Cabbage Roll Casserole

close up shot of Cabbage Roll Casserole in a clear casserole dish

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5 from 6 votes

This cabbage roll casserole makes it easy to enjoy the taste of the original rolls, without any of the hard work.

Prep Time45

Cook Time55

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage roll casserole recipe

Servings:

Calories: 583kcal

Ingredients

Rice

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup minute rice

Meat Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 medium yellow onion diced finely
1 tablespoon garlic minced
½ teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes undrained
15 ounces tomato sauce

Cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cabbage cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Toppings

2½ 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°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, add ground beef. Cook and crumble until no longer pink. Drain grease. Return beef to pot, add onions and garlic. Stir well. Let cook for 5 to 7 minutes 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 water, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes with their juices and tomato sauce. Stir well and turn heat to low and allow 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 tablespoons olive oil. Add cabbage, salt, pepper, and butter. Stir well. Let cabbage cook for 5 minutes or until the cabbage is starting to get tender.
Add your cabbage to the meat and rice mixture. Stir well to combine.
Dump cabbage mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and cook for 40 minutes.
Uncover 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.

Notes

Note: To make into a freezer meal, cook in the skillet and then place in a freezer bag to freeze rather than baking. When ready, let thaw, dump into the casserole dish, and finish as instructed.

Note: You can cook ground beef in bulk ahead of time. Store in the freezer until you are ready to use and then add to your recipe when called for. This saves some time browning the meat.

Nutrition