This Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe Is A Family Favorite!
Want all the great taste of stuffed cabbage rolls without all the hassle and prep work? Cabbage roll casserole is the solution for you!
Also known as unstuffed cabbage rolls, deconstructed cabbage rolls, or even lazy cabbage rolls, this tasty dish is full of seasoned ground beef and pork, rice, cabbage, tomato juice, onion, garlic, bacon, and more!
Served with sour cream and sides like Hungarian cucumber salad, it’s a meaty, hearty, and filling dish inspired by the familiar tastes of Eastern Europe.
Eric’s mom has been making this layered cabbage roll casserole for as long as he can remember.
This is partly because both of his grandmothers (Hungarian and Ukrainian) made delicious cabbage rolls. Making a lot of them the traditional way is so worth it, but it can take a whole lot of time and effort (not to mention table and counter space!).
This deconstructed cabbage roll dish is everything you want in a classic cabbage roll, but prepared with much less effort.
It’s been made for many family and group dinners over the years and is always a hit.
Ingredients
Here are the cabbage roll casserole ingredients that you will need to make this tasty recipe:
- Cabbage – The main ingredient in the dish.
- Oil – A neutral-tasting oil for frying the onions.
- Onions – Two yellow onions for flavor.
- Garlic cloves – For extra flavor.
- Diced tomatoes – Use canned diced tomatoes for convenience. Alternatively, you can use fresh tomatoes or omit (in that case, you’ll need to use more tomato juice).
- Ground beef – Use regular, medium, or lean ground beef. We don’t recommend extra lean ground beef, since the fat adds flavor.
- Ground pork – Use regular, medium, or lean ground pork. We don’t recommend extra lean ground pork, since the fat adds flavor.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor; adjust the amount to taste.
- Black pepper – Adds a hint of spice; adjust to taste.
- Long grain rice – Uncooked long grain rice; you can use white or brown rice depending on your preference, but the cooking time may vary.
- Tomato juice – Alternatively, you can use plain tomato sauce and a little water.
- Eggs – Binds the ingredients together.
- Bacon – Optional; use bacon of your choice.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you tackle this cabbage roll casserole recipe, read through our recipe tips and substitutions so you end up with the best result!
- Ingredient Variations: Feel free to add or substitute ingredients. Some options include chopped mushrooms, grated carrots, or diced fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
- Cheese: Some people like to add shredded cheese. We don’t add cheese because we try to stick to the more traditional flavors found in authentic cabbage rolls. If you want to add it, add it in the last 20 minutes of the baking time and cook with the lid off.
- Meat: A blend of pork and beef provides fat and flavor, but you can make it leaner with ground turkey. We’d recommend a mix of pork and turkey over using only turkey since it may turn out too dry.
- Rice: Precooking the rice is not necessary because the amount of liquid used is enough to cook the rice. You could precook the rice, but then you run the risk of the rice being too mushy.
- Rice-to-Meat Ratio: You can adjust the rice-to-meat ratio to your preference. We use 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice per pound of meat. More rice will require more liquid, less rice may require less.
- Pan: We use a 9.5×13.5 inch oval roasting pan with a lid, but you can use a 9×13 inch aluminum roasting pan or deep casserole dish. Adjust the cooking time as needed and cover the pan with foil to retain moisture during cooking. Avoid overfilling the pan to prevent spills during baking. Placing the baking or roasting pan on a baking sheet can help catch any potential drips.
- Moisture: If the casserole seems too dry at the 45-minute check, add more tomato juice as needed. However, we don’t usually have to do this.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, we’ll show you exactly how to make cabbage roll casserole.
We’ve included all the recipe process photos so that you can follow along at home and track your progress in the kitchen!
As always, the recipe card with all the recipe details is located at the bottom of this post.
First, remove any wilted or damaged outer cabbage leaves, then cut out the core and chop the cabbage into small, bite-sized pieces.
Peel and chop the onions and garlic cloves.
In a pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, sauteed onion, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic.
Now, mix well with your hands until everything is evenly distributed.
Then add the rice and mix again. Make sure the rice is evenly mixed, otherwise you may find large pockets of cooked rice in the cabbage roll casserole later.
Now it’s time to assemble the deconstructed cabbage rolls.
- Spread half of the chopped cabbage in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon half of the diced tomatoes (with their juice) over the cabbage.
- Evenly place the meat-rice mixture over the tomato layer and press it gently to flatten. Don’t pack it too tightly as you want some space for the juices to flow. Poke about 4-5 holes in the meat with the end of a knife, spoon, or your fingers.
- Add the rest of the cabbage on top of the meat-rice layer and pour the rest of the canned tomatoes on top.
Finally, pour the tomato juice evenly over the top, allowing it to run down to the other layers.
It will look like there is too much liquid, but don’t worry, it will cook down and be absorbed by the rice.
Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.
If you want to add some bacon for extra flavor, remove the casserole from the oven after 45 minutes and place some bacon strips on top of the cabbage.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and the meat and rice are cooked.
If you don’t want to add the bacon, just bake the casserole, covered, for another 45 minutes or until everything is cooked.
Let the casserole rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
After cooling, you can store leftover cabbage roll casserole in the pan covered with foil or a lid. Alternatively, transfer the leftovers to a sealed container with a lid.
Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, you can place the pan back in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through.
For smaller portions, transfer leftovers to a microwave-safe dish. You can reheat these smaller portions in the microwave or in a small ovenproof dish in the air fryer.
You can also make this cabbage roll casserole in advance and then freeze it for later. Properly stored, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When reheating from frozen, you can add extra tomato juice and seasonings as desired while it thaws in the oven.
FAQ
Cabbage roll casserole – also known as “lazy cabbage rolls” or “deconstructed cabbage rolls” – is a dish made from the same ingredients as cabbage rolls, but cooked in a large pan. Because the cabbage is chopped and layered, it is a dish that requires less effort and technique than traditional cabbage rolls.
Some variations of cabbage roll casserole may include different meats, such as ground turkey, vegetables, such as carrots and mushrooms, and the addition of cheese.
The amount of rice for cabbage roll casserole depends on personal preference. We use 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons uncooked long grain rice per pound of meat. Whatever ratio you use, be sure to add enough liquid to cook the rice.
You can serve cabbage roll casserole with sour cream and side dishes such as Hungarian cucumber salad.
Related Recipes
If you liked this cabbage roll casserole, try these other hearty Central and Eastern European dishes with cabbage:
- Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls
- Sauerkraut Salad
- Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles
- German Coleslaw (Krautsalat)
- Simple Cabbage Potato Soup
Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 7 cups chopped cabbage, tightly packed
- 2 medium onions
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, for frying
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 – 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups long grain rice
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes, optional; alternatively more tomato juice
- 3 1/2 cups tomato juice, possibly more
- 6-8 slices bacon, optional
Instructions
- Remove any wilted or damaged outer cabbage leaves, then cut out the core and chop the cabbage into small, bite-sized pieces.7 cups chopped cabbage
- Peel and chop the onions and garlic cloves.2 medium onions, 2-3 garlic cloves
- In a pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and cook the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown.1 1/2 tablespoons oil
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, sauteed onion, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic. Mix well with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Then add the rice and mix again.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, 2 large eggs, 3/4 – 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/4 cups long grain rice
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To assemble the casserole, spread half of the chopped cabbage in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon half of the diced tomatoes (with their juice) over the cabbage.28 ounces diced tomatoes
- Evenly spread the meat-rice mixture over the tomato layer and press it gently to flatten. Don’t pack it too tightly as you want some space for the juices to flow. Poke about 4-5 holes through the meat with the end of a knife, spoon or your fingers.
- Place the rest of the cabbage on top of the meat-rice layer and pour the rest of the canned tomatoes on top.
- Finally, pour the tomato juice evenly over the top, letting it run down to the other layers. It will look like there is too much liquid, but don’t worry, it will cook down and be absorbed by the rice.3 1/2 cups tomato juice
- Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.
- If you would like to add some bacon for extra flavor, remove the casserole from the oven after 45 minutes and place some bacon strips on top of the cabbage. Return the casserole to the oven and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and the meat and rice are cooked. If you don’t want to add bacon, just bake the casserole for another 45 minutes, covered, until everything is done.6-8 slices bacon
- Allow the casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Variations: You can add chopped mushrooms or grated carrots, or use diced fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
- Cheese: If you want to add grated cheese, add it during the last 20 minutes of the baking time and cook with the lid off.
- Meat: A mixture of pork and beef provides fat and flavor, but you can make it leaner with ground turkey. We’d recommend a mix of pork and turkey over using only turkey since it may turn out too dry.
- Rice: Precooking the rice is not necessary because the amount of liquid used is enough to cook the rice.
- Rice-to-Meat Ratio: You can adjust the rice-to-meat ratio to your preference. More rice will require more liquid, less rice may require less.
- Pan: We use a 9.5×13.5 inch oval roasting pan with a lid, but you can use a 9×13 inch aluminum roasting pan or deep casserole dish. Adjust the cooking time as needed and cover the pan with foil to retain moisture during cooking. Avoid overfilling the pan to prevent spills during baking. Placing the baking or roasting pan on a baking sheet can help catch any potential drips.
- Moisture: If the casserole seems too dry at the 45-minute check, add more tomato juice as needed.
- Bacon: If you added bacon and want it to be crispier, you can cook the casserole with the lid off for a few more minutes at the end, or add the bacon earlier (at the 30-minute mark).
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
I grew up on and prepared stuffed cabbage rolls nearly my entire life, but I haven’t made them in recent years because of all the work they entail. Some stuffed cabbage casseroles that I’ve tried never came close in flavor to the stuffed rolls — until I tried this recipe. It’s easily as delicious as the rolls. My husband kept dishing out helping for himself even after dinner. He called this dish “addicting.” Thanks for providing this recipe. It’s a winner!
Hi Heide,
Your comment made us smile really big! This recipe is near and dear to my (Eric) heart because I also grew up around authentic cabbage rolls. We wanted the taste of the casserole to emulate those flavors and smells as closely as possible – and we’re so glad you think so, too. Can definitely see how it’s addicting – a little bit of cabbage here, a little meat-rice there, and before you know it you’re serving up more! Thanks so much for your kind words. 🙂
This turned out VERY well!
My first thought on taking it out of the oven was: “Holy, umm, this makes a lot of food.”. I had halved the recipe, and it still looked like it would feed 6 – 8.
I used spicy V8, rather than regular tomato juice, but I honestly couldn’t tell; no spiciness, really.
I did use bacon, but cut it into small pieces so I wouldn’t have to worry about trying to cut it with the serving spoon. Your presentation is much nicer, but I would guess that mine is easier to serve.
Many thanks for sharing this recipe.
Joe
Thanks for your comment, Joe – I’m so glad you liked it! It does make quite a bit of food, we usually eat it over a few days. Interesting that you couldn’t taste any of the spice from the V8 at all, thanks for sharing that! Maybe adding hot sauce at the end is the way to go then. That’s a good call on the bacon, having it already cut definitely makes it easier to serve!