Layered Cabbage Roll Casserole

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Full of spiced ground beef and covered in tangy tomato sauce, cabbage roll casserole is a hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal. With all the flavor of the more labor-intensive Cabbage Rolls and a minimum of effort, this is a dinner-time win.

You know those meals that are never pretty, but they are always tasty? The meals that your family requests and you cringe because you never really can get excited about “just a casserole” for dinner? This is one of them.

Layered Cabbage Rolls may not be the prettiest meal I make but it is nonetheless often requested by my husband.

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Layered Cabbage Roll Bowls

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Rolls are one of Sean’s favorite foods. This recipe simplifies the traditional rolled version down to just a couple of steps and despite appearances, they really are tasty! I’ve been making this version of cabbage rolls for years.

Along with how easy it is to put together, I also really like that I never have to worry about what side dishes to serve. This is an “all-in-one” meal that’s filling, hearty, and completely satisfying.

That’s more than worth the trade-off of not having the most aesthetically pleasing dinner every so often.

Layered Cabbage Casserole

This method of making cabbage rolls is a little simpler than the traditional version which involves rolling tons of individual cabbage leaves.

Ground beef and onions are cooked with herbs and spices in the skillet, then layered on top of cabbage leaves in a casserole dish along with uncooked rice.

After mixing together a simple tomato sauce and pouring it over the cabbage rolls, the whole thing bakes in the oven in one dish. The flavors of the meat and sauce shine against the simple backdrop of tender cabbage and fluffy grains of rice.

All the flavor of classic cabbage rolls with a minimum of fuss!

This Cabbage Roll Casserole is a very quick meal to put together and then it cooks in the oven through the busiest part of the day.

I usually prep two smaller pans and freeze one to cook on another day. If I have extra time on the weekend before a busy week, I might even prep a couple of pans of this casserole to pop in the freezer and have on hand for those hectic weekday nights.

This casserole freezes extremely well with little extra effort. Simply thaw the casserole completely prior to placing the frozen one in the oven and then bake as directed below.

Layered Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe

My whole family loves cabbage rolls of all kinds but I typically don’t have the time or patience to stuff and roll cabbage leaf after cabbage leaf.

Over the years, I’ve found plenty of alternative ways to eat our favorite cabbage rolls without spending hours in the kitchen and I’m happy to share them with you.

The method I use that most closely resembles traditional rolled cabbage leaves stuffed with sausage or beef is the recipe I’m sharing below.

Instead of being rolled, cabbage leaves are layered for a casserole that slightly messier in appearance but just as delicious in taste as the rolled version.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the cabbage across the bottom of a 9×13 dish (two smaller pans will work as well). In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground beef along with the onion.
  2. Drain any grease from the pan and add the rice, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the meat. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Spread the meat mixture over the cabbage in the baking dish.
  3. Mix together the tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar and pour over the meat and cabbage. Cover with foil and then bake for 90 minutes. Uncover and let rest for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Layered Cabbage Rolls are a favorite here!

This Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet is basically a cheater version of a cabbage roll casserole, requiring no rolling or baking and using cooked rice for a quick cooking time. I love making that dish whenever we’re craving cabbage rolls but are short on time.

Cabbage Roll Soup is another great way to enjoy these flavors in an easy dinner option.

This Twice-Cooked Bacon Cabbage Casserole from Kayln’s Kitchen is another tasty cabbage casserole to try.

If you enjoy this Layered Cabbage Rolls recipe (or any kind of cabbage casserole), you’re also bound to go nuts for my 20 Minute Kielbasa, Cabbage and Potato Skillet meal and this easy Cabbage and Sausage Skillet.

And when it comes to hearty breakfasts, you can’t go wrong with Sausage Hash with Cabbage and Potatoes.

Layered Cabbage Roll Casserole is one of my husband's favorite meals!

This recipe makes a terrific make-ahead freezer meal too. Layer everything into a freezer-safe pan and when it has cooled completely, cover with foil or lid and freeze.

A day or two before you plan to eat this, take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge. Once thawed, bake as noted below.

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Layered Cabbage Roll Casserole

Layered Cabbage Rolls

4.56 from 69 votes
This shortcut version of classic cabbage rolls provides all of that traditional flavor with a minimum of fuss!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 medium head of cabbage, sliced into 1/2" strips
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped small
  • cup uncooked rice
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 24 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • cup light brown sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the cabbage across the bottom of a 9×13 dish (two smaller pans will work as well). In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground beef along with the onion.
  • Drain any grease from the pan and add the rice, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the meat. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Spread the meat mixture over the cabbage in the baking dish.
  • Mix together the tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar and pour over the meat and cabbage. Cover with foil and then bake for 90 minutes. Uncover and let rest for 5-10 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

Notes

FREEZER MEAL: Layer everything into the pan and when it has cooled completely, cover with foil or lids and freeze. 1-2 days before you plan to eat this, take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge. Once thawed, bake as noted above.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal · Carbohydrates: 39g · Protein: 24g · Fat: 23g · Saturated Fat: 9g · Cholesterol: 81mg · Sodium: 786mg · Potassium: 984mg · Fiber: 6g · Sugar: 19g · Vitamin A: 598IU · Vitamin C: 54mg · Calcium: 117mg · Iron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 11/8/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/23/20}

Cabbage Roll Casserole

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Jenn says

    Some of my favorite meals don't look all that pretty… the only time I seem to care about that is when I'm trying to take a picture! Otherwise, who cares if it takes so wonderful, right?

  2. correnadotme says

    Hello, love your blog! I have a question. I like this idea of not rolling the cabbage, now we are not crazy about cabbage, but this looks like it would be good. My question is, Is the cabbage strong tasting in this dish, like it would be if it was actually rolled? Thanks

    • Mary says

      It is definitely not as strong a cabbage flavor as in a rolled dish. However, the flavor is still present. That said, we like cabbage. I would hesitate to recommend trying it if you strongly dislike cabbage in general.

    • correnadotme says

      Not sure, I dont like boiled dinner but I do like coleslaw, I think I will take a chance and try this, maybe using a little less cabbage. It just sounds good even with the cabbage, besides cabbage is really good for you and if we don't like it I can always give the leftovers to my mom, she loves cabbage! Thanks again. Have a great day!

  3. Magnolia Verandah says

    Wished my mum had dished this up she I was growing up. I never liked cabbage much maybe because most of the time it was overcooked and the whole house smelt of cabbage! Funnily enough I love cabbage now, although I don't boil it to death – how our tastes change…. This looks delicious, must give it a go.

    • Mary says

      I chose the title "cabbage rolls", simply because all of the ingredients are the same and the resulting flavor is the same. It is layered enough for me with a layer of cabbage, then meat, then sauce. Feel free to roll them or do your own thing with it. Sorry it confused you, it was meant to be quite simple. Enjoy!

  4. Amanda&Randy - GettingThereGreen says

    delicious!!! made this tonight. My husband loves cabbage rolls and I'm not as big a fan. we both though this casserole was awesome. I never use canned anything so I stewed my own fresh tomatoes and used my own frozen sauce. Turned out so good. The down side is the length of time this makes to prepare and cook. Luckily it makes a lot.

  5. Anonymous says

    Could I use quinoa or farro in place of rice? They both take the same amount of time to cook and have MUCH more protein.

  6. Anonymous says

    Just a quick question as I am confused by the directions…it says to layer the cabbage in a 9×13 dish, then cook the meat, drain and add the rice and spices to the meat in the skillet. I assume that is to mix it all up (the rice and spices with the meat)? Do we then add the meat, rice & spices on top of the cabbage and then pour the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, sauce, vinegar and sugar) over it all to drain down to the cabbage? So it is only two layers? It is hard to tell from the photo, but this sure sounds great, and I can't wait to make it this weekend! Thanks so much for a little more detail (as you can tell, I'm not the most experienced cook, but this looks delicious!)

    • Mary says

      I just updated the recipe to make the steps a little more clear. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

  7. Anonymous says

    Comfort Foodie here… Throw all of this, except the rice, in a big skillet and you have my favorite home cooked meal – "Unstuffed Cabbage". Meat & onion to brown. Then chunky chopped cabbage to start steaming. After 5 minutes-ish, add the Rotel, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, then toss/turn ingredients well. Cover for 10 to 15 minutes to let cabbage wilt to desired tenderness. We like it just below crunchy. Serve over rice or as is no rice. We use Rotel regular spice level tomatoes. No tomato sauce. Using spicy Rotel you may not need chili powder. I will try Unstuffed Cabbage in a baking dish next time I make it.

  8. barbara proctor says

    I LOVE THIS RECIPE LAYERED CABBAGE ROLL CASSEROLE… DONT EVER STOP SENDING ME EMAILS ..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPES WITH US5 stars

  9. Sharon says

    I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! We decided we were going to spoon some of the tomato sauce mixture over the cabbage and then put the rest over top before baking. Definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing.5 stars