Description
A comforting and hearty stuffed cabbage casserole featuring layers of seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, tender cabbage, cooked rice, and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for a filling dinner that combines the flavors of traditional stuffed cabbage in an easy-to-make casserole form.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 can tomato puree
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked white rice
Cabbage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ large green cabbage or 1 small cabbage (cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tsp salt
Topping
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook onions and garlic: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, seasoning with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Brown the ground beef: Add the lean ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until well browned and cooked through, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add seasonings and tomatoes: Stir in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika, then pour in tomato puree and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine, reduce heat and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to develop flavors, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in cooked rice: Once the sauce has simmered, add the cooked white rice and stir well to evenly distribute through the meat sauce.
- Cook the cabbage: In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped cabbage and cook until wilted and partially softened, about 5-7 minutes, seasoning with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) to prepare for baking.
- Assemble the casserole: In a baking dish, spread one-third of the meat sauce as the first layer. Top with half of the cooked cabbage. Repeat with another one-third of the meat sauce and the remaining cabbage. Finish with the last third of the meat sauce on top.
- Bake covered: Cover the assembled casserole with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Add cheese topping: Remove the foil and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered: Return the casserole to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- For a crispy cheese topping, broil the casserole for the last 2-3 minutes instead of baking uncovered; watch closely to prevent burning.
- This casserole reheats well; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If preferred, you can substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef to reduce fat content.
- Using pre-cooked rice reduces preparation time significantly.
- To make the dish gluten free, ensure Worcestershire sauce used is gluten free or substitute with tamari or coconut aminos.
