Easy Stuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe

Love cabbage rolls, but not all the prep work? This stuffed cabbage casserole recipe is so much easier to make, and it tastes just as delicious!

Chopped cabbage, tangy tomato sauce with ground meat and rice, topped with plenty of melty cheese. A great way to get the whole family to eat their veggies!

I am such a fan of casseroles packed with vegetables because then I don’t have to worry about making a side dish. This unstuffed cabbage casserole is a complete meal all in one!

When I was a kid, I hated cabbage because the only way we had it was steamed. But add a bunch of tasty simple ingredients, and it is transformed into a delicious dish! Even my picky daughter will eat it.

Another thing I love about this recipe is that you don’t need to precook the cabbage. As it bakes in the oven, you end up with tender cabbage that has absorbed the Italian flavor of the sauce. Delish!

How to make unstuffed cabbage rolls:

1. PREP – Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. SAUCE – In a large frying pan, cook the ground beef, pork, and onion over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Drain off any fat. Add the seasonings and cook for about 60 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, Worcestershire, broth, and rice. Bring to a boil over low or medium heat.
   
3. CABBAGE – While the sauce heats, wash and chop the cabbage.
4. BAKE – Spread the chopped cabbage leaves in the prepared pan. Pour the beef mixture evenly over the cabbage. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
5. TOPPING – Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Replace the foil and bake for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese. I like to garnish the top with fresh basil.

This casserole can easily be prepped a few hours ahead of time, or even overnight. Perfect for busy weeknights!

VARIATIONS:

• Any type of cheese can be used, as long as it melts well. I’ve also used all mozzarella, and for the photos above I used colby jack because one of my kids used my mozzarella and forgot to tell me. 😉
• If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
• Instead of white rice, you can use brown rice, but you will need to add an additional 1/2 cup of liquid and increase the cooking time.
• For a lower carb dish, you can use cauliflower rice.
• You can add additional veggies if you like. Shredded carrots or corn added to the sauce add a bit of sweetness, and green bell pepper is also tasty.
• Try adding a dollop of sour cream to balance out the acid from the tomatoes.

More Family Favorite Casserole Recipes:

• Tamale Casserole Recipe
• Crack Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
• Pepperoni Casserole
• Mexican Shepherd’s Pie
• Chili Frito Casserole
• Tater Tot Casserole with Corn
• Chicken Mashed Potato Casserole

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole Recipe

Kara

 This unstuffed cabbage roll casserole has all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, but is so much easier to prepare!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 23 minutes mins

Course Main Dish- Beef

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 403 kcal

Equipment

• Farberware Hamburger Chopper, Black
• Bamboo Spatula 13-Inch
• 9×13 Baking Dish for Cooking, White

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ pound ground pork sausage
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp dry dill
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar (white or brown sugar)
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 24 oz spaghetti sauce
• 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup long grain rice (raw, not cooked)
• 6 cups chopped green cabbage
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Spray a 9×13" pan with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Cook ground beef, pork and chopped onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the meat is brown. Drain off any excess grease.
• Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, dill, salt, pepper, and sugar and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, Worcestershire, broth, and rice. Stir and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, chop the cabbage and spread it in the prepared pan. Pour the meat mixture evenly over the top.
• Cover with foil and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the cabbage and rice are tender.
• Sprinkle cheese over the top, replace the foil, and bake for another 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Notes

• If you don’t have the pork sausage, you can use an additional 1/2 pound of ground beef, or omit it altogether.
• Leftover casserole can be covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

Recipe inspired by The Recipe Critic.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 27gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1450mgPotassium: 809mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 815IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 241mgIron: 4mg

Keyword cabbage roll casserole

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This stuffed cabbage casserole recipe is such a tasty way to get the whole family to eat more healthy cabbage!