Cabbage Roll Casserole

Name: Cabbage Roll Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dill weed; 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 cups cooked rice; 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled; 1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds), shredded; 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese; Coarsely ground pepper, optional

I layer cabbage with tomato sauce and ground beef lasagna-style to create a hearty casserole that tastes like cabbage rolls but without all the work. —Doreen Martin, Kitimat, British Columbia

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked rice
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds), shredded
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Coarsely ground pepper, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in one can of tomato sauce and next six ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and bacon; remove from heat.
Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top.
Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper.

Test Kitchen Tips

Minimize mess by using 90% lean ground beef or ground sirloin (so you can skip the draining step) and use coleslaw mix (so you don't have to chop cabbage).

Try serving with a splash of red wine or cider vinegar.

Take this with a grain of salt: Our tasting panel finds salt preferences vary widely. We recommend adjusting according to your dietary restrictions, if any, and taste. Remember the hidden sources of sodium, like bacon, cheese, and canned sauces, soups and vegetables.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 256 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated fat), 56mg cholesterol, 544mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 3g fiber), 20g protein.

Originally published as Cabbage Roll Lasagna in Taste of Home April/May 2005

Reviews

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Average Rating:

ozment

Jun 8, 2018

MOST EXCELLENT RECIPE!Can it be frozen?
tag44017

May 7, 2018

I've been making this for years. Always a favorite at my house. I add about 1 1/2 cups of sauerkraut to my cooked cabbage to give it a little zip, omit the cheese (I have one family member that's lactose intolerant), substitute the tomato sauce with 1 large can of chopped or crushed tomatoes & sprinkle some french-fried onions on the top for a little crunch.
gtjones56

May 6, 2018

Great flavor and no hassle rolling in the cabbage leaves. The sage seasoning is perfect. Thank you!
debs951

May 3, 2018

My family isn't "big" on spicy heat, so I had my doubts on adding the cayenne pepper. No worries! It wasn't overly hot and my entire family gobbled it up! Made it just as written and we all enjoyed it. Will definitely be making it again! Thanks for this recipe!
Cheryl

Apr 17, 2018

Is there a way to print a recipe from watching a video of how to make it. As it doesn't tell the amount of each ingredient?
Kim

Apr 14, 2018

I’ve never tried a Taste of Home recipe that my family didn’t like until now. I was very disappointed that this dish wasn’t very good. I had to purchase a couple of spices that weren’t cheap, in order to make the casserole, and now I have spices that most likely I will never use again, plus the expense of throwing 99% of it away.
Charnassi

Mar 31, 2018

i thought it tasted good, husband, who is one who could taste a quarter teaspoon of wine in eight gallons of soup, thought it was so so. I used packaged shredded cabbage and he felt it was too finely shredded and got lost in the casserole. Will try buying whole head next time and coarsely chopping. Will also leave off the cheese.
Brenda

Mar 29, 2018

This is delicious. I didn’t have tomato sauce so I used a jar of spaghetti sauce and added additional dill. Used cheddar cheese and a little Parmesan because that’s what I had on hand. Excellent dish.
DiAnna

Mar 29, 2018

What a hit!!! Everyone LOVED it and so easy. One friend said-"this could be done instead of noodles and no one would care"- it's that good!!!
Patricia

Mar 29, 2018

Could this be make with spaghetti sauce and cut out all the extra spices? I once saw a recipes using spaghetti sauce for Cabbage roll casserole but cannot find it now. Thought this would work. Cut out a lot of work.