Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole (Low-Carb)

Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole is a reduced-carb version of a popular casserole from the early days of my blog! And this casserole with cauliflower rice instead of rice will definitely be a winner for stuffed cabbage fans who want to limit their carbs.

PIN the low-carb Stuffed Cabbage Casserole to try it later!

This delicious Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole that’s low in carbs was inspired by a recipe I got from my friend Dolores in the early days of the blog! And there’s no question that her recipe a for a casserole with cabbage, ground beef, tomatoes, and rice was a hit with readers who didn’t care too much about carbs! (You can use that link to see the printer-friendly recipe for the casserole with rice if you were a fan!)

Dolores told me her casserole had the flavors so many people love in stuffed cabbage. And of course it was easier to make than stuffing the cabbage leaves. And as my focus shifted to lower-carb recipes on the site, I mentioned in the recipe notes that you could switch the rice for cauliflower rice.

Then Kara and I worked to come came up with the recipe you see here for a low-carb version of that popular Stuffed Cabbage Casserole! We tested this recipe a few times with cauliflower rice, and we loved this final version! This casserole does have a few steps compared to some recipes on the blog. But we did like making it with frozen cauliflower rice, which saved some time.

And cabbage goes on sale in March, so I’m reminding you about this delicious casserole! The recipe makes eight servings, so there’s plenty to freeze. And I LOVE taking a container of this out of the freezer and reheating it for a quick dinner. I’m usually eating it with a little sour cream on top; I hope you enjoy it too!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is ONLY a list of ingredients for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• ground beef
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• onion
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• sweet paprika, preferably Szeged Paprika (affiliate link) or other Hungarian Paprika
• Sharp Hungarian Paprika (affiliate link) or hot paprika, or use more sweet paprika if you prefer
• Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
• canned petite diced tomatoes
• canned tomato sauce (choose the tomato sauce with the least sugar you can find)
• “steam in the bag” frozen cauliflower rice (or any cauliflower rice you prefer)
• cabbage
• grated Mozzarella cheese

How is Stuffed Cabbage Casserole different from traditional stuffed cabbage?

Stuffed Cabbage is an eastern European dish where partially cooked cabbage leaves are filled with a stuffing that often includes ground beef, rice, tomatoes, onions, and spices. In this recipe those traditional stuffed cabbage ingredients are layered in a casserole dish, for an easier version!

How low in carbs is this Stuffed Cabbage Casserole?

This popular casserole with stuffed cabbage flavors has only 6 net carbs per serving with 27 grams of protein!

Do you need two types of paprika for Stuffed Cabbage Casserole?

I like using a mix of sweet paprika and hot or sharp paprika, but if you only have one type of paprika I’m sure this will still be tasty. I’m a fan of Szeged Paprika (affiliate link) and that’s the one I use when a recipe calls for paprika! (If you’re feeding kids I might skip the hot paprika and use all sweet paprika.)

How long does the Stuffed Cabbage Casserole keep?

Leftovers of this casserole will keep about a week in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. It also freezes well in a container with a tight-fitting lid.

Preparing Ingredients for Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole:

(This is ONLY a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Preheat oven and spray a large deep casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Brown ground beef and season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
3. While beef browns, chop onion, prepare garlic, and measure sweet paprika, Sharp Hungarian Paprika or hot paprika, and Dried Thyme. Drain petite diced tomatoes.
4. When the beef is browned, push it over, add more oil if needed, and brown onions. Then add garlic and spices and cook 1-2 minutes more.
5. Stir onion-spice mixture into the ground beef.
6. Add petite dice tomatoes and tomato sauce to the beef-onion mixture and let it simmer on low heat while you prepare cabbage and cauliflower.
7. Chop a medium head of cabbage. You need about 10 cups chopped cabbage.
8. Heat olive oil in another large frying pan and cook the cabbage over medium-low heat until cabbage is wilted and starting to brown.
9. Meanwhile, cook one package (10.5 oz.) frozen cauliflower rice in the microwave. (The cauliflower rice will cook more in the oven, so don’t get it too soft at this point. Just microwave frozen cauliflower rice in a bowl if you don’t have this kind that cooks in the bag.)
10. If you prefer to use fresh riced cauliflower use 2.5 cups and microwave or cook in a frying pan with a little olive oil until it’s softened.
11. Stir the cooked cauliflower rice into the ground beef mixture. Measure out the cheese.

Assembling and Baking Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole:

1. In the casserole dish make a layer with half the cooked cabbage.
2. Put half ground beef-cauliflower rice mixture over the cabbage.
3. Top that with half the grated cheese.
4. Then make another layer of cabbage, ground beef-cauliflower rice mixture, and cheese.
5. Bake the Stuffed Cabbage Casserole uncovered for about 40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown.
6. Serve hot, and don’t be afraid to add a little sour cream on top like I do if that idea appeals to you!
7. This freezes well or can be made ahead and stored in the fridge to be reheated during the week

Make it for a Low-Carb Meal:

This would be great with any of these side dishes for a comforting and delicious low-carb meal:

• Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese
• Air Fryer Roasted Mushrooms
• Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
• Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan
• Air Fryer Asparagus (with Lemon and Parmesan)

More amazing cabbage recipes:

If you’re also a cabbage fan, check out my huge collection of Low-Carb and Keto Cabbage Recipes. Or you can use the category for Cabbage Recipes to see all the recipes with cabbage, including lots of salads and soups.

Weekend Food Prep:

Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole recipe has been added to a  category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 8 servings

Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole (Low-Carb)

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

This Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole is a low-carb version of a hugely popular Stuffed Cabbage Casserole from the early days of my blog!

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T minced garlic (garlic from a jar is fine for this)
• 2 tsp. sweet paprika (preferably Hungarian Paprika, which often comes in a tin, see notes)
• 1 tsp. sharp or hot paprika, or use more sweet paprika if you prefer (preferably Hungarian Paprika, which often comes in a tin, see notes)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained into a colander placed in the sink
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (choose the tomato sauce with the least sugar you can find for low carbs)
• 1 10 oz. pkg. "steam in the bag" cauliflower rice (see notes)
• 1 medium head cabbage, chopped to make about 10 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 cups grated Mozzarella cheese (see notes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Spray a 13" x 8" (or similar size) deep casserole dish with non-stick spray or mist with olive oil.
2. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the pound of ground beef into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a turner, until the beef is nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Season with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
3. While the beef cooks, chop onion, mince garlic (or measure garlic from a jar), and measure the sweet paprika, sharp paprika, and thyme. Drain the petite diced tomatoes into a colander placed in the sink.
4. When the beef is done, push it over to the side of the frying pan, add a little more oil if needed, add the chopped onion, and cook until onion is softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and spices and cook 1-2 minutes more.
5. Stir to combine the beef and onion mixture. Then stir in the drained petite dice tomatoes and tomato sauce, reduce heat to low, and let the mixture simmer while you're preparing the cabbage and cauliflower rice. (Take the beef mixture off the heat if all the liquid evaporates.)
6. Chop the head of cabbage to make about 10 cups coarsely chopped cabbage. In another large, deep frying pan heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and cook until the cabbage is softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Season cabbage with a little salt if you'd like.
7. While cabbage cooks, microwave the 10.5 oz. package of frozen cauliflower rice in the package, following package directions. We cooked it 4 minutes for the brand we used. (Just cook the cauliflower rice in a bowl if you don't have the type that cooks in the bag.)
8. (If you prefer to use fresh riced cauliflower you'll need about 2 1/2 cups. Put the cauliflower rice in microwave-safe container, cover with cling-wrap, and cook 3 minutes. To cook on the stove, you'll need another pan, or put the cabbage in a bowl and use that pan again. Heat about 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat, add the riced cauliflower and cook, stirring several times, until the cauliflower is softened and some of the liquid has evaporated as steam, about 4 minutes.)
9. When the cauliflower is barely softened, stir it into the beef-onion mixture.  Measure out the cheese.
10. In the casserole dish make a layer of half the cabbage, half the meat-cauliflower rice mixture, and half the cheese. Make a second layer of cabbage, meat mixture, and cheese.
11. Bake Low-Carb Deconstructed Cabbage Casserole uncovered for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is starting to slightly brown.
12. Serve hot. I like this with a dollop of sour cream, try that if you like sour cream.
13. This casserole will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. The casserole also freezes beautifully to reheat later.

Notes

There are a number of good spice purveyors that sell Hungarian Paprika, but for years I've been a huge fan of Szeged Paprika (affiliate link) which can be purchased on Amazon.

Using the "steam in the bag" cauliflower made this easy, but use 2 1/2 cups riced fresh cauliflower if you prefer.

Use more or less cheese to taste. Use any white cheese that melts well.

This recipe is a low-carb version of the recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Casserole with Rice I got from my friend Dolores many years ago.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 346Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 10gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 84mgSodium 503mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 27g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This low-carb version of Stuffed Cabbage Casserole is a good main dish for low-carb or Keto Diets. It’s also great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but South Beach would recommend lean ground beef and low-fat cheese.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Casserole Recipes for more tasty casseroles like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This casserole recipe with all the flavors of stuffed cabbage was posted in 2019, and I’ve made it many times since then. It was last updated with more information in 2026.