Cabbage Roll Casserole

5 from 5 votes

An easier twist on my great grandmother’s classic dish, this lazy, unstuffed cabbage roll casserole is a simple dinner with so much delicious flavor!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, European

Keyword Cabbage Casserole, cabbage roll casserole, unstuffed cabbage roll casserole

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 340kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal) or sub with ground beef
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (or sub with ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
½ cup beef broth (or sub with chicken broth, milk, or water)
1 ½ cups cooked rice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (or other grated cheese of choice)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Cook cabbage in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan. Add the ground meatloaf mix (or ground beef) and onion to the drippings in the pan. Sauté until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Drain off the excess grease.
Stir tomato soup, beef broth, cooked rice, and cooked bacon into the skillet.
Add the drained cabbage to the beef mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the cabbage mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.
Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly.

Condensed tomato soup is one of the "secret" ingredients in my grandmother's stuffed cabbage rolls, so of course I've included it in this recipe as well. The tomato soup is thicker than tomato sauce, and adds a sweet flavor that's hard to replicate with sauce alone. If you prefer to use tomato sauce, see my notes in the Recipe Variations section below.

Use any variety of cooked rice that you prefer. Long grain white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, or even wild rice will work. For a shortcut, pick up a packet of 90-second microwaveable rice. Just make sure that you cook the rice in the microwave according the package instructions before adding the rice to this casserole. You can also use leftover rice from a previous meal.