Cabbage Roll Casserole

5 from 14 votes

This unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole includes all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but without the hassle. Instead, layer the cabbage with ground beef and tomato sauce lasagna style and bake in the oven for a hearty, wholesome casserole!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 25

Course: Casserole

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Servings: servings

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Olena Osipov

Ingredients

2 lbs cabbage
1 cup uncooked white or brown rice
1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 large onion finely chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp oil for frying
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
28 oz tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes divided
2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth low sodium
2 tsp maple syrup or sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley finely chopped (for garnish)
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Cooking spray I use Misto

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray large and deep 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, add rice and cold water to cover. Set aside to soak while you are prepping other ingredients.
Cut a head of cabbage into 4 quarters and remove the core from each. Set aside.
Preheat large skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, garlic, beef, oregano and thyme; saute for 10 minutes, breaking into small pieces with spatula constantly.
Rinse and drain rice; add to the skillet along with half of the tomato sauce, maple syrup, broth, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a boil and turn off heat.
Time to layer casserole. Separate leaves from cabbage and make one layer on the bottom of casserole dish, using 1/3 of cabbage and tearing into smaller pieces, if necessary. Placing with cup and curvy side down helps too.
Top with half of the meat rice sauce and then add another layer of 1/3 cabbage. Press on it with spatula if it looks bulky but don't worry cabbage cooks down a lot. Then top with remaining meat rice sauce and last 1/3 of cabbage.
Pour remaining half of tomato sauce on top, spray silicone lid or foil with cooking spray and cover casserole dish tightly. Bake for 40 minutes if using white rice or 60 minutes if using brown rice.
Check if rice is cooked and if not cook a bit more. Now sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes and cut with a knife into 8 pieces. Serve warm (I like hot) with a dollop of yogurt (if you wish) and a slice of rye bread. The casserole tastes even better the next day and makes great leftovers and work lunch.

Notes

Recipe updated February 2021.

Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in a microwave.
Freezer meal: Assemble and cool casserole. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake. Or wrap with 2 layers of foil on top of plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, warm up on the counter for 1 hour and bake as per recipe plus 15 minutes or so.
Shredded cabbage: If you would like to use shredded cabbage instead of layering it like lasagna sheets, using a sharp knife or mandoline thinly slice/shred it. I also think coleslaw mix will work.
Amount of meat: You can use anywhere between 1-2 lbs of any ground meat. I know package sizes differ.
Dairy free: Cheese on top is optional.
Other rice: Any rice works. If package directions says its cook time is over 30 minutes then treat as "brown rice" for the cooking instructions in this casserole.

Nutrition