Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole

This easy cabbage roll casserole recipe is quick to make and makes a nice healthy meal.

Instead of cooking cabbage and rolling the stuffing inside, this easy casserole is layered.

Cabbage is a brassica. That makes it part of the family of cruciferous vegetables that includes broccoli and cauliflower. These vegetables are very good for you and have been proven to have powerful antioxidant qualities.

Typically cabbage rolls use beef, and you can substitute that here if you wish. However, I’ve used ground chicken or turkey in mine and it’s a delicious and low-fat variation.

You’ll need:

1 lb ground turkey (or chicken or extra-lean beef)

1 cup raw basmati rice

1 spanish onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 28 oz tin tomato sauce, no salt added if possible (or make your own)

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp tamari

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage

In a large bowl mix together turkey, rice, onion, garlic, tamari and pepper.

In a small bowl stir together tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and spices.

Layer one-third of the cabbage in the bottom of a 3L (3qt) casserole. Arrange half of the meat mixture on top. Cover with another one-third of the cabbage. Then add the remaining meat mixture and final layer of cabbage.

Pour tomato sauce mixture over top but do not stir. Casserole will be quite full so you may want to place on a cookie sheet to bake.

Cover and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Bake at 325°F for 2 hours without stirring.

Makes 4-6 servings.

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