Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I am European and cabbage rolls are something I grew up eating and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across this recipe and realized I could still eat it on my new menu plan!  With a few changes of course :) 

Click here for link to the original recipe!

Here is what you need:

 

1 sm head of green cabbage

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can of whole tomatoes *crushed by hand (no salt added)

1 can of tomato juice *Or just puree fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes (no salt added)

Paprika (to taste)

Dried thyme (to taste)

Dried basil (to taste)

Cracked black pepper (to taste)

1 lg onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Using a mandolin or by hand, slice all of the cabbage up and sauté in a frying pan until ¾ way cooked and some pieces have begun to brown.  (It is easiest to use a pair of tongs to move the cabbage around in the pan until cooked).

Once all of your cabbage is cooked you can move on to onions, garlic, and your ground beef!

Put the cabbage into a big mixing bowl and set aside for the moment.  In the same pan you cooked the cabbage in, you can begin by sautéing the onions and when they become translucent, add the garlic.  Add your ground beef to the onions and garlic and begin breaking it up into small pieces as it browns.  Cook thoroughly.  Add your paprika and dried spices.  You can taste the cooked ground beef at this time to see if you want more spices.

Now it is time for tomatoes!

After you have crushed the whole tomatoes in your hands, (you CAN use diced tomatoes but I prefer whole tomatoes crushed by hand because 1. It makes me feel strong “crushing” them and 2. I like the chunkier pieces of tomato when eating it!), add them to the beef mixture, as well as the tomato puree or juice, and bring to a boil.  Allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Now you have everything ready, it is time to put it together!

Take your casserole dish and put down half of the cooked cabbage and then half of the beef mixture.  Repeat.  I chose to use my casserole dish lid rather than foil as my dish was quite full! 

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes!  I recommend putting the casserole dish on a cookie sheet so it can catch anything that spills over.  Easier to clean up!

If you are topping your casserole with cheese, you would remove your lid at this time and continue cooking until the cheese was all melted and starting to brown!

Enjoy :)

 

This recipe was a big hit in my house; everyone liked it even though there was no salt, rice, or cheese.  I hope you give it a try!  It is flavourful and filling :)

Please note:  The website with the original wesbite has Weight Watchers Points info for THEIR version, I do not know what MY verison would look like in terms of WW Points, sorry!!