Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
⏲ ~14 min total · prep 12 · cook 2 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 165 min total🔥 17.6g net carbs⚡ ≈504 kcal/serving~10% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 large green cabbage (2 1/2-3 lb), cored and cut into 8 wedges
- 1 1/2 lb smoked sausage or andouille (no-sugar), sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, plus 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp of the butter.
- Brown the sausage slices in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, until fat renders and edges crisp; remove with a slotted spoon.
- Cook the onion in the rendered sausage fat 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
- Pack the cabbage wedges into the dish in two layers, scattering the onion between them.
- Whisk the cream with the Dijon, caraway, salt, and pepper, pour it over the cabbage, and dot the top with the remaining 3 tbsp butter; cover tightly with foil.
- Bake 90 minutes, until the cabbage is collapsing and knife-tender, then uncover, nestle in the browned sausage, and bake 30 minutes more, until the cream has reduced and the edges bubble and brown.
- Scatter the Gruyère over the top and broil 2-3 minutes, until molten and spotty brown; rest 10 minutes before serving.
Why this recipe works
- 300°F does the work Ninety covered minutes at a low oven collapse the cabbage wedges into sweetness instead of boiling them squeaky. Rushed cabbage is rubbery cabbage.
- Sausage joins late Browning the slices first renders their fat for the onions, then they go in for the final 30 minutes. Added early, they turn soft and gray.
- Cream reduces in the dish A cup and a half of cream bakes down with the Dijon and caraway until it clings to the wedges. The broiled Gruyère lid finishes it.
Tips for making this recipe well
Foil, sealed tight
The first 90 minutes are a steam braise, and leaking foil dries out the top layer. Crimp it right onto the dish rim.
Test with a knife
A paring knife should slide through a wedge with no resistance before the sausage goes in. If it catches, give the dish another 15 minutes covered.
Save the sausage fat
Cook the onion right in the rendered fat for 4 minutes. That step seasons the middle layer of the whole dish.
Rest 10 minutes
Straight from the broiler the cream runs loose. A short rest sets it into a sauce that clings to each wedge.
Broiler, eyes on
Two to three minutes takes the Gruyère molten and spotty brown. Walk away and you go from golden to scorched fast.
Serving suggestions
Bring the dish to the table and serve it straight from there, a wedge with cream, onions, and sausage slices per plate. The caraway and Dijon read through the cream, so nobody needs sauce on the side, though grainy mustard suits anyone after more sharpness. At 17.6 g net carbs per serving this is a hearty plate, so put something green and vinegar-dressed beside it. It holds its heat well, which makes dinner slow and forgiving.
Storage and meal prep
Covered in the fridge it keeps 3 to 4 days, and it reheats better than most casseroles because the cream loosens again with gentle heat. Warm portions in a 300°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or in the microwave at half power. Freezer storage works for 2 to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and expect the cream to separate slightly, then stir it back together as it reheats.
Variations worth trying
- Andouille heat Andouille instead of smoked sausage brings more spice to the whole dish. Keep everything else identical.
- Swiss in place of Gruyère Swiss or Jarlsberg melts the same way with a milder flavor. Use the same cup and a half.
- Mushroom version Skip the sausage and brown a pound of quartered cremini mushrooms in the same fat. Add them where the sausage goes and the dish runs vegetarian.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this take almost 3 hours?
Cabbage needs low, slow heat to turn sweet and collapse. At 300°F the wedges braise in cream for 90 minutes, then brown with the sausage for 30 more, and the broiler finishes the cheese.
Can I speed it up at a higher temperature?
Higher heat boils the cabbage rubbery before the centers go tender. The long bake is what turns the wedges silk instead of squeak.
Which sausage should I buy?
Look for no-sugar smoked sausage or andouille, since sugar in the casing pushes the carb count up. Check the label because brands vary widely.
Does it freeze?
For 2 to 3 months, yes. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat covered at 300°F, stirring the cream back together as it warms.
How many net carbs?
A serving runs 17.6 g net carbs, which lands mostly in the cabbage and onion.
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