Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Casserole

This casserole has ground beef, onion, cabbage, and rice cooked in tomato sauce - all the components of traditional cabbage rolls, but with none of the hassle of making individual rolls. Simply toss everything in a slow cooker for a set-it-and-forget-it casserole.

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Cabbage rolls are a great dinner for just about any occasion. But traditional cabbage rolls are a real pain to make. This casserole gives you all the flavor but with just a fraction of the work.

Cabbage roll casserole is pretty much a meal on its own. If you would like to add something more to the meal, I suggest some low-carb beer bread or dinner rolls and a lightly dressed salad.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and substitutions
• How to make slow cooker cabbage roll casserole
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• How to make it in advance
• FAQs
• Top tip
• 📖 Recipe
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• 💬 Reviews

Ingredients and substitutions

Even though the cooking method for this slow cooker recipe, is quite different than that of traditional cabbage rolls, the ingredients are much the same.

• Ground Beef - Ground turkey, pork, or chicken would also work. In addition you can use vegan ground beef substitute.
• Onion or onion powder
• Green Bell Pepper - a red, yellow, or orange bell pepper would also work.
• Garlic or garlic powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper
• Cabbage 
• Tomato Sauce - you can also use any combination of canned tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes.
• Brown Sugar, molasses, or honey
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• White Rice or or brown rice (only use 1 cup if you are using brown rice)
• Beef Broth or vegetable broth
• Monterey Jack Cheese or mozzarella cheese

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make slow cooker cabbage roll casserole

To make this slow cooker cabbage casserole you will start by cooking the beef along with the onion, green pepper, and garlic. After it's fully cooked and the vegetables have begun to soften, drain the grease.

Hint: Save time, by cutting up your cabbage and mixing the tomato sauce (see step 4) while the beef cooks.

Next, add the rice and beef broth to a 6-quart slow cooker and stir.

Tip: To easily core and slice cabbage, first cut it into four wedges (cut from the top of the cabbage, down through the core) Then you can easily slice the core away from each wedge. After the core has been removed, slice the wedge into 1-inch squares.

Add half of the cabbage to the slow cooker on top of the rice and broth, season it with salt and pepper. Next, add half of the cooked beef. Then repeat this with the remaining cabbage and beef.

Now, in a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce with the brown sugar and vinegar. Then pour the mixture over the beef and cabbage in the slow cooker.

Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours. About 15 or 20 minutes before the cooking time is complete, stir the contents of the slow cooker and top it all with the shredded cheese. Replace the lid and allow the cheese to melt until the cooking time is complete.

Variations

This recipe can be easily adapted to suit your taste buds and dietary preferences.

• Low Carb - Substitute the brown sugar with brown sugar substitute and exclude the rice and beef broth and sub with 1 tablespoon of beef broth concentrate or bouillion and 3 cups of cauliflower rice or additional cabbage.
• Vegan - Use a plant-based ground beef alternative, vegetable broth, and vegan cheese.
• Make it soup - Reduce the ground beef to 1 pound, reduce the cabbage to one half pound, and reduce the rice to three-quarters of a cup. Double the beef broth. Instead of melting the cheese over the casserole, serve it sprinkled on bowls of soup when serving. Otherwise the follow the cooking directions as they are written.

Check out this Instant pot vegetable soup or cheesy scalloped cabbage casserole for other great options.

Equipment

Here's what you'll need to make this slow cooker casserole:

• Slow cooker with at least a 6-quart capacity (I used an Instant Pot Aura Pro affiliate)
• Large skillet (I used a 12" lodge cast iron skillet affiliate)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small mixing bowl
• Knife and cutting board

Storage

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for up to 6 months. To reheat, allow the casserole to thaw then bake in the oven or microwave until it is heated through.

How to make it in advance

The majority of this recipe can be assembled in advance for an even easier meal perfect for busy nights.

To make the casserole ahead, cook the beef, onions, pepper, and onion and prepare the tomato sauce as written in steps 1 and 4.

Then, place the rice in the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the alternating layers of cabbage and beef. DO NOT add the broth or tomato mixture yet. Store all the components in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

When you are ready to cook the casserole, simply pour the beef broth and tomato sauce into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours.

Additionally, you can add the rice, cabbage, cooked beef(with the onion, pepper, and garlic) to a large freezer bag. Then, add the tomato sauce mixture to a separate bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.

When you are ready to cook, simply pour the beef broth into the bottom of a slow cooker, then empty the contents of the freezer bags into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Stir halfway through.

FAQs

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