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This Cabbage Roll Casserole is a satisfying, comforting dinner that’s great to make as the weather turns cool. Tender cabbage leaves are layered and baked with a tomato and beef sauce, parmesan cheese, rice, and bubbling mozzarella in this easy casserole.
While cabbage rolls are fun to make (and delicious to eat!), this casserole is an easier version which is perfect for cooking up on a week night when you don’t have time for a fussy recipe. Instead of rolling the fillings inside of a cabbage leaf, I simply layer everything up a bit like a lasagna and bake. With spiced beef and melty mozzarella, you can’t go wrong!
For more satisfying casseroles, try my Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole or my Healthy Tuna Casserole.
Recipe Overview
Before You Get Started
- Partially cooking the cabbage in salted water before layering it into the casserole will guarantee that the cabbage is fully cooked in the final dish.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free so it’s great for serving to a crowd with dietary requirements.
- It’s likely that there will be some liquid at the bottom of the baking dish when you freshly slice and serve it. You can tilt the dish to help remove some of the liquid. If you let the dish sit overnight in the fridge, the rice will absorb a lot of the remaining liquid.
- No need to rinse the rice before pre-cooking it for this recipe. The excess starch on the surface of the rice will help to soak up some of the liquid.
- If you’re not a fan of beef, you can use ground turkey instead.
- Covering the casserole dish tightly with foil for the first part of the bake helps to trap in moisture, steaming the ingredients so that everything cooks through without drying out.
Common Questions
This recipe is inspired by cabbage rolls, a classic European dish which usually contains cabbage leaves which are filled with ground meat, tomato sauce and rice then rolled up and baked. This casserole takes all the same flavors and layers the ingredients up with cheese and bakes it, which makes it simpler to make as it cuts down on prep time.
This casserole goes well with some hearty roasted honey-mustard carrots or my healthy mashed potatoes.
Yes, you can freeze the baked casserole. First, let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
I bake this casserole for 30-35 minutes, tightly covered with foil, followed by 15 minutes uncovered. This makes sure that the ingredients don’t dry out for the first portion of the bake time.
While you could use raw, chopped cabbage in this casserole, I found that part-cooking it first helps to make sure that the cabbage is fully cooked by the time the casserole has finished baking.
Ingredients Needed
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make Cabbage Roll Casserole. Full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down in the post.
- Green cabbage: A medium head of cabbage is the perfect size for this casserole. You could use a savoy or Napa cabbage instead, if you like.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef here. You could use ground turkey if you’re looking for something lighter.
- Seasonings: Dried oregano, Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Sweet onion: You can also use a white, yellow onion or even a red onion if that’s all you have to hand!
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best here as it has a stronger flavor. In a pinch, you can use 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic powder if you prefer.
- Marinara sauce: Choose a high-quality marinara sauce without added sugar for the best flavor. You can also use homemade marinara sauce if you have some ready.
- Beef broth: This adds more meaty flavor to the sauce. You can use a homemade beef broth, or you can even use chicken broth for a less intense taste.
- Cooked rice: I pre-cook the rice for this casserole as I’ve found it produces the most reliable texture. You could use cooked brown rice or quinoa for a nutrition boost.
- Parmesan cheese: You can use pre-shredded or shred your own.
- Mozzarella cheese: I use pre-shredded mozzarella here as it’s easy to sprinkle over the casserole and will melt nicely and evenly. However, you can shred it yourself from a block, too.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole
First, preheat the oven to 350°F.
1️⃣ Cook the cabbage
Cut the head of cabbage in half and remove the tough core. Add to a large pot, cover with water, and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until tender.
✏️ You can cut each cabbage half into a couple of wedges to get them to fit into your pot, if needed.
2️⃣ Cook the beef
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up with your cooking spoon, until no longer pink. Season with the dried oregano and Italian seasoning, and add the diced onion and chopped garlic.
✏️ Use lean beef. I try to use 90% lean when I can, and sometimes I use ground turkey. Lean as well.
3️⃣ Add the marinara and broth
To the skillet of beef, stir in the marinara sauce and beef broth. Let this simmer for 5 more minutes.
✏️ Simmering the liquids lets it reduce down a bit, thickening the sauce slightly.
4️⃣ Layer the casserole
Chop up the cooked cabbage and layer it into the bottom of your casserole dish. Top with half of the cooked rice, half of the shredded Parmesan cheese, and half of the meat sauce. Repeat the layers once more, ending on the meat sauce.
5️⃣ Cover and bake
Cover the dish tightly with kitchen foil and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling. Uncover, top with the shredded mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.
✏️ Covering the dish for the first part of the bake keeps the moisture inside so that the casserole doesn’t dry out.
Variations & Substitutions
→ Swap the beef for turkey: If you’re not a fan of beef, you can use ground turkey instead.
→ Increase the fiber: Use cooked brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice for a whole grain boost.
→ Change out the cheese: You can use grated cheddar or provolone in place of the mozzarella for a cheesier flavor.
Cabbage Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 medium head green cabbage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 15 ounces marinara sauce, one can
- 1 cup beef broth, chicken or vegetable broth will work too
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice, brown rice or quinoa
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and have 1 ½ cups cooked rice ready.
- Carefully cut the 1 medium head green cabbage in half and remove the tough core.
- Place the cabbage in a large soup pot and cover with water. Add 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil. Boil the cabbage for about 15 minutes, then drain and set aside to cool.
- While the cabbage cools, cook the 1 pound lean ground beef in a large skillet, mincing it with a wooden spoon. Once the meat is no longer pink, stir in the 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 medium sweet onion, and 2-3 garlic cloves.
- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the 15 ounces marinara sauce and 1 cup beef broth and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Season the meat sauce with Kosher salt and ground black pepper to your liking and remove from the heat.
- To assemble the dish, chop the cooked cabbage. Spread half of the cabbage into a large baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup rice, sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (from the 1 cup grated parmesan cheese), and spoon over half of the meat sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing off with the meat sauce.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly.
- Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella and continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Notes
Tips:
- Part-cooking the cabbage in salted water before layering it into the casserole will guarantee that the cabbage is fully cooked in the final dish.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free, so it’s great for serving to a crowd with dietary requirements.
- It’s likely that there will be some liquid at the bottom of the baking dish when you freshly slice and serve it. You can tilt the dish to help remove some of the liquid. If you let the dish sit overnight in the fridge, the rice will absorb a lot of the remaining liquid.
- No need to rinse the rice before pre-cooking it for this recipe. The excess starch on the surface of the rice will help to soak up some of the liquid.
Covering the casserole dish tightly with foil for the first part of the bake helps to trap in moisture, steaming the ingredients so that everything cooks through without drying out.
Substitutions & Variations:
- Swap the beef for turkey: If you’re not a fan of beef, you can use ground turkey instead.
- Increase the fiber: Use cooked brown rice or quinoa instead of the white rice for a whole grain boost.
- Change out the cheese: You can use grated cheddar or provolone in place of the mozzarella for a cheesier flavor.
Storage:
- Food safety note: As this dish contains cooked rice, it’s important to take steps to prevent food poisoning. When letting the dish cool at room temperature, you’ll need to make sure you get it into the fridge within 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s a hot day, over 90°F). When reheating, please make sure the food is piping hot throughout before consuming.
- Fridge: Allow leftovers to cool completely, then either cover the dish tightly with foil or transfer the food to an airtight container. Chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Allow the leftovers to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Reheat leftovers from the fridge by transferring to an oven-proof dish, covering with foil, and warming in an oven preheated to 350°F for 15-20 minutes until piping hot throughout. Alternatively, microwave in a microwave-safe dish until piping hot throughout.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
Food safety note: As this dish contains cooked rice, it’s important to take steps to prevent food poisoning. When letting the dish cool at room temperature, you’ll need to make sure you get it into the fridge within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s a hot day). When reheating, please make sure the food is piping hot throughout before consuming.
Fridge: Allow leftovers to cool completely, then either cover the dish tightly with foil or transfer the food to an airtight container. Chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Allow the leftovers to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Reheat leftovers from the fridge by transferring to an ovenproof dish, covering with foil, and warming in an oven preheated to 350°F for 15-20 minutes until piping hot throughout. Alternatively, microwave in a microwave-safe dish until piping hot throughout.
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- Healthy Zucchini Casserole
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