Cabbage Roll Casserole

If you need a comforting dish that’s nutritious, can feed a crowd and is easy to pull together, then our Cabbage Roll Casserole is for you. It has all of the components and flavors of traditional cabbage rolls, but skips the rolling! Turning this beloved dish into a layered casserole means less work for you, but without compromising on flavor. Plus, you’ll still get the health benefits that come with all of that cruciferous cabbage! Continue reading to discover how to prepare this tasty recipe, along with nutrition tips, advice from our test kitchen and more.

How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole

1. Don’t Rinse the Rice

White rice has a layer of surface starch that is sometimes rinsed to make the rice less sticky. We opt for not rinsing for this recipe, because the added starch helps thicken the filling. But if you want to rinse your rice anyway, go for it! A quick rinse under running water should leave enough starch in place to provide sufficient thickening for the filling.

2. Keep the Simmer Going

From gas to electric to induction, stovetops vary. Because of that, it helps to know your stove so that you can make the necessary adjustments. For this recipe, it’s important that your rice simmers to cook properly. This is a temperature that is just below a boil, where the liquid is moving and just a few bubbles come to the surface. To maintain it, you may need to adjust your burner level during cooking. Check and make sure your rice is at a simmer each time before stirring to see if you should increase or decrease the heat.

3. Use a Large Skillet for the Cabbage

This recipe calls for 8 cups of chopped cabbage. That’s a large amount that won’t work in a small skillet. We recommend using at least a 12-inch skillet, and if you have something bigger, that will work too. Keep in mind that a larger surface area will help speed up the cooking process, so adjust your time accordingly.

4. Build the Casserole Efficiently

Much of cooking involves efficiency. When it comes time to build the casserole, consider setting the ingredients in the order they should be added near the empty casserole dish. This way you’ll have a streamlined approach to layering the dish, which means you can get dinner on the table faster.

Variations to Try

• Choose another meat or meat alternative. You can use lean ground pork, lamb, ground turkey, chicken or even a meat substitute in place of the beef. Ground meats can be cooked following the recipe instructions. For meat substitutes, consider the package directions before proceeding with the recipe.
• Swap up the herbs and spices. Instead of dried dill, add flavor to the cabbage with another dried herb like rosemary or thyme, or opt for spice! Try chili powder or smoked paprika in place of the crushed red pepper for a different spin on the flavors. 
• Use a different cheese. We like tangy Cheddar cheese in our cabbage roll casserole, especially sharp varieties, but any cheese that melts well—like Monterey Jack, pepper Jack or provolone—would work too.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• We call for long-grain white rice in our filling. White rice cooks faster than brown, and the starch from the rice helps thicken the filling. Because white rice cooks faster, the other ingredients that cook with it won’t overcook.
• Use white or yellow onion. While we don’t call for a specific type of onion for this dish, we recommend using either a white or yellow onion. For best results, cut it into similarly sized pieces so that they cook evenly.
• No broth? No problem! We love the added flavor you get from using beef or chicken broth, but if you forget it or don’t have any on hand, using water is a fine substitution.
• If you have fresh dill on hand, use it! Substitute 1 tablespoon of finely chopped dill for the 2 teaspoons of dried dill.

Nutrition Notes

• Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that has been linked to possible protection against certain cancers. It is also beneficial for gut health, providing prebiotics and fiber. 
• Aromatics, like onions and garlic, add flavor, and they also contain antioxidants that can protect against inflammation and boost immunity.
• Swapping out regular broth for low-sodium broth is an easy way to cut sodium from your diet. Regular broth can contain up to 800 milligrams sodium per 1-cup serving. Low-sodium varieties can be as low as 150 mg per 1-cup serving, so be sure to read the labels!