Comfort foods like starchy casseroles are usually among the first casualties of war for those who are battling high-carb foods. Dishes such as hamburger casseroles often feature carbohydrate-rich potatoes, noodles or rice, and are frequently topped with bread crumbs or potato chips. But it's possible to mimic the taste of the classic meat and potato --- or meat and noodle or rice --- casseroles with some simple ingredient substitutions that cut carbohydrates while adding the texture and substance of your favorite high-carb casseroles. Vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower contribute fewer than 10 g of carbs per cup, compared to the 150 g found in white rice.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Step 2
Chop onions, cabbage and cauliflower florets. Chop the cauliflower pieces fine, to resemble rice grains.The cabbage and onion pieces should be in strips.
Step 3
Brown the beef in a skillet. Remove the beef, pour off the fat and cook the onion briefly.
Step 4
Mix the onions and beef with the seasonings.
Step 5
Line the bottom of your casserole dish with half of your hamburger-onion mixture.
Step 6
Spoon a cauliflower and cabbage layer over the meat. Use about half of the cabbage and cauliflower.
Step 7
Add one more layer of hamburger and onion, and one more layer of cauliflower and cabbage.
Step 8
Combine soup and the equivalent amount of water; pour over casserole.
Step 9
Sprinkle an optional topping of grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese, preferably low-fat, over the surface of the casserole, if desired.
Step 10
Place the casserole in the oven and bake for one hour.
Tips and Warnings
- For low-carb hamburger-noodle casseroles, use spaghetti squash in place of egg noodles or traditional spaghetti. Steam or microwave the squash, remove the squash "noodles" from the shell, and use them to replace the pasta called for in the recipe. Some baked dishes, such as shepherd's pie or chicken a la king, feature thick, starchy crusts. Replace these high-carb biscuit or potato toppings with mashed cauliflower. Mash boiled cauliflower with low-fat milk and butter or margarine. When you have a consistency that resembles mashed potatoes, spread the topping over your unbaked casserole and bake the dish according to your recipe's specifications. When substituting vegetables for grains, consider how each ingredient changes in the cooking process. For example, rice will double or triple in quantity as it cooks, while cauliflower stays the same size. Therefore, you'll want to use 1 to 2 cups of finely diced cauliflower pieces in place of 1/2 cup of uncooked rice.
- Sugar often lurks in canned tomato sauce or soup. Read labels carefully to avoid inadvertently adding extra carbohydrates and sugar into your "low-carb" casserole.
Things You'll Need
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 2 cups chopped green cabbage
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- Chili powder and pepper
- 10- to 12-oz. can condensed tomato soup
- Water
- Grated cheese (optional)
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