Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole doesn't take even the half time of cabbage rolls but it is as scrumptious. It is easily made with rice and ground beef, so makes a wonderful main dish. Who bothers stuffing cabbage leaves when you can make equally delicious unstuffed cabbage rolls with the same ingredients in a much shorter time?

How To Make

This cabbage roll casserole recipe is one of the best shortcuts in my culinary experience. It has three parts.

First, blanch the cabbage leaves. Bring a deep pot full of water to boil and leave the roughly chopped cabbage leaves in it carefully. It takes about ten minutes for the chopped cabbage to soften. Transfer them in a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Second, cook the ingredients in a pan starting with ground beef. Cook it with a little water. Water helps the ground beef to release juice, which makes it easier to get rid of any blocks. Stir and gently press over the ground beef until there aren't any blocks left. Watch the video below to see how. Cook it covered over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. When there is little water left, add in olive oil, chopped onion and garlic. Give it a good stir. Then add in tomato paste, tomatoes, rice and the spices except cayenne pepper, stirring each time you add one. Add in the blanched cabbage, lemon juice, parsley and water. Cook covered over the lowest heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Third, bake it in a casserole pan. But before doing it, add some cayenne pepper and extra tomato paste to the pan, stir well and then transfer in a casserole pan. I don't know why I didn't use it in the video but it's better to use a cast iron pan when cooking the ingredients. No need for a casserole pan then. Just bake it in the same pan. I love it when it's possible reduce the number of dirty dishes! It is sliced perfectly when serving.

Tips

• Optionally, you can just skip the baking step if you don't have enough time for it. Serve it after everything in the pan is cooked over the stove.
• As seen in the video below, I add extra tomato paste after everything in the pan is cooked, just before transferring it into the casserole pan. It bakes better when there is some wetness in the mixture as some of you suggested in the comments below.
• No need for any toppings on this cabbage casserole with ground beef and rice as I want exactly the same taste of my favorite cabbage rolls, but you can top your casserole with some cheese if you like.
• When updating the recipe, I made some changes with the help of your suggestions in the comments and emails. The former recipe before the update calls for cooked rice, which requires cooking rice in a separate pan before combining it with other ingredients. Some readers suggested cooking it in the same pan with other ingredients so that everything cooks together and it requires less effort. Such a wonderful and helpful suggestion! Thank YOU! That's why, I cooked everything together in this updated version. There is one thing you need to be careful though: Add enough water to cook the rice. ¾ cup water for 1 cup rice was enough for me. Other ingredients like tomatoes, lemon juice and cabbage helped it cook as well.

With Instant Rice

You can definitely use instant rice to make this recipe even easier and quicker. You don't need to worry about how much water you will need. Also, you can easily decide how much rice you'd like in your meal. Add some, give it a stir and add more if you think it's not enough. Unlike uncooked rice, the amount of rice will not double as it's pre-cooked.

Without Rice

It is possible to make this recipe either with or without rice. If you are on a diet or want to reduce the carb in your meal, make it without rice. I've tried it and it's as tasty and filling as beef and cabbage stew, so I'm sure you will be satisfied with it as well. There is no need to add water in the pan if you decide to leave the rice out.

With Quinoa

Yes, you can. If you are a fan of quinoa, feel free to substitute quinoa for rice. Make sure you add enough water when cooking it though. ¾ cup water for ½ cup quinoa should be fine. Also, simmer it over the lowest heat to give it enough time to cook.

Vegetarian Version

If you want a lighter version, leave the ground beef out and make it vegetarian. I love both versions. Making it meatless is better when serving it as a side dish. To make it even tastier, drizzle extra olive oil and lemon juice on it when serving. One of our readers suggested some cheese topping when baking, so I think it's a great idea when you turn it into a vegetarian dinner.

What To Serve With

The best thing to serve with this casserole recipe is a bowl of plain yogurt or Turkish ezme. I love it really tangy, so I squeeze extra lemon on my part when eating as you can see in the video.

As this casserole recipe is a perfect main course you can make for your family, serve their favorite sides or salads with it. Some dishes that go with this recipe are low carb yogurt cucumber salad, roasted vegetables, raw radish salad and green salad.

How To Freeze

This is a freezer-friendly recipe. You can freeze it either after it is cooked over the stove or after it is baked. Just make sure it cools completely before freezing. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven when you need a quick meal.

THANK YOU all for helping me develop the recipes on the blog. This is what I love most about blogging!  I'm still open to new ideas on this recipe. Please share them in the comments section if you have any!

If you like this cabbage recipe, you should check Cabbage and Noodles from Spicy Southern Kitchen and Asian Beef and Cabbage Salad from Taste and Tell Blog too.

FAQs

Other Cabbage Recipes

• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
• Low Calorie Cabbage Soup
• Cabbage Stew
• Quick Pickled Cabbage
• Greek Yogurt Coleslaw

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