weekend, all I had to do was reheat it for burrito bowls and use the rest in this stuffed cabbage casserole recipe.
Here’s a great on how to make your own cauliflower rice.
This recipe is as simple as it comes: both in the way it’s made and in taste.
I love dishes that pack a big punch of flavor, but I also like very simple comfort foods, like this casserole. It has the consistency of chili (and in my opinion, is best eaten with a spoon) and simple Italian flavors from the garlic, Italian seasoning, and fresh parsley added at the end.
It’s a wee bit spicy from crushed red pepper- but if spicy isn’t your thing, you can certainly omit it.
And the best part? This recipe makes a TON. On thing I’m finding on Whole30 is that I need much less food in order to be satisfied. This is because the food that you do eat is extremely nutrient-dense.
We ate this for dinner, for lunch the next day, AND I have a good amount in my freezer just waiting for a night that I’m too busy to cook.
Three quick tips:
- Go heavy on the salt. Because the ingredients are somewhat bland and simple, you’ll need a lot of salt to season it.
- When you mix the ingredients together, you may need to use your hands. Since there are so many ingredients, and very little liquid, it will be hard to stir with a spoon.
- Make sure you add the fresh parsley at the end and not before cooking. Fresh herbs are almost always added toward the end of recipes, so their flavor is stronger and brighter.
And finally, if you aren’t on a dairy free diet, I believe this would be AMAZING with some mozzarella cheese melted on top. Just add it on top of the casserole after its done cooking and place the cover back on, and let it melt for a few minutes before serving!
Sigh. I do miss cheese.
Recipe below. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cabbage roughly sliced (about 4-5 cups total)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef (uncooked)
- 15 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups cauliflower rice (see notes)
- 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients except fresh parsley in a 7-8 quart slow cooker, making sure it's well combined.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3.5-4 hours, or until beef is fully cooked.
- Stir in fresh parsley.
- Serve!
Notes
- You can use frozen cauliflower rice or pulse raw cauliflower florets in your food processor until it resembles the texture of rice. Regular rice can also be used if you are not following a grain-free diet. Use 1 cup of uncooked rice and add 2 cups of chicken broth, veggie broth, or water to the casserole before cooking.
- Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- If you are using a very lean ground beef, I recommend adding just a little bit of liquid to the casserole- just a half cup of water, chicken broth, or veggie broth.
- Optional: add mozzarella cheese! Just add it on top of the casserole after its done cooking and place the cover back on, and let it melt for a few minutes before serving.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Becky
I made this today and love it. I have an Instant Pot arriving tomorrow and will try it in there next time!
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! I need to try this in my IP too.
Myra Susan
I know you’ve answered a lot of questions about frozen cauliflower; here’s one more…can I dump it in frozen (will that add too much water), or should I thaw it first? Can’t wait to try this.
Elizabeth
Good question! I’m honestly not sure. But my instincts are telling me to thaw it first- there is already so much liquid from the cabbage (and honestly, this recipe comes out more like a “stew” rather than a casserole because of it). If you forget to thaw it first, you could also uncover your slow cooker and keep it on for the last half hour or so, so some of the liquid evaporates. Hope that helps, and hope you like it!
Rebecca
I just wanted to let you know that the stove-top version worked great! I took your tip of sautéing the onions and garlic. I added mushrooms to the dish and cooked them then too. It was delicious! Thanks again!
Rebecca
Is it possible to convert this recipe for the stove top? I’ve made it in the crockpot and it turned out fabulous, but I don’t currently have one.
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! You can definitely make this on your stovetop. The easy way is to just combine all of the ingredients (except parsley) in a large pot, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for… probably about an hour? Or until meat is fully cooked. Then add parsley, just like the slow cooker directions. If you want to get a little fancier, you can sauté the onions and garlic in the ghee before adding everything else, which will enhance the flavor a little bit.
Walter
I’m making this this weekend. One more question. “Prepared” Cauliflower Rice. What does “Prepared” mean? I’m planning on using a bag of frozen Cauliflower Rice since it has to cook for 7-8 hrs. Just using them frozen. Does “Prepared” mean I should cook the Cauliflower first?
Elizabeth
Good question- sorry that’s confusing! Prepared just means the cauliflower is already shredded up into “rice” form. So your frozen cauliflower will work great. Some readers have inquired about adding it at the beginning or at the end of cooking- I added it at the beginning, but I think the end will work very well too and it will hold its shape a little better (about 30 minutes before it’s done). Thanks- I’ll make sure to add that note to the recipe. Hope you like it :-)
Walter
What size Slow Cooker? I hate recipes with no size mentioned. I usually try for a small Slow Cooker then end up dumping it into a larger one.
Whats 1/2 head of cabbage?…1 lb? 2 lb? Can you guess how many cups 1/2 head shredded is?
Would Petite Diced tomatoes work better than crushed?
Elizabeth
A large slow cooker- 7 or 8 quarts- will work best. For this kind of recipe, the amount of cabbage isn’t very important, which is why I didn’t specify the amount. But it’s probably around 4 cups after it’s all shredded. I don’t know if petite diced tomatoes would work better, but they certainly would work! I like crushed because it’s more like a sauce, rather than tomato pieces, so I think it permeates into the other ingredients better. If you try making it, I certainly hope you don’t “hate” the recipe while you’re eating it, despite the lack of sizes :-) Based on this feedback, I’m going to fix the slow cooker size on my recipe card now! Thanks :-)
Walter
Thank you
Michelle
Can we use ground turkey instead ?
Elizabeth
Absolutely!
Tamara
Hi Elizabeth!
I’m really looking forward to cooking this recipe. Quick question, how many servings is this recipe? I’m looking to make lunch for a group of 10 people and wondering if I need to double it up or not.
Thanks!
Elizabeth
Hi Tamara! I would definitely double the recipe for 10 people, if it will fit in your slow cooker. If it looks like it’s going to be tight, I’d recommend doubling the meat and spices, and adding as much cabbage as you can (it takes up a lot of room in the beginning, but shrinks down as it cooks). You could also consider cooking cauliflower rice (or regular rice, if grains are OK with you and your guests) separately, and omitting it from the recipe, and serving it more like a stew on top of the rice. This might work especially well since the consistency of this recipe is more “stew-like” anyway. Hope that helps, and hope you and your guests like it!
Elva Roberts
I have been using my slow cooker for a short time and I am on the lookout for healthy and deliclious recipes. I think this one fills the bill. I have saved it and hope to make it soon. What is cauliflower rice? I have never heard of it. Thank you for this recipe.
Elizabeth
Cauliflower rice is just finely chopped cauliflower that is used as a low-carb/grain-free alternative to rice. You can actually now find it in the frozen veggies section of your store, or you can make it yourself by putting cauliflower in a food processor and turning it on until it looks like rice. One search for “cauliflower rice” on Google or Pinterest will give you TONS of info on it- it’s become super trendy in the past couple of years. Hope you like the recipe!
Dondrie C Burnham
This was delicious!!! I wish I’d doubled it!
Elizabeth
Thanks so much! It’s one of my favorites, too :-)
Megan
Just added these ingredients to my grocery list! Can’t wait to try. Could you skip the ghee/butter you think?
Elizabeth
You can totally skip the butter/ghee. It adds a richer flavor but there is certainly enough fat in the beef to suffice! Hope you like it, and sorry for the delayed response :-)
Hillary Gras
Did you ever try this adding the cauliflower rice at end? I picked up “cauliflower coulettes” which is a bit thicker than rice.
Still very small…
Do you know approx. how many cups of cabbage? They vary in size so much…
Looking forward to this alternative to corned beef and cabbage!
Elizabeth
You can definitely add the cauliflower rice at the end! Probably about 15-20 minutes before the end of cooking. Actually, I wish I had done that from the beginning since I think it would have held up better. As for the amount of cabbage… it really doesn’t matter much but I’d probably say about 4 cups? The ratio isn’t important for that ingredient. Hope you like it!
Jacque
This was delicious! We served it over rice (rice was separate), though I wish I used the whole cabbage, we have five in our family! Plus, now I have to figure out what to do with half a cabbage. My 16 month old thought it was delicious that same day and the next day, too. Thank you!
Elizabeth
So glad you liked it! Hmmm… what about cole slaw? This one admittedly has a lot of sugar but it’s sooooooo good- it’s oil and vinegar based instead of mayo based: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/2014/04/14/bar-harbor-coleslaw-mayo-free/
Lauren
Should I cook the cauliflower rice before putting in slow cooker with all the other ingredients or keep it uncooked to cook with everything else? Please advise! Thanks so much :)
Lauren
Never mind! I see your comment above. Congratulations on baby!
Elizabeth
Thanks, and glad you found the answer! Hope you liked the recipe :-)
genna
Hi! I am going to try what you said here and add the cauliflower rice at the end. Do you recco cooking it first?
Elizabeth
Hi! So sorry for the delayed response- I have a good excuse, I promise! Just had a baby a week and a half ago :-) Hope it’s not too late, but you don’t have to cook it first- it will cook in the slow cooker. Because it’s chopped up so finely, it takes almost no time at all to cook.
Abby
This looks great! I’m on my 7th whole 30 day, and I, too, feel pretty great! Would it be ok to use the frozen riced cauliflower that is prepackaged?? Thanks in advance :)
Elizabeth
Woo hoo! Glad you feel great on your 7th day. Yes, frozen riced cauliflower will be fine (and a lot easier) :-)
Jocelyn
Could you use the already packaged shredded cabbage, like for coleslaw?
Elizabeth
I don’t see why not! I chop mine up into bigger pieces than that, but I think it would work. Hope you like it!
Ashley
Do you brown the hamburger? Thank you!
Elizabeth
Nope! You can just add it directly to the slow cooker- it will cook through in there.
Kayla Brown
Do you add the cauliflower rice to the slow cooker as well? Thanks!
Elizabeth
Yes, I did when I made this! But now that you mention it, it may be even better if you stir it in at the end about 10 minutes before it’s done- the texture will hold up a bit better probably (it gets kind of lost after slow cooking all day). I haven’t tried this, but I think I will next time! Hope you like the recipe :-)
Kayla brown
Awesome, I’ll try adding the cauliflower in around 10 minutes before its done. I’m making this on Sunday so I will let you know how it tastes! :)
Janina
If I’m doubling the recipe so that I can have more leftovers, how will that affect cooking time?
Elizabeth
Shouldn’t affect it at all! Hope you like it!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry
I just tried stuffed cabbage, the traditional way, about a year ago and completely fell in love. However, the prep scared me off. I’m excited to make this easy and quick version.
Elizabeth
I’ve actually never made real stuffed cabbage before either, for this same reason! But I love the taste, so I made this instead :-) Hope you like it!