Name: Cabbage Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 500 g beef mince; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 400 g tomato sauce; 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp salt; 600 g white cabbage, thinly shredded; 150 g long grain rice, uncooked; 300 ml beef stock; 100 g cheddar, grated

Cabbage Casserole

Layers of cabbage, browned beef mince and rice baked in tomato sauce with cheese on top until bubbling and tender.

1 hr 15 min total Serves 6 servings Easy

The Method for Cabbage Casserole

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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef for 8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, paprika and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread a third of the cabbage in a large baking dish. Cover with half the rice and half the beef sauce. Repeat, ending with a layer of cabbage.
Pour the stock over, cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove the foil, scatter with the cheddar and bake for 10 minutes more until golden.

Related guide: Choosing rice.

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Things to Watch For

Shred the cabbage finely so it softens fully.
Seal the foil tightly so the rice steams.
Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Swaps

An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good to Know About Cabbage Casserole

Keep the cabbage thin. That is the whole of the work in this dish, because shredded cabbage cooks down to silky ribbons in the oven while thick wedges stay tough and watery. A cabbage roll flavour without the rolling is the appeal.

Brown the mince with onion and garlic, then stir in tomato sauce, a spoonful of brown sugar, a splash of vinegar and some paprika. The balance of sweet and sour comes from Eastern European cabbage rolls, and it is what makes the plain cabbage taste of something. Check for seasoning before layering, since the cabbage will dilute it.

Layer the casserole instead of mixing it. A base of cabbage, then rice and beef, then more cabbage on top. The top layer protects the rice from drying out and caramelises slightly at the edges.

Cover tightly with foil for the first 35 minutes, as the rice cooks in the steam and juices from the cabbage. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes, add the cheese, and let it turn golden. Rest for 5 minutes before spooning out.

To Go With It

Soured cream · Rye bread · Green salad · Pickles

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: New York Bagels, Philadelphia Soft Pretzels, Boston Baked Beans.

Keeping Cabbage Casserole

Keeps for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.