Enjoy the taste of a good cabbage roll in the form of a delicious and easy cabbage roll casserole! This recipe makes a super tasty and freezer-friendly unstuffed cabbage casserole.
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Unstuffed cabbage rolls
One of my favorite dinners growing up was cabbage rolls. Often my Mom did not work when I was growing up and she had a lot of time to cook dinner. She would make these wonderful cabbage rolls.
Tender cabbages stuffed with a seasoned hamburger and rice mixture. These were covered with a slightly sweet tomato sauce.
I work so it’s really hard for me to come home and prepare a dish like this and eat the meal that evening. This casserole has all of the flavors of the cabbage rolls without all of the work.
Why is this cabbage roll casserole recipe so awesome?
It says it right in the name, casserole! The reason this recipe is so easy and delicious is that you do not have to waste all of your time rolling the stuffed cabbage.
For this cabbage roll recipe with rice, you can just chop everything up and go! No need to steam the cabbage, or fill the individual rolls.
Honestly, this cabbage roll casserole is the way to go! You get a casserole that tastes just like cabbage rolls without all of the hard work. Talk about a no-brainer.
Oh, and did I mention that it tastes even better (if that’s possible) the next day! So you can even double this recipe and enjoy it as leftovers.
Recipe ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Tomato sauce
- Cabbage
- White rice
- Salt
- Beef broth
How to make cabbage roll casserole
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off fat.
- Combine chopped onions, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the drained meat into the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Pour broth over the mixture.
- Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
- Stir, replace cover, and bake for another 30 minutes.
More ways to cook this cabbage roll casserole recipe
One of the nice things about this recipe is there are a few good ways to cook this recipe. So depending on your cooking preference you can choose what works best for you.
This recipe is made in the oven, but you can also make it in a large stovetop skillet.
The recipe can also be transformed into a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot recipe! So depending on how much time you have to make this cabbage roll casserole, you can decide how you want to make it!
Make this recipe suit you
When you cook you have a lot more freedom than with baking which is nice. If you know you or your family members do not like a certain thing you can take it out or swap it with a suitable substitute.
Here are a couple of variations you might like to try to mix things up or if the original recipe does not work for you:
- Swap out the rice. Instead of using 1 cup of uncooked rice, you chop up 2 cups of additional cabbage and use that instead and make your own Keto Cabbage Casserole recipe.
- Use sauerkraut. If you like cabbage but don’t LOVE it, you can also swap out half of the cabbage for sauerkraut and it will taste amazing too!
These are just two ideas, to change it up, but feel free to make your own changes too!
How long will it last?
Like most casseroles, this unstuffed cabbage roll recipe will last about 5-7 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
The best way to reheat leftovers
For the best results, you will want to put it in the oven and reheat it at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the casserole is heated all the way through.
You could also use the microwave to heat up the casserole but it might be a little extra soggy that way, so the oven is the best option.
Love cabbage? Try these recipes!
Favorite Casserole Recipes
- Broccoli Rice Cheese Casserole
- Chili Relleno Casserole
- Crab Casserole
- Doritos Casserole
- Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Hashbrown Casserole
- Reuben Casserole
- Sausage Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Taco Casserole with Corn Tortillas
- Yellow Squash Casserole
Check out more of my easy casserole recipes and the best comfort food recipes here on CopyKat!
Cabbage Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 3.5 pounds chopped cabbage
- 1 cup uncooked white rice – not instant
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 28 ounces beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until redness is gone. Drain off fat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped onions, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice, and salt.
- Add the drained meat into the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour broth over the meat mixture.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil or a lid.
- Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
- Stir, replace cover, and bake for another 30 minutes.
My favorite food from a child…now a senior. I make it like my mother and her friends did. Instead of the broth use Heinz tomato juice (do not substitue for another brand. And the meat make 65 percent beef and 35 percent pork.I wrap it in cabbage leaves when the leaves are big enough. Other wise I make it like you did almost. Try it? When I prepare it it can be all mixed together and cooked in the oven.
Stephanie I never get disappointed anytime I visit your site. Thank you for amazing recipes!
It’s such an easy recipe and has the delicious comfort-food feed of cabbage rolls. It’s officially my go-to cabbage recipe. thanks for sharing!
This is a very tasty casserole that is easy to make. I love how inexpensive cabbage is.
I am glad you enjoyed this recipe. I think it is a great way to get that similar flavor of cabbage rolls without so much work.
Looks very easy to make for those of us who love cabbage rolls but hate the prep time! Can’t wait to try it out!
Is the rice ‘instant’ or reg long grain? Thank you. This looks so yummy!
I prepared this with regular long grain rice. No instant rice needed.
I used regular long grain rice.
I love this recipe and have made it twice now with my own revisions. I use V-8 juice with beef broth added and also use garlic, salt and pepper. We eat it with parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top. So delicious!! Thank you!!
I bet it is fabulous with V-8 juice. I know when I make chili with that it is even better.
MADE A POLISH THEME DINNER PARTY, THIS WENT OVER JUST GREAT. AND SO EASY. WAS JUST DELICIOUS. RECOMMEND FOR A CROWD. WILL MAKE AGAINL
Well I think that is a real compliment when it goes well at a dinner party.
Love anything with cabbage and ground beef. This was great! I also tried the recipe substituting sweet Italian sausage (removed from casing) for the ground beef. Tried it a third time adding little red potatoes with the ground beef. All were tasty.
I never thought about swapping out the sausage for the ground beef. That would be a great way to do it. I could also see how slipping in a few potatoes would be a great way to serve up this dish. I love your suggestions.
Sounds delicious, I can not wait to try it.
THAT sounds like rubbish!!!!!!!!!
Slop for the hawgs…………Now a REAL cabbage roll is delectable, with SEASONINGS…………
Hmmm, your comment makes me chuckle, your complaining about a recipe you have never tasted.
OMG! I came here to look up the meat grinder post for the post I’m editing today and saw this! My post is about Asian Stuffed Cabbage Bundles! How funny is that?
This casserole looks great! I’m going to have to try that next time.
I will have to check out your Asian stuffed cabbage bundles, those sound amazing.
This recipe is a fabulous idea. I can’t believe how easy!!! My family loves stuffed cabbage but it is so time consuming that I only make it for special occasions. Now I can make it any night of the week! I also think that it would make a wonderful and unusual covered dish, thanks a bunch!
Yes, I love cabbage rolls too, but you have to steam cabbage, make the filling, then bake them, this is so much easier than the other way.
Fixed for supper last night, my family and I loved it, So easy to make.
Yes Tina. Look up the term ‘Copy & Paste’ and you’ll know what Mitch is describing. Oh heck, I might as well tell you here. To highlight text, press down the left mouse button and drag the cursor over the text you want to copy. Then press the right mouse button and click on Copy. Then open your favorite word program and right click again. Click on Paste and that’s it! Ready to save or print immediately. Good luck.
There is a print screen button you may want to use, it looks like a printer. This produces the photo and recipe text only.
I used to make a skillet casserole very similar to this by adding the cabbage and other ingredients to the browned beef. Tomato paste was used instead of tomato sauce. Very tasty and off the stove top.
“Drain off fat In a large mixing bowl combine the onion, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice and salt. Add meat and mix all together. ” Does this mean that you are mixing the onion, tomato sauce etc in with the fat in the mixing bowl?
I have made modification for clarity. There is not need to drain the meat fat into the mixing bowl. Please drain the meat fat, and do with it whatever you normally do. If the recipe is still not clear, please let me know.
Love this recipe btw
I love your recipie site,is there any way to save recipies on your site?
I don’t currently have a way to save recipes. Hopefully one day!
Save recipes..here is how I do it: Hilite recipe.. than, right click on it…select “copy” than open your word program and “paste” it to a blank document…name it and your done!!!