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Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe with Beef, Rice, and Tomato

Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole

A simple one-dish casserole made with ground beef, cabbage, tomatoes, and long-grain white rice. It has the cozy flavor of cabbage rolls with much less preparation.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 pound Ground beef, preferably 85–90% lean
  • 1 about 1 cup Medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Small green cabbage, cored and chopped
  • 1 14.5-ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 8-ounce can Tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup Uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 1/2 cup Water or beef broth
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika, optional
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
  2. Brown the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking the beef into small pieces. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink, then drain excess fat.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  4. Stir in the chopped cabbage, undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, uncooked rice, water or broth, salt, pepper, and optional paprika or Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Cook the mixture for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to soften.
  6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  7. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the cabbage is soft. Stir once near the end if needed, and add a few tablespoons of broth before baking if the mixture looks dry.
  8. Let the casserole stand covered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Spoon it into bowls while warm and enjoy.

Notes

Keep the dish tightly covered so trapped steam can cook the rice. For a traditional cabbage-roll flavor, use ground beef and pork, or add 1 teaspoon dried dill and 1 tablespoon brown sugar to the tomato sauce.