Cozy Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake
My favorite recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls comes straight from my grandmother’s kitchen. It’s the kind of dish that warms a whole table and feeds a crowd, but it definitely requires time and patience. Wanting to keep all those nostalgic flavors while streamlining the process, I created my Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake — a simpler, cozier twist that delivers the same comforting taste with far less prep.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This Unstuffed cabbage Casserole bake is a dream for busy cooks — It is the perfect make‑ahead meal and reheats beautifully without losing moisture or flavor.
- Using meatloaf mix instead of plain ground beef keeps the meatballs incredibly tender and juicy, even after a long simmer in the oven.
- The sauce gets its signature balance from a mix of lemon juice and brown sugar, giving it that irresistible sweet‑tangy flavor that makes this dish so comforting.
What Makes This Recipe So Flavorful
The secret to this recipe:
- The secret to the meatballs is the meatloaf mix, which keeps the meatballs incredibly moist and tender — never dry or crumbly.
- The casserole is finished in a sweet‑tangy tomato sauce, balanced with just the right touch of brightness and depth, making every bite comforting and full of flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake
- Cabbage head, decored, quartered and blanched
- Meatloaf mix
- Rice (Brown or white)
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Tomato Puree
How to Make Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake: Step‑by‑Step
- Boil Cabbage quarters
Core the cabbage head, cut into quarters, then place in large pot of boiling water. Boil for 10-15 minutes till cabbage quarters are tender. Once quarters are cool enough to handle, shred the cabbage with a knife - Prepare tomato sauce
Combine the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, water, brown sugar and lemon juice. - Prepare the filling
Combine the meat loaf mix, 2/3 of the rice packet, the grated onion, beaten egg and about ½ cup of the tomato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently with wet hands until well combined, then form into golf size meatballs. Roll gently so meatballs do not become tough - Assemble casserole
Coat bottom of a large roasting pan with some of the tomato sauce, then scatter half of shredded cabbage leaves in the pan. Coat leaves with some sauce. Lay meatballs on top of the cabbage layer. Stud the whole onion with cloves and nestle between the meatballs. Top with shredded cabbage and remaining sauce. - Bring casserol to boil on stove
Cover and bring to a simmer on the stove, seal tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, then place in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 ¼ hours until bubbly and hot. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Tips for Success
- The cabbage quarters can take 15-20 minutes of cooking to soften so they shred easily
- Do not overwork the meat mixture or the meatballs will become tough
- If making a full recipe, use a large stove top proof roasting pan as there will be a large amount of ingredients in the pan, and it is best to bring the ingredients to a simmer before placing in the oven. A scaled down recipe can be made in a 9×13 inch baking dish and the stove-top step can be skipped
Variations and Substitutions
- Use precooked rice
- Use brown instead of white rice
- Use ground turkey with a Panade (slice of bread soaked in milk and shredded, then added to the turkey), This will keep the turkey moist
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake
- Leftovers will last 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator
- This dish freezes well after it has been baked, for 1 month
- Best reheating method: reheat in 350℉ oven for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly
Serving Suggestions
- This casserole is hearty enough to stand on its own, but I love serving it crusty bread or a simple green salad to balance the richness.
- A dollop of sour cream on the side adds a cool, creamy touch that complements the tangy tomato sauce perfectly.
FAQ About Making Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake
Add 3–5 questions people actually search for.
Examples:
- Can I make ahead? The casserole is the perfect make‑ahead meal and reheats beautifully without losing moisture or flavor. Flavors get better over time.
- Can I freeze? The casserole freezes well. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the oven.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to rate it in the recipe card and let me know how it went in the comments below. Your ratings and feedback help others find and trust my recipes, and they mean so much to me as a food creator. Thanks for cooking along!
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Cozy Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake- Easy With All The Flavor of Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Total Time2 hours
- Yield8–10 1x
My favorite recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls comes straight from my grandmother’s kitchen. It’s the kind of dish that warms a whole table and feeds a crowd, but it definitely requires time and patience. Wanting to keep all those nostalgic flavors while making the process weeknight‑friendly, I created my Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole Bake — a simpler, cozier twist that delivers the same comforting taste with far less prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into quarters
- 1 small onion, grated on large holes of a box grater
- 1 ½ pounds meat loaf mix (combination of ground beef, veal and pork; if you cannot find use 1 pound lean ground beef and ½ pound ground pork)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 28 oz. can tomato puree
- 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 small onion peeled
- 8 whole cloves
- 1 8.8 oz. package precooked long-grain white rice or ¼ cup long-grain rice, cooked
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the core out of the cabbage head and cut cabbage into quarters. Place the cabbage quarters into the boiling water. Boil the cabbage quarters for 15-20 minutes until the cabbage is fork tender. Remove cabbage to a plate. Once cool, drain liquid and slice into long shreds.
- To make the sauce, in a large bowl combine the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, water, brown sugar and lemon juice.
- To make the meatballs, in another bowl combine the meat loaf mix, 2/3 of the rice packet, the grated onion, beaten egg and about ½ cup of the tomato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently with wet hands until well combined. Form into golf size meatballs. You will have about 16 meatballs.
- Coat bottom of a large roasting pan with some of the tomato sauce, then scatter half of shredded cabbage leaves in the pan. Lay meatballs on top of the cabbage and coat with a layer of sauce. Stud the whole onion with cloves and nestle between the meatballs. Top with remaining cabbage shreds, and cover with additional sauce to cover the casserole.
- This will seem like a lot of sauce but I think that is the best part! You may have some sauce leftover.
- Cover and bring to a simmer on the stove, then place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 1 ¼ hours or until bubbly and hot. Let rest a few minutes, then serve.
Notes
- The cabbage quarters can take 15-20 minutes of cooking to soften so they shred easily
- Do not overwork the meat mixture or the meatballs will become tough
- If making a full recipe, use a large stove top proof roasting pan as there will be a large amount of ingredients in the pan, and it is best to bring the ingredients to a simmer before placing in the oven. A scaled down recipe can be made in a 9×13 inch baking dish and the stove-top step can be skipped
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
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