Cabbage Roll Casserole. Flavorful browned ground beef, cheesy topping, and soft and crunchy cabbage all rolled into a one-dish meal! This flavor-packed recipe is a complete meal. The best part about this potluck favorite is that it’s the perfect way to repurpose leftovers.
We pro-home cooks want to serve up appetizing and gorgeous meals. And this lasagna-style casserole doesn’t disappoint. Picture your favorite cabbage rolls made even easier and quicker by turning them into a casserole.
This cabbage roll casserole is full of meaty goodness and layers of tender cabbage leaves. The best part is that I can totally make it my own with a few of my favorite spices. Let’s dive in so you can see how easy it is to make this simple casserole recipe for a crazy delicious and nutritious weeknight dinner.
What Makes a Good Cabbage Roll Casserole
The three principal parts of a good casserole are 1) the meat, 2) chopped veggies, and 3) a starchy ingredient to hold it all together. Of course, adding cheese to the mix is a plus. Once you have the basics down, you can mix and match for a different casserole every night of the week.
Regarding turning cabbage rolls into a simple casserole, you’ve got ground beef and pork for the protein, rice for the starch, and cabbage with onions and tomatoes for the veggies. Layer them instead of rolling them for unadulterated comfort food.
Ingredient for a Great Casserole
- Meat – Lean ground beef and pork deliver a protein-packed dinner. However, you can replace it with ground turkey or chicken. Have you ever used bacon or leftover ham? Yum!
- Flavor – Onion, garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning, and smoked paprika are my go-to seasonings. Feel free to add diced celery and bell peppers. Worcestershire sauce, bouillon powder, and good ol’ S&P take it up a notch.
- Sauce – Tomatoes and tomato sauce provide acidity and substance for a delectable meat sauce.
- Rice – Long-grain rice holds together best; basmati and jasmine are well-known choices. Brown rice takes longer to cook, so parboiled gives you the best results if you want to use it.
- Green Cabbage is the perfect veggie for this dish. But you can use savoy, napa, or bok choy for a slight flavor twist.
- Garnishes – Jack cheese and chopped parsley make it beautiful and tasty. Any melty cheese will work fine.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole
Prep Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C). Spray a large 13″x10″ or 13″x9″ baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Brown Meat – Heat a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil (or other cooking oil), and follow with the ground beef and pork. Cook, breaking it apart as it cooks, until browned and no longer pink (5-7 minutes). Remove browned beef and set aside. (Photo 4)
- Saute Onions – In the same saucepan, add another drizzle of oil. Followed with onions and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent (4-5 minutes). (Photo 3)
- Seasonings – Add the minced garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning, and paprika, and cook for about 2 minutes more. (Photos 1-2)
- Assemble – Then, return the beef mixture to the pan with the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Photo 5)
- Simmer – Bring to a boil and let it simmer until slightly thickened (15-18 minutes). (Photos 6)
- Cook Cabbage – While the sauce simmers, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven, add the chopped cabbage, and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is tender. It doesn’t need to cook much because it will continue cooking in the oven. (Photos 7-8)
Assemble
- Season cabbage with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove and layer in the bottom of the casserole dish. (Photo 9)
- Layer the meat and rice mixture over the cabbage and press if needed. (Photo 10)
- Cover the cabbage roll casserole tightly with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. (Photo 11)
- Cheesy Topping – Carefully remove the foil with oven mitts and sprinkle the cheese over the casserole if desired. (Photo 12)
- Bake uncovered for 7-10 more minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Serve – Remove it from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve hot.
Recipe Variations
- Veggie extravaganza. This is your opportunity to sneak in more nutritious veggies. Add spinach, grated carrots, peas, and diced eggplant to the sauce, and no one will even notice.
- More spices. Caraway, dill, and celery seeds go great with cabbage. Just a pinch works.
- Low-carb alternative. Replace the long-grain rice with cauliflower rice for a keto-friendly meal.
Tips and Tricks
- Be careful not to overcook the cabbage before assembling the casserole. I’ve heard horror stories of mushy stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.😱
- While shredded cheese isn’t required, it does taste great. I used Jack, but cheddar, Gouda, and Provolone are ideal if you have them.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers Casserole
This one-pot meal isn’t just easy; it’s a great make-ahead time-saver. Assemble the casserole, let it cool, cover with foil. Refrigerate your deliciousness for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Bake as instructed (thaw frozen in the refrigerator overnight).
What Pairs With Cabbage Roll Casserole
This one-dish meal is excellent with bacon-wrapped green beans or cucumber salad. Apple cinnamon muffins or lemon bundt cake makes a delicious finale.
More Hearty Casserole Recipes to Try
- Green Bean Casserole
- Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Shepherds Pie
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Cabbage Roll Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) cooking oil
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- ½ pound (225g) ground pork (or more ground beef)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) minced thyme
- 2 teaspoons (8g) Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon (3g) smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup (195g) uncooked long-grain rice
- ¾ cup (178ml) water
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons (304g) chicken or beef bouillon powder (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1½ heads green cabbage, cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1-2 cups (235-470g) shredded Jack cheese or cheddar cheese
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C). Spray a large 13 "x10" or 13 "x9" casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Heat a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat, add oil, and follow with the ground beef and pork. Cook, breaking it apart as it cooks, until it's browned and cooked through (5-7 minutes). Remove browned beef and set aside.
- In the same saucepan, add another tablespoon of oil. Followed with onions and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent (4-5 minutes).
- Add the minced garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning, and paprika, and cook for about 2 minutes more.
- Then, return the beef mixture to the pan with the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, and bouillon powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and let it simmer until slightly thickened (15-18 minutes).
- While the sauce simmers, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven, add the cabbage, and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is tender. It doesn't need to cook much because it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Season cabbage with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove and layer in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Place the meat and rice mixture over the cabbage and press if needed.
- Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil with oven mitts and sprinkle the cheese over the casserole if desired.
- Bake uncovered for 7-10 more minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, and serve hot.
Tips & Notes:
- My personal observation is that cabbage is more important than rice. Overcooked rice is better than undercooked or overcooked cabbage. So remember to keep an eye on the cabbage.
- If you don’t eat pork, replace it with beef. Or use leftover meat like pulled chicken.
- No Worcestershire sauce? Mix ¼ teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon lemon juice.
- Feel free to swap Jack cheese with cheddar or parmesan.
- You can freeze this casserole dish for 4-8 weeks. When you’re ready to cook the dish, let the casserole thaw. Bake for around 45 minutes in a preheated 350℉ (175℃) oven.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Brooke says
Can I use minute rice instead? It’s the only type of rice I can eat.
Imma says
I haven’t tried this recipe with minute rice, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Do let me know how it turns out for you.
Susan says
The flavors are delicious but my rice didn’t cook. What did i do wrong? Thank you!
Imma says
Hi Susan. Your rice probably needed a few more minutes to cook. Hope you have a chance to try it again.
Karla says
Can this recipe be made in a Crockpot? If yes, how long and at what temperature should it be cooked? Thanks.
Imma says
Hi Karla,
Sorry I haven’t tried this recipe in a crockpot yet.
Rhiley says
If I don’t have aluminum foil how does that alter the cooking?
Imma says
It may take longer to cook and be a drier because the liquid can evaporate faster. If you can cover it another way, or just watch it do it doesn’t burn on top or dry out, you’ll be fine.
Cindi Jones says
This is so good! Love the combination of flavours.
Rebecca says
Can I cook and combine everything to bake at a later time?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Rebecca. Yes, you can. Please see the Making Ahead and Storage Instructions part of the blog post and in the recipe card’s notes section for the instructions. Thank you.
Connie Donald says
I made it as written and found this recipe to be much more flavorful that other cabbage roll recipes that I have found bland! I didn’t add cheese just to help cut down on calories for my husband and I will make more sauce next time for my taste but… my husband thought it was perfect. I rely on food bloggers to give me ideas as I live in Costa Rica and we cook much more because we’re living a little more remote than before. We have made many of Imma’s recipes and find them to be well written and flavorful…In reply to a previous “poster” NIKKI KRAKAUER “JUSTTABANDME”…please do not rate or comment if you haven’t made a persons recipe. It is just another form of online trolling…I looked you up and it looks like you make a sport of this. Take into consideration that this person who is blogging is taking a personal risk, alot of time and effort to put out what they do….either try it or not but don’t be rude and rate/post without even trying.
Rika says
I love cabbage rolls but hate making them; this is a perfect alternative. This recipe, like so many others by Imma, is a keeper, however, I’ll make a couple of changes to suit me. I found it to be a little “dry” to my liking and there was too much cabbage. Next time, I will select a small head of cabbage and cook it a little more. For leftovers today, I’ll add a box of TJ’s tomato soup and bake it about 15 minutes. Good recipe overall.
Marquita says
Made it tonight and the whole family enjoyed it!
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! Thank you, Marquita.
Mimi Gatt says
Drives me crazy when people comment…b4 making. IT WAS GREAT!!!! AND!!!! Cheese was perfect! YUM!
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Mimi! 🙂
Nikki Krakauer “JustTabandMe” says
I’ve been cooking for so many years now, (both family & professional), that I remember when “Brontosaurus Helper” was all the rage!!! This looks likely to be better than the few casseroles I’ve tried, in that it’s not all stirred together. However, never once have I seen cheese added to cabbage rolls or casseroles, and while I enjoy cheese, I cannot really believe it’s addition will improve it significantly. I’ll try a little on a corner, but I believe I’ll enjoy my cheese and wine better while waiting for this casserole to cook! I’ll let you know how it went, when I do!
ImmaculateBites says
Great! Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts with us . Can’t wait to hear how it works out .
NIna Epie says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Looks Yummy
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Girl!
Nick Winstone-Cooper says
This looks utterly fantastic and I will cook it at the weekend!
Mike Hultquist says
This looks fantastic! Lots of cheese and I need more cabbage in my life. A keeper for sure!
ImmaculateBites says
I hear you , Mike. We all do.