Cabbage Roll Casserole
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Many European and Polish descendants will know Cabbage Rolls as a holiday favorite. But how about making them into a casserole? This is easier than making the rolls but the end result will thrill the family all the same!
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish Casserole
Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
  • 1 can Ro*Tel Tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dill weed
  • ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (Or bacon to taste)
  • 1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds), chopped or shredded
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook beef (or turkey) and onion over medium heat, crumbling until the meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain if using beef. Stir in one can of tomato sauce, Ro*Tel tomatoes, and next five seasoning ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Stir in cooked rice and cooked and crumbled bacon; remove from heat.
  2. Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish.
  3. Top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top.
  4. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  5. Yield: 12 servings.
Notes
Minimize mess by using 90% lean ground beef or ground turkey (so you can skip the draining step) and use coleslaw mix (so you don't have to chop cabbage).
Recipe by Pray Cook Blog at https://praycookblog.com/cabbage-roll-casserole/