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piece of unstuffed cabbage roll casserole on plate with fork
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Italian Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

If you enjoy cabbage rolls but don't want all the hassle of filling and rolling cabbage leaves, this is the recipe for you! Enjoy all the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, with an Italian twist and much less effort involved, with this Italian unstuffed cabbage roll casserole recipe.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword cabbage roll casserole with meat and rice
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 9 servings
Calories 452kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 cups savoy cabbage chopped (about 3/4 of a large head of cabbage)
  • lbs ground beef I use medium lean ground beef
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 stalk celery diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • pinch red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 tsp. salt or more, to taste
  • 960 ml tomato juice, preferably low sodium (such as V8) divided
  • 1 cup parboiled rice
  • ¼ cup parsley freshly chopped, divided
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese or Pecorino Romano
  • 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Begin by chopping the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half, use a sharp knife to remove the core. Slice the cabbage into roughly 1-inch wide pieces. You will need 10 cups of cabbage in all, approximately 3/4 of a large head of cabbage.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cabbage for 2 minutes. Cook in batches if it does not fit all at once in the pot. Drain well and set aside in a bowl.
  • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. When it is no longer pink, stir in the diced onion, carrot, celery, garlic; red pepper flakes, if using, and salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
  • Pour in 3 cups of the tomato juice and rice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the grated grated Parmigiano cheese and half the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed.
  • Grease a baking dish, 9 x 13 inch, with oil and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Evenly spread 1/3 of the chopped cabbage over the bottom of the dish. Ladle half the beef mixture over the cabbage. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella.
  • Layer 1/2 of the remaining cabbage over the mozzarella and the rest of the beef mixture over it. Cover with 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella.
  • Spread the rest of the cabbage over the mozzarella. Pour the remaining tomato juice evenly over the entire surface and sprinkle the last of the mozzarella over the cabbage.
  • Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations:
-Use other types of ground meat in place of beef such as veal, pork, chicken or turkey.
-Regular green cabbage may be used in place of savoy cabbage.
Can the chopped cabbage be added to the casserole raw?
-I did in fact test the recipe without boiling the cabbage first. It can be done, however I prefer the more tender texture of the cabbage when it is briefly cooked
How long do leftovers keep for?
-Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Can cabbage roll casserole be frozen?
Prepare the casserole and freeze, for up to 3 months, prior to baking. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed in the recipe.
Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 754mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2847IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 3mg