Description
This easy and budget-friendly lazy cabbage roll casserole has layers of ground beef, making it cheesy and satisfying, offering all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls without the effort of rolling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon cajun spice
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce or puree
- 1 can (15 oz) chopped tomatoes in liquid
- 1 ½ cup cooked brown rice
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 6 cups green cabbage, cut into 1 or 1 ½ inch cubes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup carrot, medium grated
- 1 cup mozzarella, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Dill or parsley for serving
Instructions
- Step: Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook the onion until softened and add the carrot, cooking for an additional minute.
- Step: Add the beef to the veggie mixture, brown using a spatula to break it apart until no longer pink, then stir in minced garlic and sauté for another minute; drain excess liquid if necessary.
- Step: Stir in black pepper, sugar, salt, sweet paprika, Cajun seasoning, tomato sauce, and chopped tomatoes.
- Step: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
- Step: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray an 8×11-inch or 2-quart casserole dish with cooking oil.
- Step: Transfer the beef mixture to a deep pot, mix in the cooked rice, and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Step: Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet, add chopped cabbage with ¼ cup of water, and simmer until cabbage softens and water evaporates.
- Step: Transfer half of the cabbage to the baking dish, layer with the beef and rice mixture, repeat the process for a second layer, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Step: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Step: Garnish with dill, parsley, and a dollop of sour cream before serving.
Notes
Cutting cabbage into larger 1.5-inch cubes makes the dish juicier. Some liquid at the bottom of the dish after baking is normal and can be drained if preferred.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Ukrainian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 319 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
Keywords: cabbage roll casserole, lazy cabbage rolls, ground beef casserole, Ukrainian dinner, easy family meal