Here's a delicious recipe for a low-carb creamed cabbage ground beef casserole with crispy bacon! The homemade cream sauce is seasoned with Cajun spices that enhance the flavor and give this casserole a southern flare.
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I don't think you can possibly have enough casserole recipes featuring ground beef and a low-carb vegetable. This ground meat is a staple in our home, and we often make bacon burgers where the meat is mixed in with bacon before grilling or frying!
There is something magical about adding bacon to ground beef that really enhances the flavor of the meat. That's why this creamed cabbage and ground beef casserole includes bacon just like my cheeseburger casserole recipe.
Plus, who doesn't love bacon?
Cooking the ground beef in the same skillet as the bacon makes sure you get all the bacon flavor goodness.
It's absolutely delicious!
Creamed Cabbage In A Crockpot
At first, I was thinking about making this creamed cabbage with bacon and ground beef in a crockpot. It would likely work out fine, and you probably wouldn't need to pre-cook the cabbage.
However, I was too impatient to plan this meal out and wanted it for dinner that same night. I suppose you could prep everything the night before in the crock and set it on low in the slow cooker to cook all day.
This is something I may try later as I would like to make more use of my crockpots. Yes, I have more than one slow cooker, so it's surprising that I don't cook in them more often.
Ingredients
There are two parts to this recipe - the cabbage and ground beef mixture and the creamy sauce.
Here's what you need:
Meat
I used both bacon and ground beef. Baking bacon in advance will have it ready to go. You'll also want to make sure you use the kind without any added sugar or maple so it's keto-friendly.
You could use Italian sausage instead of ground beef. If you want to use ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef, I suggest adding a bit more Cajun seasoning since those types of meat don't have much flavor.
Cabbage And Onion
Shred the cabbage, so it is in really thin pieces. Add some sliced onions. Any type of onion will work in this recipe.
Butter
You'll need butter to sauté the veggies and to use in the creamy sauce.
Heavy Cream
For the best taste and texture, use heavy whipping cream. Half and half can work in a pinch but won't be as thick.
Xanthan Gum
This is a very important ingredient because it makes the sauce extra thick and creamy!
Spices
Save yourself time and use jarred Cajun seasoning and some salt and pepper.
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Quick tips
- Cover the creamed cabbage with foil when you bake it, to prevent it from burning in the oven.
- If you don't want to use the microwave, you can soften the cabbage by sautteing it in a skillet.
- The leftovers will make great healthy lunches for you!
Instructions
All the exact steps for this creamy cabbage casserole are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here are some helpful step-by-step pictures, along with more notes about the recipe.
Soften And Pre-Cook The Cabbage
To start things out, I coarsely chopped a full head of cabbage, then put it in a large casserole dish with salt and butter. I covered the dish and microwaved it on high for ten minutes.
The cabbage was softened at that point but not fully cooked. It will soften up more while baking the casserole.
Layer Ingredients In A Casserole Dish
I used half of the cabbage as the first layer in the casserole. A 9x13-inch baking dish is a perfect size for this creamed cabbage and ground beef casserole.
Add Bacon
The next layer is the cooked ground beef, so I sprinkled the chopped bacon on top of that. I kept the bacon pieces somewhat large, but you can cut them up smaller if you'd like.
I topped the casserole off with the other half of the chopped cabbage.
Make The Cream Sauce
Then, I worked on the cream sauce. I wanted to give this casserole a southern flare, so I used a Cajun seasoning mix. To thicken up the sauce, I sprinkled in some xanthan gum.
Cover And Bake
Once the cream sauce was thickened, I poured it over the top layer of cabbage and allowed it to drizzle down through the layers.
To help the cabbage get fully cooked and not dry the dish out, I covered the casserole with aluminum foil and baked it for half an hour.
Here's how it looked after baking:
️ Serving suggestions
Since this creamed cabbage recipe has both ground beef and bacon, it is a pretty filling main course for dinner or lunch. I would serve your favorite low-carb side dish with it!
Sheepshead maitake mushrooms will taste delicious with this cabbage dish.
If you really enjoy cream and cheese, these stuffed portobello mushrooms only have 3g net carbs each.
Or, change up the taste and texture by eating some zucchini fritters with the creamed cabbage. They only have 1g net carb per fritter - so you have plenty of carbs left over!
FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are a few questions people often ask about this recipe. If you have a question, please leave it in the comments.
What are some other types of thickeners I can use instead of xanthan gum?
You could use any low-carb thickener you have on hand. I always have xanthan gum, but guar gum or a mix of both also works well.
How many servings and net carbs are in this creamed cabbage casserole?
I got six good portions out of this low-carb casserole. The total carbs for each serving is only 7.1 grams, and if you subtract the fiber, the effective net carb count is 4.8 grams.
How do you make homemade Cajun seasoning?
Here's my favorite recipe for homemade Cajun seasoning:
- 2 ½ tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons of salt and garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, onion powder, cayenne powder, dried leaf oregano, and dried thyme
You can also buy a premade mix at the store!
Why you'll love it
This one-dish dinner is sure to satisfy and fill you up. Cabbage is a healthy vegetable that is not only inexpensive, but it's low in carbs too. It's a budget-stretching low-carb dinner recipe that is rich and filling!
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this creamed cabbage casserole, here are some more keto and low-carb casserole recipes you should try next. They are some of my favorites!
- Unstuffed Pepper Casserole looks like a cheesy plate of ground beef goodness and only has 4g net carbs in each serving.
- Keto Taco Pie has flavors that leap from the plate and is ready for dinner in less than an hour.
- Low-Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu is extremely filling, but each serving only has 2g net carbs.
- Hamburger Cabbage Casserole looks like a favorite tomato-based dish but has cabbage instead of pasta.
- Keto Philly Cheesesteak Casserole has all the flavors of the classic sandwich with tons of cheese and peppers.
- Corned Beef Casserole is a great way to use up your St. Patrick's Day leftovers!
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Recipe
Creamed Cabbage Ground Beef Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 6 slices no sugar bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 ¼ pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
- 3 tablespoons cold butter cut into thin slices
- 1 head of cabbage cored and coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Sauce:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning I used Emeril's Brand (see note)
- dash fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook bacon in a skillet, drain, chop and set aside.
- In the same skillet, saute the beef with the onion until brown. Remove and set aside.
- Place the cabbage in a large microwavable casserole dish with cover, sprinkle in salt, tossing as needed.
- Top cabbage with the thin butter slices, cover and microwave on high for 10 minutes.
- Transfer half the cabbage to a 9x13 baking dish.
- Top with the beef mix, then the bacon.
- Place remaining cabbage on top.
- Prepare the sauce by melting the ¼ cup of butter in the skillet.
- Add the heavy cream and water, sprinkle and whisk in the xanthan gum.
- Cook on medium high heat until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in the Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour the white sauce over the top of the cabbage, beef, and bacon.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly and cabbage is cooked through.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published on March 4, 2015. Post updated on November 16, 2021, with new photos and additional recipe information.
Raymond Gillilan
I have made this twice in two weeks . It is so filling, satisfying and delicious. It's been about three weeks and we have it in the oven now . Made as written, and so delicious but this evening I caramelized the cabbage to see how that tasts as we like fried cabbage . Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Tanya
I posted a review previously and want to make others aware that the calorie count (double checked on MFP) on this is not correct and is about 150 calories more than what is stated on the blog. It clocks in at about 550 calories and 9 carbs vs. 7. Just an FYI.
Tanya L Riendeau
This was pretty tasty and easy to make, but a bit rich for my taste. I did like it but doubt I'd make it again unless it was for a potluck.
Jane Robinson
Yum!! The cajun seasoning definitely adds that Southern flair!! Very tasty, and I'll definitely cook this again!
Sarah
We must be dairy free for medical reasons
I used avocado oil based margarine and plant based cream. It is fantastic.
Ginger
Made this tonight and everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly Tolbert
Great and easy dinner!
Tina
Can you freeze leftovers?
Lisa MarcAurele
I find vegetables can release water after freezing so it may make the casserole a little watery when reheating.
Laura
Is this spicy, not a fan of spicy (as in hot on the tongue) recipes. Can I leave they cajun seasoning out or put less in?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's not spicy but you can leave the Cajun seasoning blend out or use less if you don't like it.
Sheri
You could always make your own cajun seasoning (directions in the notes of the recipe) and just leave out the cayenne pepper.
Sarah in CA
I was able to translate this recipe for my dairy free daughter. I came out great. I lined my sheet pan with foil for easier clean up. This is a very economical dinner for a large crowed of hungry kids. Thanks for making me look good at dinner time.
Angela
My non-keto husband loved this and wants it on regular rotation. As most cooks do we tweak to our own tastes but this screamed to add cheese which we did and put this over the top. Thank you for a great recipe!
Lisa MarcAurele
Great tip on the cheese!
Julie E.
This was amazing. The bacon really made this recipe flavorful. I don’t care for xanthan gum so used 3oz. cream cheese to thicken the sauce and used bone broth instead of water.
Sally
Oh, my! This was SOOO good! I ate way to much of it! Thanks for the amazing recipe! I didn't have xantham gum and just omitted it and my sauce was a little thin, but good. I didn't add water to the sauce. I'll be making this again and again!
Lisa MarcAurele
So glad you enjoyed the creamed cabbage and beef casserole!
lorene
Is this gluten free
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes, this is a gluten-free recipe.
Marcia
We loved this, but agreed we’d leave the bacon out next time.
Thank you so much. We have been making a lot of your dishes.
Kim
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING!! I used cornstarch instead of xanthan gum (I didn't have any) and Tony Chasheres for the seasoning (all I had). I also used 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in place of a tablespoon of butter while cooking the cabbage. It was so good. I would share a picture if I could, it was perfect. I'm excited, new recipes don't usually turn out right on the first try but this was great, I will make it over and over.
Mark
Just made this for tonight!
Followed recipe, very accurate and easy!
I just added a bit of bacon on the top!
Used a little Mrs. Dash Southwest for the sauce!
Wish I could post a pic!
Mark Cotter
Thanks for this!
Making this tonight
Appreciate all you do!
Great ideas!
Helen
My family has loved this recipe for years! We use beef bacon because we are pork free. This is our new shepherds pie!!!
Terri
can this be baked in a casserole dish instead of a cookie sheet?
Lisa MarcAurele
This recipe is cooked in a 9x13-inch casserole pan.
Jessica
It is a delicious recipe but you need to boil the cabbage first or else it will need double the time in the oven.
Jan
This was so easy to make and tastes wonderful!
Linette Arnold
Cold windy night and this was the perfect meal! Easy and so creamy and delicious! I'm going to use this "white sauce" recipe a lot.
Jeff Taylor
Trying the creamy beef and bacon casserole tonight
trisa blask
What spice can I replace with the cajun blend? I don't like really spicy. Would a taco blend work?
Lisa MarcAurele
Here's a recipe sub for the spice blend:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Donna M Madden
This recipe is awesome! I didn't have the Cajun spices, but looked up Emeril's recipe and made it (easy, everyday spices, combined). The sauce is so creamy and rich. It make a lot! I've been enjoying it so much, but wonder if any leftovers can be frozen?? Thanks so much!
Lisa MarcAurele
The leftovers can be frozen if you'd like it to keep longer as cabbage freezes fine in an airtight container.
John Smith
Heads of cabbage can vary in size wildly, from 1 to 3+ pounds.
After looking at the pictures for this recipe I would guess maybe a 2 pound head of cabbage? Please advise....
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. I use an average size. A little more or less is fine too.
Amanda
What's a serving size
Lisa MarcAurele
It's 1/6 of the recipe. I don't measure, I just divide the recipe into similar sized portions.
Melissa
I made this today. Is there something I can replace the xanthan gum with and heavy cream with? The xanthan gum gave it a slime taste and I usually I cook with almond milk because I can't tolerate dairy. Butter I'm ok but milk isn't.
Lisa MarcAurele
I like using glucomannan in place of xanthan gum, but arrowroot powder works too. Almond milk should be fine too, but it's much thinner than cream.
John Smith
would coconut cream work?
Lisa MarcAurele
It should. I've had good results using it in place of cream.
Barb
This is delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Dot
I need to start cooking low carb. My sugar is out of wack.
Lisa MarcAurele
Sounds like a good plan to me!
JCNana
Would this recipe work with some tomatoes added? Just looks like it needs something else.
Lisa MarcAurele
I'd seed the tomatoes before adding, but I don't see why you couldn't add them.
Ann
I made this tonight & it was delicious. I added some chili powder to add more flavor, & next time I would only cook the chopped cabbage for 5 minutes in the microwave, as I like it less cooked. Delicious!
David Keith
I tried this recipe last week and it is lovely, very tasty. I'm quite new to low carb eating but i'm feeling the benefits already. This is a really versatile recipe; we made it with salmon and prawns yesterday and it was sublime. I don't bother adding any thickener, I just cook the cream a little longer.
Lisa
It sounds even better with the seafood. Yum!
Lori Gorichanaz
I made this and it just didn't have enough flavoring for my liking. I think the base is good and will make it again but will go with different and more seasonings.
Lisa
Did you use the cajun spice blend? The one I used was Emeril's brand.
JanW
I made this last week in the slow cooker, it turned out great! I added a layer of greater cheddar to the top of it and subbed the xanthan gum for coconut flour as that's all I had on hand, but it worked perfectly. I did double the cream as I'd used more beef and cauliflower and also didn't precook the cauliflower so was a bit worried there wouldn't be enough liquid, but 4 hours on high in the slow cooker and the turned out perfectly. It froze and reheated really well too.
Making it again tonight but in the oven so hopefully it will be just as good ?
Lisa
I'm definitely doing this one in the slow cooker. Thanks!
TT
Can you please post your crockpot version?
Lisa
It's basically the same recipe, just slow cooked.
NANCY BENIG
CAULIFLOWER???????????????
Shelly C.
Wow! I would give this one a 5 star rating without even having tried it! It sounds so YUMMY! But even as wonderful as is, what I REALLY like about it is it's versatility! Just for variety, you could literally use ANY meat in place of the ground beef . . . with or without the bacon! (but I love bacon, so I'm thinkin' with!) 😉
I just found your blog, like just now! And being diagnosed as diabetic a month ago, well . . . this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for! ALL the nutritionists that I've talked to and the books that I've looked at have been REALLY TOTALLY DISILLUSIONING! It's like they have NO idea what they're talking about! EVERYONE (general public included) seems to by into the governments suggestions of how to eat "properly"! And frankly, it's a bunch of whooie! After doing some research, I have found that I've been right all along about fats for one thing! I NEVER bought into the idea that fats were bad! Saturated fats in dairy products and meats DON'T make you gain weight. They DON'T make your cholesterol go up, and they DO NOT cause heart disease! And their little food paradigm showing how we should eat, is EXACTLY why we have a nation full of obese, diabetic people! And the sugar substitutes that people are eating and drinking in diet drinks thinking that they're going to lose weight, and then wondering why they are instead gaining weight . . . Then they think they have no will power, and friends and family berate them for not losing their weight and instead gaining weight . . . it's all a recipe for disaster! No one realizing that those artificial sweeteners actually MAKE you CRAVE MORE FOOD!!! It's not that people can't follow their diet because they have no will power, it's that they can't follow their diet because they've been eating and drinking a substance that causes them to CRAVE MORE FOOD SO STRONGLY THAT THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY RESIST! They are LITERALLY set up for failure! I had known that for a long time, but what I didn't know, was that as a diabetic, ANY TIME you eat something that tastes sweet, regardless of the source, (ie: sugar, artificial sweetener, fruit, ANYTHING sweet) your body responds the EXACT same way with the glucose and insulin dance as if you ate something full of plain 'ole regular processed white sugar! So as a diabetic, we have to be VERY careful using sweeteners, even if it's not sugar, and it has no carbs! Supposedly Xylitol and Stevia are the ONLY two exceptions and even those should be used in moderation. (apparently there's still some questions out about them as well) But, the good news is, Lisa you are so right about the low carb diet! High fats, high protein, and low carbs in the proper controlled portions is the way to go. Without exercise (my lung condition doesn't allow me to exercise) and no medications, just changing my diet, in less than two weeks I'd brought my blood sugar down from almost 400 to within normal limits and within just under a month I have lost 5 lbs. That 5 lbs may not sound like much, but without exercising?, yeah, I'm impressed! I didn't gain it overnight and it won't be lost overnight. As I become more healthy with my diet, my doctor and I both hope that eventually I'll be able to exercise, which will make the results of it all even better!
I apologize for posting such a long comment and I know it sounds kind of off topic, but my guess is that a lot of the people, if not most, that are looking for low carb recipes, are probably diabetics just like me. And I want share this info with as many people as I can! It's important! The largest source of my information comes from a small 60 page book written by Marlene Merritt (Smart Blood Sugar). She's done a TREMENDOUS amount of research and I know that her thought process is worth looking at not only from my results, but my dad's as well. He was diagnosed last year with diabetes and at the time his A1C was 8.9%. Six months later it was down to 6%. My A1C on Feb 24, 2016 was 10.8%, it is now, less than a month later (March 23, 2016) down to an estimated 7.9%! (the estimation comes from a diabetic app that I use to keep track of my blood sugar levels. Using those numbers it calculates what the A1C would likely be if it were actually done in a lab) I have a PDF copy of the book that I would be happy to share with anyone interested in reading it. Just email me and I'll send it to you. (shellyscorner at yahoo dot com) If you don't hear from me, I may have missed you so just send me another email if you don't hear back from me within a week or so. I'm not selling anything and I have no affiliation with anyone! I just want people to be HEALTHY! Lisa, I cannot wait to continue looking through your blog! Thank you for sharing!!! (I really hope you don't mind my sharing . . . )
Lisa
Whoa! Thanks so much Shelly for sharing all that. I do hope others take the time to read it!
Donna W.
I agree with you, Shelly! It makes me so mad all of those diet fads out there and such that don't really work and people just buy into them. I'm not diabetic, but I still agree with you. All it takes is some research! And a low carb high fat diet is beneficial in so many ways! Healthy weight loss, balanced metabolism, normal blood sugar, normal kidney function provided carbs are NOT cut out all together, water retention reduced! I'm happy someone told me about it. I'm also happy I don't have to starve myself or count carbs or portion control with this. I can be satisfied and full without feeling like I ate all the wrong stuff.
Lisa, thanks so much for all of your yummy looking recipes! I am just beginning this journey, but I am excited to try and I have saved a lot of your recipes.
I am wondering if cornstarch could be used as a thickening agent instead of xanthan gum? Thanks again!
Lisa
Hi Donna! I don't use corn starch as it does add carbs and I try to stay away from grains. For alternatives to xanthan gum, you can check out the post here.
Sandra K West
To read and hear the true facts on managing diabetes (I have 44 yrs experience of Type 1), do everything Dr. Richard K Bernstein writes in Diabetes Solutions and on what is on "Diabetes University' YouTube. He only states the facts and what he has proven by his life and patients lives. His advice, changed mine drastically, and I was doing everything right by the book. Now, I do what really works! Hope you prove this too.
Lisa
I recommend Dr. Bernstein's works too.
Roseann
Lisa, this sounds wonderful! I was wondering if you can suggest anything else for a thickening agent?
Lisa
Using full fat Greek or regular yogurt for some or all of the heavy cream will thicken the sauce.
Elle
I used almond flower works great only 2 carbs in 1/4 of cup
Kirsten
Lisa,
We get a lot of cabbage in the farm share and have a cow in the freezer, so a casserole like this is right up my family's alley! I love the addition of bacon to ground beef. I add some green tomato bacon jam to my burger meat and there's just this amazing flavor created with that simple addition.
Thanks!
Lisa
Kirsten, I just checked out the green tomato bacon jam on your blog. It looks wonderful. I've pinned it for later when we have lots of green tomatoes in the garden.
Toni
Would love to see your recipe for green tomato bacon jam!