Cabbage Roll Casserole
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
Reviews
It has potential but even in the video, I could see that the cabbage was not cooked properly. I decided to saute and salt the cabbage before assembling the casserole. I also added more spices and used a jar of Ragu sauce which is 24 ounces and a 15-ounce tomato sauce. I thought what was used in the video did not look like enough sauce. Mine turned out great.
I signed up an account just to talk about how much this recipe sucks. I have a thing about making recipes EXACTLY as written the first time because all of those reviews from people who claim something was great but changed half the ingredients ruin everything. So, making this recipe exactly as written: it's dry, bland, and only vaguely like cabbage rolls. The most disappointing thing was how crunchy the cabbage was... I expect cabbage soft enough to cut through with a fork, just like the real thing. The filling wasn't terrible, but clearly needed a lot more than 1/4 tsp of salt. I won't make this again, but if I did I'd probably parcook the cabbage so it has a chance of being soft after 45 minutes, at least double the salt and probably more like 1 1/4 tsp, and add another can of sauce.
This is actually a contest winner. I entered this one in the Florida Beef Cookoff in the mid 1980s and I believe it won third place. Some of the spices are altered here, but basically it’s the same recipe. They published it when I was in the finals of the contest, and I’ve also given it to many, many people. Most people love it. Only one I ever served it to who doesn’t like it is one of my six grown children. I guess his Lithuanian genes (I am 100%) got trumped by my husband’s genes , lol.
Cheryl when I see a video, I make note of the title and type that into the search box and can usually find the whole recipe that way.
This was not a hit for my family. It lacked flavor and was not as good as traditional stuffed cabbage.
I enjoy making this one as it is SO MUCH easier than making traditional cabbage rolls. Everything layered in one dish!
MOST EXCELLENT RECIPE!Can it be frozen?
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.
Great flavor and no hassle rolling in the cabbage leaves. The sage seasoning is perfect. Thank you!
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!