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Hands serving cabbage roll casserole from a dish
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5 from 3 votes

Cabbage Roll Casserole

An easier twist on my great grandmother’s classic dish, this lazy, unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole is a simple dinner with so much delicious flavor!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, European
Keyword Cabbage Casserole, cabbage roll casserole, unstuffed cabbage roll casserole
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 - 8 people
Calories 340kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 1 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 lb. meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal) or sub with just ground beef
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 cans (10.75 ounces each) condensed tomato soup, not diluted
  • ½ cup beef broth (or sub with chicken broth, milk, or water)
  • 1 ½ cups cooked rice
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated cheddar cheese (or other grated cheese of choice)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
  • Cook cabbage in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
  • Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
  • Add the ground meatloaf mix (or ground beef) and onion to the drippings in the pan. Sauté until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Drain off the excess grease.
  • Stir tomato soup, beef broth, cooked rice, and cooked bacon into the skillet.
  • Add the drained cabbage to the beef mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
  • Transfer the cabbage mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly.

Notes

  • To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
  • If you don't want to bother with parboiling the cabbage on the stovetop, you can steam the cabbage in the microwave or fry the cabbage in butter in a skillet or Dutch oven.
  • Quick prep: to help this casserole come together easily, use microwaveable packets of rice. Just make sure that you cook the rice in the microwave according the package instructions before adding the rice to this casserole.
  • Bake the casserole just until it's heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don't bake it for too long or it will dry out and the rice will get mushy. You know a casserole is done when the filling is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley, chives, or other herbs for a bright, colorful touch at the end.
  • Substitute an equal amount of ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken for the meatloaf mix.
  • Tomato sauce will work as a substitute for the tomato soup; however, the tomato sauce has a much thinner consistency and isn't nearly as sweet. You might want to add some brown sugar to balance the acidity in the tomatoes, as well as some extra salt, pepper, or other seasoning. You can also simmer the tomato sauce for a little while on the stovetop to get it to thicken up and reduce.
  • Any variety of cooked rice will work. I like long-grain white rice, but a short grain rice, basmati rice, wild rice, or brown rice are fine, too. Just make sure that your rice is cooked before adding it to the casserole.
  • Want a cabbage casserole with no rice? Try substituting with an equal amount of riced cauliflower! The cauliflower rice will release some extra liquid in the dish as it cooks, so the sauce will be thinner, but it should still work fine.
  • Try other types of cheese instead of cheddar. Good options include Monterey Jack cheese, Colby, Colby Jack, Swiss, mozzarella cheese, American, and pepper jack cheeses.
  • Crock Pot: After cooking and draining the cabbage and preparing the beef and rice mixture, combine everything in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 1-2 hours, or just until heated through and cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the casserole | Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 541IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg