The BEST Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe (Prepped In 15 Minutes) (2024)

This cabbage roll casserole recipe is loaded with flavor. It combines ground beef with an assortment of spices, tender cabbage, brown rice, and shredded cheese in a rich tomato sauce that's absolutely irresistible. Plus, it's so easy to make. In fact, just 15 minutes of prep work is all you'll need to invest to make it. Then, after that, the oven does all the hard work for you!

The Best Cabbage Roll Casserole

If you love stuffed cabbage rolls, then you're going to love this cabbage roll casserole even more. I mean, how could you not? It has perfectly cooked seasoned ground beef, tender cabbage, brown rice, a flavorful tomato sauce, and tons of melty, creamy cheese.

Doesn't that sound incredible? And what's even better is that this cabbage casserole has all of the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls but with less than half the work!

Don't get me wrong, classic cabbage rolls are great, but if you've ever made them, then you know how much of a pain they are to put together. So instead of individually rolling each cabbage slice, all of the ingredients just get layered together in a casserole dish and baked until tender.

Seriously, it's that easy, and that's why this casserole is considered "lazy cabbage rolls."

By the way, if you're looking for a tasty side dish to make alongside this cabbage roll casserole, I can't recommend these Texas Roadhouse rolls enough. They're a family favorite in our house.

Ingredients

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it's made almost entirely with kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, I'm willing to bet you already have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need to make it at home already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to whip it up:

• ½ lb (250g) lean ground beef
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 6-8 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ tsp. fresh dill

And here are the toppings for your casserole:

• 1 cups Gruyere cheese or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup milk

Simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have any beef left over after making this recipe, then you should definitely put it to good use and make this ground beef and cabbage recipe or this hamburger potato casserole recipe next! And if you have any cabbage, try making this Brenda Gantt cabbage casserole.

Ingredient Substitutions And Modifications

Now, I always make this cabbage roll casserole recipe with the ingredients listed above because I think it tastes best that way, but you can definitely tweak this recipe to make it your own.

Use Different Types Of Meat

If you're running low on ground beef, then you can really use any kind of ground meat for this recipe. I've made this cabbage casserole with ground pork, ground chicken, and ground turkey before. All of them worked great, so feel free to use whatever you want.

Use Tomato Soup Instead of Tomato Sauce

This recipe calls for tomato sauce, but if you only have tomato soup on hand, then you can use that instead. If you go this route though, I recommend adding 2 tablespoons of water to the soup before adding it to the casserole. Tomato soup is usually a lot thicker than tomato sauce and the water helps to thin it out a bit.

How To Make Cabbage Roll Casserole

As I mentioned before, it's super easy to make this cabbage roll casserole. You basically just cook the filling ingredients, then lightly steam the cabbage slices before layering everything together in your casserole dish.

This recipe is seriously foolproof, so even if you don't consider yourself a pro in the kitchen, you'll have no trouble making this cabbage casserole!

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get cooking!

Step 1: Cook The Meat Mixture

First things first, you'll want to begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C). Then, you'll want to grab a skillet and cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the beef is browned on all sides and the veggies are slightly translucent.

Now, once the ground beef is fully cooked, you can stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato pasta, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let everything simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes - until the beef mixture is nice and thickened.

Lastly, when the meat sauce has thickened, you can remove it from the heat and add the cooked rice.

Step 2: Soften The Cabbage

Now you can prepare the cabbage.

So, to do that, you'll want to take out another skillet and add a bit of water to it along with the green cabbage. You don't want to cook the cabbage fully in this step, you just want to soften it a bit.

Also, while your cabbage is simmering, you can prepare your casserole dish by lightly greasing it with butter or oil.

Step 3: Assemble the Casserole

When the cabbage is slightly soft and the ground beef mixture is done simmering, you can place half the chopped cabbage in your prepared baking dish.

Then, you can top this with half of the meat, rice, and tomato mixture. You can repeat this layering process, ending with the remaining cabbage on top.

Step 4: Bake The Casserole

Once you've finished layering the casserole, you'll want to cover it in foil and bake it for 45 minutes.

Then, while the casserole is finishing up baking, you can grab a small bowl and combine the cheese, egg, and milk. When the 45 minutes are up, you can remove the foil, top the casserole with the cheese mixture, and bake it uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.

Finally, serve this cabbage casserole warm, and enjoy!

How To Store Cabbage Roll Casserole

This recipe for cabbage roll casserole will make about 6 large servings, so it should be the perfect amount for a big family dinner. If you're lucky you might even end up with some leftovers of it. And the good news is that if you do end up with any leftovers, this cabbage roll casserole stores really well!

So, to store your leftover casserole, either put a lid on the casserole dish - or transfer the cooled casserole to an airtight container - and store it in the fridge. Stored either of these ways, it'll last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

By the way, if you want to store your cabbage casserole for even longer, you can store it in an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - and it'll last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Cabbage Roll Casserole

When you're ready to enjoy your leftover cabbage roll casserole again, you'll definitely want to reheat it first.

The best way to reheat it is to put it back in a casserole dish and heat it in an oven set to 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the cabbage is warmed through.

Alternatively, if you're only planning on reheating a single serving, the microwave will work great for that. Just heat it in 30-second increments until it reaches your desired temperature.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make cabbage roll casserole!

I know I'm biased, but I really think this is one of the best cabbage recipes that you'll ever make. I mean, it's tough to beat tender cabbage that's been mixed with hearty ground beef, brown rice, a rich tomato sauce, and melty cheese. Seriously, it's so, so good!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this cabbage roll casserole recipe as much as I do. If you give it a try, leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for more easy casserole recipes to make, you're in luck! We've got a bunch on the blog that you can try next.

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Eggplant casserole
• Vegetable casserole
• Mexican street corn casserole
• Chicken mushroom casserole
• Pork chop casserole

Also, don't forget to follow us along on TikTok,Instagram, andYouTube for even more deliciousness. We post new ones on them every single day.