We just LOVE this Crock Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole. You don’t have to brown the ground beef ahead of time and it is so easy to throw this one pot meal together for a low carb family dinner.

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Cris here.

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. We make it ALL THE TIME and everyone fights over the leftovers. My only complaint is that it takes horrible pictures- ha! (Food. Blogger. Problems… right?).

Easy One Pot Crock Pot Meal

We love the taste of stuffed cabbage dishes. We are big fans of our Crock Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup (or Instant Pot) and we just love these Crock Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. So when I saw a recipe for “Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls” in one of my favorite low carb slow cooker cookbooks, I decided to adapt it a bit to our tastes and holy cow my family has went nuts over it ever since.

How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole in a Slow Cooker

We have made this dish multiple ways and loved it every single time. So, make sure to read the notes to see about all the different adaptations we have tried to decide how YOU want to make it! The basic way of making it is to press your ground beef down into a 6 quart slow cooker, top with the mixture of cabbage, onion and seasonings, then your sauce and then the cream cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours , stir the topping before serving and enjoy!

Notes on Crock Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

• This recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Easy Ketogenic Diet Slow Cooking.
• We have made this with a pound of ground beef and also with 2 pounds. I prefer two pounds. The beef holds together better on a bottom layer. It is delicious either way.
• We use a bagged shredded cabbage found in the salad aisle at the grocery store. It would be cheaper to shred your own cabbage, if you choose, but the pre-shredded cabbage makes the dish easier to throw together. It is up to you.
• If you are rushed on time, you can skip the saute step and just add the cabbage, onion and seasonings directly to the ground beef. If you choose to skip this step, just omit the bacon fat from the recipe.
• Since we eat low carb, we like to use Rao’s marinara due to the low carb count. It is expensive, so feel free to just use your favorite marinara sauce but if you are eating low carb be aware that marinara sauces vary GREATLY in carb counts, so read labels to find the one that best fits your diet and budget.
• We have made this recipe with 2 cups of sauce and with 3 cups of sauce. If you prefer a more tomato flavored sauce (as pictured), go with 3 cups. If you would prefer more of a creamy topping, reduce the sauce to 2 cups and wait to add your cream cheese until the end (see next note).
• Many readers ask us if the cream cheese breaks down during long cooking times. In this dish the breakdown IS noticeable visually (I told ya she ain’t pretty- ha!). So the choice is yours. The flavor is great either way. So, if you like the convenience of throwing it all in at the beginning, go for it. BUT if you want a creamier topping, wait to add the cream cheese until the end. I like to have it softened (either by leaving on the counter for a bit or microwave and stir it in at the end.
• This recipe creates a lot of oil at the end of cooking. We just serve with a slotted spatula.
• As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
• All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.

Printable Recipe for Crock Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

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4.89 from 9 votes

Crock Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

We just LOVE this Crock Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole. You don't have to brown the ground beef ahead of time and it is so easy to throw this one pot meal together for a low carb family dinner.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time6 hrs

Total Time6 hrs 10 mins

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Cris

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs uncooked ground beef see note
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 6 green onions chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp bacon fat or butter
• 2-3 cups marinara sauce see note
• 8 oz cream cheese

Instructions

• Press your ground beef down into a 6 quart slow cooker and salt and pepper the beef.
• Optional step (see note if you want to skip): In a skillet, heat bacon fat or butter and saute cabbage, onion, garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Add cabbage mixture to the top of the beef layer.
• Pour sauce evenly on top.
• Add cream cheese (see notes to see if you might prefer to wait to add cream cheese until after cooking) and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4.
• Stir cream cheese into tomato sauce and cut into pieces to serve.

Notes

• This recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Easy Ketogenic Diet Slow Cooking.
• We have made this with a pound of ground beef and also with 2 pounds. I prefer two pounds. The beef holds together better on a bottom layer. It is delicious either way.
• We use a bagged shredded cabbage found in the salad aisle at the grocery store. It would be cheaper to shred your own cabbage, if you choose, but the pre-shredded cabbage makes the dish easier to throw together. It is up to you.
• If you are rushed on time, you can skip the saute step and just add the cabbage, onion and seasonings directly to the ground beef. If you choose to skip this step, just omit the bacon fat from the recipe.
• Since we eat low carb, we like to use Rao's marinara due to the low carb count. It is expensive, so feel free to just use your favorite marinara sauce but if you are eating low carb be aware that marinara sauces vary GREATLY in carb counts, so read labels to find the one that best fits your diet and budget.
• We have made this recipe with 2 cups of sauce and with 3 cups of sauce. If you prefer a more tomato flavored sauce (as pictured), go with 3 cups. If you would prefer more of a creamy topping, reduce the sauce to 2 cups and wait to add your cream cheese until the end (see next note).
• Many readers ask us if the cream cheese breaks down during long cooking times. In this dish the breakdown IS noticeable visually (I told ya she ain't pretty- ha!). So the choice is yours. The flavor is great either way. So, if you like the convenience of throwing it all in at the beginning, go for it. BUT if you want a creamier topping, wait to add the cream cheese until the end. I like to have it softened (either by leaving on the counter for a bit or microwave and stir it in at the end.
• This recipe creates a lot of oil at the end of cooking. We just serve with a slotted spatula.
• As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish.
• All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline and should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.

 

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