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This cabbage roll casserole recipe is an easy comfort food dinner recipe. It’s a casserole made from deconstructed cabbage rolls — full of delicious meat, tomato sauce, rice and cabbage that gets cooked together on the stovetop and then baked in the oven.
Looking for more dinner ideas like this? Try our delicious Cabbage Rolls or other favorites similar to this recipe like Cheeseburger Casserole, Lasagna Casserole.
Cabbage Roll Casserole Ingredients
You will need:
MEAT SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1⁄2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp italian seasoning
- 11⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp pepper
- 1⁄8-1⁄4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1⁄4 cup water
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
RICE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup minute rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 tbsp butter
CABBAGE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 head cabbage, cored and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp pepper
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
- 2.5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Chopped fresh parsley for the top, optional
Ingredient Substitutions & Additions
MEAT: This recipe uses hamburger meat, but you can swap this out for ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
VEGETARIAN: Leave out the meat completely and substitute 1 more cup of rice to make this a vegetarian dish.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole
STEP 1: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp butter, and a beef bouillon cube to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat. Add 1 cup minute rice and stir well. Cover the pot and let it sit until you are ready to use it in the meat mixture.
STEP 2: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
STEP 3: In a large soup pot over medium heat add hamburger meat. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain grease. Return the beef to the pot and add the onions and garlic. Stir well. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes while stirring often.
STEP 4: Add dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Let the mixture cook for an additional 2 minutes.
STEP 5: Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and the tomato sauce. Stir well and turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes.
STEP 6: Add the cooked rice to the sauce mixture and stir well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
STEP 7: In a separate large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add cabbage, salt, pepper, and butter. Stir well. Let the cabbage cook for 5 minutes, or until it is starting to get tender.
STEP 8: Add your cabbage to the meat and rice mixture. Stir well to combine.
STEP 9: Dump cabbage mixture into a 9 x 13” baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
STEP 10: Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
STEP 11: Uncover the casserole dish and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to brown and the casserole juices are bubbling on the sides of the casserole. Optionally, garnish with parsley.
What to Serve with Cabbage Roll Casserole
Cabbage rolls are a hearty, all-in-one meal. But if you’d like to add a side dish or two to your table, add a simple veggie dish (like Glazed Carrots) and some Easy Dinner Rolls.
storing this recipe
in the fridge
Place leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in a airtight container.
in the freezer
To freeze, store it in an airtight container or spoon it into a large ziploc bag once cooled. When you’re ready to eat your leftovers, thaw your casserole, add it to a baking dish and reheat it in the oven.
You could also make this a freezer meal by completing the steps through the skillet portion (Step 8) and then place in a large ziploc freezer bag for storage. Once ready, just following the remaining steps for a complete easy meal.
This ‘lazy’ version of cabbage rolls is a family favorite dinner recipe that’s easy and satisfying. It has all the same ingredients as traditional cabbage rolls, but they are mixed together on the stovetop and then baked in the oven for a delicious, deconstructed cabbage roll casserole.
MORE easy dinners you’ll love
Cabbage Roll Casserole
Ingredients
Meat Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced finely
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
Rice Ingredients
- 1 cup minute rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 2 tbsp butter
Cabbage Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 head cabbage cored and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Topping Ingredients
- 2.5 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan bring 1 cup of water, butter, and beef bouillon cube to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup minute rice and stir well. Cover pot and let sit until you are ready to use it in the meat mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot over medium heat add hamburger. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain grease. Return beef to pot, add onions and garlic. Stir well. Let cook for 5-7minutes while stirring often.
- Add dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, italian seasoning, salt, pepper,and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Let cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes with their juices and tomato sauce. Stir well and turn heat to low andallow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add cooked rice to the sauce mixture and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a separate large skillet over medium heat add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add cabbage, salt,pepper, and butter. Stir well. Let cabbage cook for 5 minutes, or until the cabbage isstarting to get tender.
- Add your cabbage to the meat and rice mixture. Stir well to combine.
- Dump cabbage mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Top withshredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes
- Uncover casserole dish and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until thecheese is starting to brown and the casserole juices are bubbling on the sides of thecasserole.
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