Prep: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Yield: 12 servings (1 casserole pan) Ingredients: Resource adapted from https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cabbage-roll-casserole/
2 pounds ground beef or green/brown lentils
2 pounds mushrooms, slices
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 tbsps fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dill weed or 1 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili pepper flakes
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
2 cups cooked rice
1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds), shredded
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink.
Cook sliced mushrooms in a separate skillet. Add garlic to onions; cook 1 minute longer. Drain fat. Stir in 1 can tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, mushrooms and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in rice; remove from heat.Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top.Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with coarsely ground pepper.
Test Kitchen Tips Minimize mess by using 90% lean ground beef or ground sirloin (so you can skip the draining step) and use coleslaw mix (so you don't have to chop cabbage).
Try serving with a splash of red wine or cider vinegar.