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
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Whole family loved this dish. It is one of our go to meals now. I always double the dish and freeze the other half so we always have some on hand.
I was wondering if you didn’t have tomatoe paste, I’d it would make a difference?
While this recipe would still work fine but tomato paste adds a zesty flavor.
this was delicious and enjoyed by everyone. much lighter than regular lasagna. I have been sharing this with other friends who love it too.
Oh my goodness this was de-lish! It makes a ton of food, yay leftovers!
I love leftovers too! Glad you enjoyed it!
Holy smokes this is both delicious and makes a LOT of food! No cooking next week because we are having freezer left overs.
I would probably cook my rice with chicken broth next time to add some more flavor to counter having to add so much salt to flavor the cabbage, rice and tomato soup.
Delicious!
I see the cooked rice in the Ingedients and then in the instructions it says the “meat/rice mixture” but at some point am I supposed to mix in and boil the rice with the tomatoes and meat or just layer the rice?
Hi! In step 3) you add the already cooked rice to the beef/tomato sauce mixture (after removing the bay leaf). Then just proceed to layer this entire mixture with the tender crisp cabbage mixture – beginning with the cabbage and ending with the tomato/beef/rice mixture. Hope that clarifies.
Could you use sour cabbage?
I haven’t tried it with sour cabbage, please let us know how it works out for you if you do try it.
Long cooking rice or instant? Trying this tonight,,,
Long grain white rice.
How long would you bake this if the rice wasn’t precooked?
Do you pre cook the cabbage as well as the rice?
The cabbage is cooked in step 4 of the recipe.
I made this and added chopped green peppers to the meat and sauce. It was delicious.
That sounds like a delicious addition! I love green peppers!
when do you cook the rice
The rice is pre-cooked before measuring.
Made this for dinner tonight it was really yummy! We had no bay leaf or parsley it was still good! I did 15oz can tomatoe sauce 15oz can chopped tomatoes and a tablespoon of Splenda – perfect!!
We loved it!!! Just my hubby and I so will be freezing enough left overs for several more meals. Served with side of cranberry sauce.
Awesome!!
Hi. Your recipe calls for 1 can of tomato soup. How many ounces is this?
The tomato soup is 10.75 oz.
Looks delicious..but I am trying to cook without any processed soups or sauces so what would others suggest I use in lieu of the tomato soup. Perhaps more tomato sauce? Would love suggestions!
I have only made this recipe as written. I find the tomato soup adds a little bit of creaminess to the recipe. If you substitute it, please let us know how it works out for you!
This was amazing!! We didn’t have a bay leaf but it turned out great anyhow. Thanks!!
Will definitely try. I believe I will add fresh peppers to my second layer of cabbage before baking.
Just finished making this for a church dinner tomorrow. I used cauliflower rice instead of rice. I tasted it & can’t wait to have some on a plate, it’s delicious.
Made this for dinner-I didn’t have tomato sauce so used crushed tomatoes-everything else in recipe was the same–it was delish!!!
I’m so glad you loved it!