Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole is a true comfort food go-to.
Nothing makes me think of my childhood and family more than Cabbage Rolls.
Growing up with Polish grandparents, they made an appearance at every occasion, from Christmas to Easter, weddings to baptisms!
On days when I don’t have the time to create cabbage rolls, I’m so glad I have a quicker version of this age old favorite that still delivers all the flavor I expect from the original dish!
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I’m sure most of you have enjoyed homemade cabbage rolls before. They’re delicious and truly a comfort food (not to mention budget friendly).
When I just don’t have the time to fiddle with boiling/freezing cabbage leaves and making the rolls, I turn to this simple lazy cabbage roll casserole.
There are a few steps in this recipe, but it is really easy to make! You’ll create a quick meaty sauce and while it’s simmering you can soften the cabbage in pan. Once softened, just simply layer and bake.
For the meat sauce layer I use a mixture of ground beef and pork because I find it gives the best flavor. Any ground meat will work, I’ve even subbed in ground turkey if it’s all I have on hand. If you do use ground turkey, I’d suggest adding in a beef bouillon cube to add some extra flavor.
I love the chunky tomatoes in this recipe but if you prefer a smoother sauce, you can simply substitute another can of tomato sauce for the tomatoes. Be sure to remove the bay leaf from the sauce before stirring the rice in, while it adds good flavor, it’s not good to eat! Long grain rice is traditionally used, but you can also sub in brown rice. Another tasty option is to substitute cauliflower rice in place of long grain rice make it lower in carbs and incorporate more vegetables into your meal!
The cabbage can be prepped ahead of time by chopping into ½” chunks and refrigerating in a zippered bag. Cabbage will keep for at least a week this way and is so convenient to have on hand (and also great to toss into vegetable soups and stir fries).
Another great thing about this cabbage roll casserole is that it can be prepared the night before (or in the morning) and then simply baked before serving. This makes it the perfect meal for guests and busy school nights!
This recipe does freezes perfectly so if you’re empty nesters or have a small family, this can be divided into 4 portions and frozen for future – a perfect meal ready and waiting!
Your family will absolutely love this Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole and you will love how easy it is! Homemade, ‘holesome’, hearty and healthy – the new definition of 4-H! It will quickly become a family favorite!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 8 ounces lean ground pork or additional ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ½ cups cooked rice brown or white
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head green cabbage chopped, about 8 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13 pan.
- Brown ground beef, ground pork, onion and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, dill, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and stir in rice.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook until tender-crisp.
- Place half of the cabbage in the pan. Top with half of the beef/rice mixture. Repeat layers ending with beef/rice.
- Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until hot & bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Hi Holly! We really love cabbage rolls in our house and I’ve always thought, of course, that my mom makes the best! I’ve seen other recipes for a Cabbage Roll casserole and yours, by far, looks the best. Your combination of ingredients just sounds delicious. I’ll be making this before the week is out and I have a feeling this recipe will make it onto my “tried and true” list. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Enjoy Mary Ann!
I have been using shredded zucchini in my cabbage rolls. It is really good! I replace the rice with zucchini in the same amount.
That would be delicious!! Thank youfor sharing!
What exactly is tender crisp for when to stop cooking cabbage?
You would like it to be tender and cooked but not mushy, it should still have a little bit of firmness.
Can the rice be omitted?????
It can be omitted, I often used riced cauliflower in place. It will cause the dish to be slightly runnier.
It looks so good, I will try it, but can I boil the cabbage? Instead of frying it in oil. Thanks!
You can certainly boil the cabbage instead of frying.
Could you top this delicious dish with cheese?
I like the way you think Toni! Cheese would be awesome on top of this casserole!
Hi! The 8 servings – is that true to how a normal adult would eat? Like would it feed 8 adults, or does it go by the standard serving size of things? Like if a box of pasta says it has 6 servings, but it only really feeds 2 people. Thanks!! Can’t wait to try this!
With a salad and some crusty bread you should get 6-8 good sized servings. :) Enjoy!
I am going to try this. I love cabbage casserole and soup. I will be subbing Lentils for the meat, maybe adding some “meat crumbles” and omitting the tomato soup. Sounds really good. Thanks for sharing
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
If you want to freeze do you bake it first and then freeze or put in 4 separate containers and freeze and bake when wanted?
Place in 4 containers and then freeze. Thaw and bake when you are ready to enjoy!
In Russian we call them Lazy Goluptsi (cabbage rolls)
They definitely hit the spot!
Thanks so much for the recipe on making French onion soup in the crock pot. Ingenious, also want to try your deconstructed cabbage rolls.
Hi Ben, I hope you enjoy the soup!
I am excited about this recipe. I am a novelist at this. What size cans are you using for the tomato paste etc?
Thanks
Was the cabbage precooked like the rice?
It is cooked in step 4.
This looks really good! I love cabbage and this is dairy-free which is a must in our house. Maybe this will get my kids to eat cabbage!
I am trying this tonight, I made extra sauce and used a 11x 15 with a big head of cabbage, the wife says it smells just like her stuffed cabbage rolls, but not all the work
The easy and delicious version of cabbage rolls! I’m sure she’ll love it Bruce!
I like it
Hello, can this dish be frozen in portions to be warmed up later?
Sorry never mind – i didn’t read the details at the end. Got my answer! :)
This looks delicious! Now if only my family liked cabbage as much as I do… :)
Haha, perhaps they will open up to cabbage if they tried this amazing recipe!
Can you make this with ground turkey instead of beef & pork
Definitely!
I’m looking for something to do with a bag of cabbage. This looks perfect!
We hope you try it! :)
I’ve done a dish very similar…but used only diced tomatoes and for extra liquid used chicken bouillon mixed with slightly less water than directions call for and added in a few diced green peppers. Great flavour! And it works well for people who don’t care for too many tomatoes.
Thanks for letting us know that Linda!