Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable in this house.  I don't cook with it a lot and I just tend to forget about it.  I forget how good and tasty it is. 

This casserole reminded me of lasagna.  No, it wasn't just like lasagna; you would need 3 times the cheese to accomplish that.  The cabbage is a fairly bland vegetable that works well with these flavors. The The health benefits of cabbage vs. pasta is of course is amazing.  This was super healthy and incredibly low in calories.  Oh, did I mention that it tasted amazing too? 

Deconstructed Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water, (just enough to rinse out the can)
2 cups cooked rice, I used brown rice
2 cups cheese, I used 6 oz (I used colby jack)

Spray a large casserole dish, I used a 12 x 15.  This makes a big casserole.

Cook ground turkey and cook until almost done.  Add chopped onion and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.  Add minced garlic, dried thyme and paprika and cook for about 2 minutes more.  Then add the diced tomatoes with juice and tomato sauce.  Rinse out the cans out with a little water, just about 1/4 cup total and add it to the pan.  Let mixture simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15 - 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut cabbage in half, cut out core and remove any wilted outer leaves, then chop the cabbage coarsely into pieces.  Heat about a tablespoon of oil (I used bacon grease) in a skillet, add the cabbage, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks.  Season cabbage with salt and pepper. 

When meat and tomato mixture has cooked for about 15 - 20 minutes and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine. 

Layer half the cooked cabbage in the prepared casserole dish.  Then put in half of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle half the cheese and then the rest of the cabbage. Top with the rest of the meat layer.  Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes.  Remove foil, add the rest of the cheese and cook for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and started to slightly brown. 

One Year Ago....

La Bamba Mexican Casserole


This is linked with:
$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
Made from Scratch Monday at Living with Food Allergies and Celiac




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