This Cabbage Roll Casserole is the lazy way to enjoy a comfort food classic like stuffed cabbage rolls with less prep.
Tender pieces of cabbage with ground beef and ground pork, all simmered and then baked with a quick homemade tomato sauce, our stuffed cabbage casserole recipe is pure comfort food.
Why will you love this recipe? If you love stuffed cabbage rolls but hate all the prep this is like a lazy stuffed cabbage rolls, like an unstuffed cabbage casserole in a sense. Instead of rolling each cabbage roll, you’ll only need to chop and steam the cabbage.
If you do want the full experience of stuffed cabbage rolls then you should definitely try out this recipe!
Cabbage Roll Casserole ingredients:
- Ground Beef & Ground Pork – We like the flavor combination of the two ground meats, but you could use all beef or plant-based ground beef. Sausage also works well for added flavor.
- Onion – Onions add quite a bit of flavor but can be omitted if needed.
- Garlic – Whenever adding garlic, ensure you’re not browning it too much or it becomes bitter.
- Cabbage – While you could use pre-shredded cabbage for this recipe, chopping it yourself makes for a much better texture.
- Diced Tomatoes – For this recipe, we prefer petite diced tomatoes. You’ll also use the juice from the can.
- Tomato Sauce – We use 28 oz cans to add extra sauce to the top to make it prettier. This is optional as the 15 oz is all you need for flavor, as you’ll have a little leftover.
- Brown Sugar – We use brown sugar to add a bit of sweetness. You can leave it out if preferred or add more if you like it extra sweet.
- Red Wine Vinegar – We like our cabbage casserole with a bit of tang, so use the amount you’d like to your tastebuds.
- Salt and Pepper – We do this to taste, to bring the flavors together.
- Cooked Rice – This casserole dish is a great way to use leftover rice.
- Parsley – A bit of fresh parsley after cooking added to the top is a great way to add visual appeal to a casserole.
How to make cabbage roll casserole
Preheat the oven, grease a 9×13 casserole dish, and set it aside.
In a large skillet, brown the beef and pork.
While the meat is cooking you can chop the cabbage, first remove the core.
Slice it into slices.
Then slice it the other way and then into bite-size pieces.
Add the cabbage to a large pot with a steamer insert.
Add a bit of water to the bottom and steam with a lid covering the pot.
Once the meat is no longer pink, remove it from the pan and set aside.
Next, you’ll brown the onions for 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, and cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Now you can add the meat back and add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Mix and then add the rice and combine, cooking for a few minutes to let the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
Next, add the cabbage to the bottom of the casserole dish and then top it with a layer of the meat mixture. Repeat until there are three layers of each.
You can top it with some extra tomato sauce using a bigger can.
Cover with foil and bake for 55-65 minutes until the cabbage is fully tender and the meat and sauce have cooked into the cabbage.
Recipe Tips and Alterations:
- You can alter the meat mixture to your liking. You can do all beef, all pork, ground chicken, ground turkey, or even impossible ground meat would work.
- Have a ton of cabbage? We love making a double batch so we can freeze some.
Storage and reheating tips:
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in portions using freezer safe containers. We love using souper cubes for individual portions when freezer. For the best quality, enjoy within 3-4 months.
- Reheat: You can use your oven or microwave to reheat the casserole. The microwave isn’t as consistent to reheat. You can bake it in a 350 degrees F oven in a baking dish with leftover sauce and a few tablespoons of broth or water. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes until hot throughout.
How to serve:
We love serving with some fresh baked bread. This is a filling and delicious meal of veggies and protein.
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Cabbage Roll Casserole
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Print Pin SaveIngredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium cabbage chopped, 7-8 cups
- 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1-2 tablespoon brown sugar optional for added sweetness, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon red wine vinegar or 1 lemon juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and set aside.
- In a skillet, brown the beef and pork over medium heat using a potato masher to break up the meat. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink.
- While the meat is cooking, add the chopped cabbage to a large stock pot with a steamer insert inside and about 1-2 inches of water. Cover and steam the cabbage for 5-7 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
- Remove the beef from the skillet and add in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the ground meat back to the dutch oven along with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Next add the rice and mix to combine and cook for 5-6 minutes to meld all the flavors.
- Layer the bottom of the baking dish with 1/4 cup of cabbage and then top some of the meat mixture; repeat with 1/4 of the cabbage and then some of the meat mixture. Alternate until both are finished.
- Cover with foil and bake for 55-65 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
- Serve and enjoy.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
I love that the cuisine type is ‘Jewish’ and the second ingredient is pork! Seriously though, my grandma (not Jewish) learned this from Jewish neighbors in Warsaw during WWII – without pork. When she got to Canada, she started adding bacon for extra flavour.
Haha, yes! You can definitely make it with all beef, but my grandma used pork a lot. I’m wondering if more added pork to their diet due to it being cheaper. I find us using less and less beef these days because the prices are just so outrageous.