Description
Polish comfort arrives with cabbage roll casserole when ground beef, rice, and tender cabbage create a hearty one-pan wonder that brings warmth to your dinner table without complicated preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef
Supporting Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium head of cabbage
Seasoning and Liquid Ingredients:
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, breaking meat into small pieces as it cooks.
- Drain excess fat from the skillet. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves. Saute for 3-4 minutes until onions become translucent.
- Pour in 15 oz tomato sauce, 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, and 1 cup uncooked rice. Season with 1 teaspoon each of oregano and basil, plus salt and pepper.
- Simmer the meat mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Remove cabbage core and chop 1 medium head into bite-sized pieces.
- Blanch chopped cabbage in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat oven to 350F. Grab a large casserole dish and spread half the cabbage across the bottom.
- Spoon half the meat mixture evenly over the cabbage layer.
- Add remaining cabbage on top, then cover with the rest of the meat mixture.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese on top if desired.
- Bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes until cheese melts and edges bubble.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Blanching the cabbage helps soften it and reduce cooking time without making it mushy, so watch carefully during those 3-4 minutes.
- Ground turkey works perfectly as a leaner protein swap if cutting down on beef, but keep the seasoning amounts exactly the same.
- For gluten-free needs, confirm your broth is certified gluten-free and replace regular rice with cauliflower rice as an alternative base.
- Letting the casserole rest 10 minutes after baking allows the layers to set and makes serving much easier without falling apart.
- Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 13 minutes - 1 hour 21 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg