Cabbage Roll Casserole

Total Time Prep: 20 min. Bake: 55 min.
Yield 8 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
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.

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

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in 1 can tomato sauce and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and bacon; remove from heat.
  2. Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top.
  3. 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.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups: 384 calories, 19g fat (7g saturated fat), 83mg cholesterol, 813mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 5g fiber), 29g protein.

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
Recipe Creator

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