This casserole is adapted from stuffed cabbage rolls that my Mom, Mary, always made when I was a kid
I would sit in the kitchen and watch as she stuffed each cabbage leaf with a delicious filling of ground beef and rice
Sometimes I helped and we would stuff & roll, stuff & roll, stuff & roll until the entire tray of cabbage was ready to be baked
Fast forward to my kitchen where I’ve taken out the laborious rolling part and made this into a less time consuming “un-stuffed” casserole
Same great taste as far as I’m concerned, just quicker to get into the oven and into our bellies!
Start by cutting the core from a head of cabbage. I use savoy cabbage because I find it to be more tender than regular cabbage and it has a milder taste
Peel off each cabbage leaf being careful to keep it whole
Slice out any remaining part of the core. The easiest way to do this is to simply slice a “v” on the bottom of each leaf
Submerge the cabbage leaves a few at a time in a large pot of boiling, salted water
Blanch until the leaves have softened slightly but the color remains vibrant; just about 2-3 minutes
Immediately plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and remove to a tray lined with paper towels
Roll each leaf like a cigar and slice into strips
Set aside and let’s work on the filling
Dice one large red pepper and one large onion and finely dice three garlic cloves
Saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes or until the veggies soften a bit
To the vegetables, add in 3 pounds of ground meat. You can use beef or turkey
Since this is a lot of meat, it will take about 10 to 12 minutes to brown
If using beef, drain the excess fat
To the meat mixture, add in 2 cups of cooked rice and 2 cups of tomato sauce
I’m using my recipe for Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce because it’s a little thinner than sauce cooked on the stove
Add in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Mix to combine
Add enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of an oven safe casserole, about 1 cup
Add a layer of the sliced cabbage leaves
Top with a layer of the meat mixture
Repeat adding layers of cabbage and meat mixture, ending with the cabbage and topping with about a cup of tomato sauce
Spread the sauce out over the cabbage so it’s mostly covered
Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes
Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving
As promised, all the delicious flavors of stuffed cabbage without all of the work!
Enjoy!
Un-Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients
1 head of savoy cabbage
1 large red bell pepper
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
3 pounds of ground beef or turkey
2 cups of cooked white rice
4 cups of tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Kosher Salt and black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and cold tap water
Cut the core from the head of cabbage and peel off each cabbage leaf being careful to keep it whole
Slice out any remaining part of the core by slicing a “v” on the bottom of each leaf
Submerge the cabbage leaves a few at a time in a large pot of boiling, salted water until the leave have softened slightly but the color remains vibrant; just about 2-3 minutes
Immediately plunge the cabbage leaves into and ice bath and carefully remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels
Dice one large red pepper and one large onion and finely dice three garlic cloves; saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat or until the veggies soften a bit
To the vegetables, add in 3 pounds of ground meat. You can use beef or turkey
This will take about 10 to 12 minutes to brown ; if using beef, drain the excess fat
Add in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and kosher salt and black pepper to taste; mix to combine
Add enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of an oven safe casserole, about 1 cup
Add a layer of the sliced cabbage leaves; top with a layer of the meat mixture
Repeat adding layers of cabbage and meat mixture, ending with the cabbage and topping with about a cup of tomato sauce
Spread the sauce out over the cabbage so it’s mostly covered
Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes; let sit 5-10 minutes before serving
Tools used to make this recipe
ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch
Simply Bamboo Maui Bamboo Cutting Board
Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece
Royal Classique 10 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set with Silicone Handles
Stainless Steel Spider Strainer
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