Here’s a clear and complete recipe for Oven-Baked Stuffed Cabbage Casserole, a simple twist on traditional cabbage rolls without the fuss of rolling each leaf:
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, turkey, or chicken
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz / 410 g) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup shredded cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven:
Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). - Prepare Cabbage:
Wash and chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Steam or boil for 5 minutes until slightly softened, then drain. - Cook the Filling:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant.
- Add ground meat, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until browned.
- Stir in cooked rice and ½ cup of tomato sauce. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the Casserole:
- In a greased baking dish, layer half of the cabbage.
- Spread the meat and rice mixture evenly over the cabbage.
- Top with the remaining cabbage.
- Pour diced tomatoes and remaining tomato sauce over the top.
- Bake:
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle cheese on top if using, and bake for another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and cheese melts. - Serve:
Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
✅ Tips:
- You can make this vegetarian by replacing meat with lentils or mushrooms.
- Adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to the filling gives extra depth of flavor.
If you want, I can also provide a shortcut version using frozen cabbage and pre-cooked rice that reduces prep time to under 30 minutes while keeping it delicious. Do you want me to do that?
