Cabbage Roll Casserole
Cabbage Roll Casserole is the ultimate comfort food—hearty, simple, and packed with all the flavors of classic cabbage rolls without the extra work. If you love traditional cabbage rolls but don’t have the time (or patience) to roll each one individually, this recipe is for you. It’s all the same goodness, just layered in a baking dish and popped in the oven.
This dish brings back memories of family dinners, especially in the colder months when you want something warm and satisfying. The combination of tender cabbage, seasoned beef, and rice simmered in a rich tomato sauce is pure cozy perfection. Plus, it’s an easy, budget-friendly meal that feeds a crowd with minimal effort.
Serve it up with a dollop of sour cream and maybe a slice of crusty bread on the side. Whether it’s a busy weeknight or a lazy Sunday, this Cabbage Roll Casserole is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the Flavor, None of the Fuss: No rolling is required! Just layer everything in a dish and bake.
- Comfort Food Classic: Warm, hearty, and packed with nostalgic flavors.
- One Pan Wonder: Everything cooks in one casserole dish for easy cleanup.
- Budget-Friendly: It uses simple, affordable ingredients to feed the whole family.
- Great for Leftovers: Tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep.
- Customizable: Swap the beef for ground turkey, add extra veggies, or spice it up with some heat!
- Crowd-Pleaser: A guaranteed hit at potlucks, family gatherings, or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Ground beef: This is the classic choice for a rich, savory flavor, but feel free to swap it with ground turkey, chicken, or even a plant-based alternative. If it’s your first time making this dish, I highly recommend trying it with ground beef for that traditional taste.
- Cabbage, onion, and garlic: Cabbage is the star of the show, giving this casserole its signature texture and flavor. Onion adds a subtle sweetness and a bit of crunch, while garlic brings that deep, aromatic goodness that enhances every bite.
- Salt and pepper: Simple but essential! These pantry staples help season the dish and bring out all the flavors.
- Tomato sauce: This adds richness and just the right amount of moisture to the casserole, keeping everything saucy and delicious.
- Long grain rice: A key ingredient that makes this dish hearty and satisfying. The rice absorbs all the flavors as it cooks, helping to bring everything together in a perfectly layered bite.
- Sour cream: The perfect finishing touch! A dollop of sour cream on top adds a cool, creamy contrast to the warm, savory casserole.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole
Follow along to learn how to make cabbage roll casserole!
- Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Step Two: While the oven is preheating, start cooking the beef. Add the beef, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a skillet on your stove over medium-high heat.
- Step Three: Once the beef is cooked and the onion is softened, add the tomato sauce and water. Add the uncooked rice and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, turn it down again to low and cover. The rice will cook for about 20 minutes.
- Step Four: Assemble the casserole by spreading ½ of the cabbage in the casserole dish. Cover the cabbage with ½ the rice mixture. Continue to repeat the steps until the casserole dish is full.
- Step Five: Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for one hour.
- Step Six: Serve with a dollop of sour cream for a delicious, comforting meal.
What to Serve With It
- Crusty Bread: A warm slice of garlic bread or a crusty roll is perfect for soaking up that delicious tomato sauce.
- Side Salad: A fresh green salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps balance out the richness of the casserole.
- Roasted Vegetables: Serve with roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, or green beans for an extra dose of veggies.
- Pickles or Sauerkraut: A little bit of tangy, fermented goodness pairs beautifully with the savory flavors of the casserole.
Substitutions and Variations
- Change the Protein: Swap ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even a plant-based alternative like lentils or meatless crumbles. You can also incorporate two types of meat instead of just one.
- Make it Low-Carb: Skip the rice and add cauliflower rice or extra cabbage for a lower-carb version.
- Add More Veggies: Toss in bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, or zucchini for extra flavor.
- Spice it Up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or a dash of hot sauce for a little heat.
- Use a Different Sauce: Try crushed tomatoes, marinara, V8 juice or even a can of tomato soup for a slightly different flavor.
- Cheesy Twist: Sprinkle shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or Parmesan on top before baking for a cheesy, bubbly finish.
- Make it Vegetarian: Replace the meat with a mix of lentils, mushrooms, and extra rice for a hearty, meat-free version.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole casserole in the oven at 350°F until heated.
- Freezer: This casserole is freezer-friendly! Let it cool completely, then transfer portions to freezer-safe containers or wrap the entire dish tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from Frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To warm it up, bake it at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until it is hot all the way through. For a quicker option, microwave individual portions until warm.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Fresh Cabbage: While you can use pre-shredded cabbage for convenience, chopping a fresh head of cabbage gives the best texture and flavor.
- Don’t Overcook the Rice: The rice will continue to cook while baking, so simmering it just until it’s slightly tender (but not fully cooked) helps prevent mushiness.
- Let It Rest Before Serving: After baking, let the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set and makes it easier to scoop.
- Layer Evenly: Spreading the cabbage and rice mixture evenly in the baking dish ensures every bite has the perfect balance of flavors.
- Make It Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a day in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if it’s going straight from the fridge to the oven.
- Boost the Flavor: If you want an extra depth of flavor, try sautéing the cabbage with a little butter before layering it in the dish. It brings out its natural sweetness and adds a richer taste to the casserole.
- Adjust the Sauce to Your Liking: If you prefer a saucier casserole, feel free to add an extra ½ to 1 cup of tomato sauce or a splash of broth.
- Double the Batch: This casserole freezes well, so consider making a double batch—one for now and one for later!
Casserole Recipes
- Shipwreck Casserole
- Pizza Tater Tot Casserole
- Meatball Sub Casserole
- Bacon and Egg Biscuit Casserole
- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Try my Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Cabbage Roll Soup, and Cabbage Roll Rice.
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Cabbage Roll Casserole
This easy Cabbage Roll Casserole has all the classic flavors of traditional cabbage rolls without the hassle! A hearty, layered dish with ground beef, cabbage, rice, and a rich tomato sauce—perfect for a cozy family dinner. Ready in just one pan!
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 ¾ cups tomato sauce
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ cup long grain rice uncooked
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- sour cream for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add ground beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper to a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until beef is browned and onion is softened. Add tomato sauce and water. Stir in rice and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Place ½ cabbage in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with ½ rice mixture. Repeat layers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Serve with sour cream.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.4g | Protein: 20.8g | Fat: 3.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51.4mg | Sodium: 371.5mg | Fiber: 2.8g | Sugar: 5.2g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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When did you add the tomato sauce?
It’s in step two after you cook the ground beef.
We don’t eat beef, so used ground chicken. Added a layer of cheese in middle and top. One of my favorite casseroles now. Love it.
Making this now! My husband is excited over this. I can’t wait til he gets home!!! Thank you for this recipe,!
What are cabbage rolls ? I’m from Nebraska and we have cabbage burgers here. Is that the same thing? Also, say I wanted to add some sort of bread like maybe putting biscuit dough on top or bottom…would you have any suggestions?
Cabbage rolls are little cabbage bundles. You wrap the filling inside cabbage leaves and bake it. I never can get them to look pretty so I prefer to make the cabbage roll casserole. Same flavours, and less work. You could try biscuits on top, but it might be too carb heavy since it already has rice in it.
Just because we all like it so much, when I make Cabbage Roll Soup for my minister’s family and me to have for our Sabbath dinner, I add at least 14 ounces, usually twice that, of smoked beef sausage to it. That beef sausage, along with the ground beef, makes for SUCH a great flavor! We all like meaty, hearty dishes like this, so now I’m going to make this casserole, again with the extra beef the 11 of us like so much.
This will be a terrific casserole to make in a few weeks for a large congregational gathering we’re having, too.
the recipe is calling for 3/4 cup of tomato sauce as well as 3/4 cup of water.. correct. reading the recipe it looks like 1 3/4 cup of the sauce and water.. Just Checking. Thanks
I updated the recipe card so it’s more clear. It’s 1 and 3/4 cup cup of both water and sauce.
To make this even faster to make, use bags of store bought cabbage (meant for making coleslaw)! 🙂
Could you do this in a crockpot?
I’m sure you could!