Stuffed Cabbage Without the Work

I do not have a meal plan right now, I’m on a mission to use the odds and ends that seem to collect in my kitchen.  Every so often we need to get creative with things that did not get completely used.   I truly sympathize with people who are cooking for only 1 or 2.  It’s not easy to buy just what you need, nor is it less expensive.  

In crisper is half of a head of cabbage, it has been there a long time.  A very long time.  It shows no sign of decay.  Maybe we should eat more cabbage?  I cannot look at cabbage and not think longingly of my sister-in-law’s stuffed cabbage.  There is beef in the freezer, rice in the pantry, canned tomatoes, ketchup…  I may not have the secret recipe for stuffed cabbage, but I bet I can approximate with Beef Cabbage Casserole!

I sliced the cabbage thinly (ok, thinISH) and tossed it in a colander with 1 tsp of salt, and let it go.  Salting draws off the moisture, which is important if you don’t want a runny casserole or crunchy cabbage, which I do not.    At this point I briefly consider attempting sauerkraut…but that’s an experiment for a cooler day.

Into a big bowl go ground beef, 3 cups of cooked rice, some garlic powder, a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, and a biiiig squirt of ketchup.  Now, I do know that the secret recipe calls for Hunt’s but I use Heinz and that’s just how it is.  I figure there’s enough salt from the cabbage and tomatoes.  It already smells good.

Now it has to cook.  It has to cook in something that is not too deep, because I don’t want it to cook forever.  The 9 x 13 glass casserole dish is handy.  I prefer glass or ceramic for casseroles because they heat more evenly; metal is better suited for baked goods.   A few swipes of butter to grease the pan…maybe not strictly necessary but I was feeling it, and in with the mix.  It filled the whole pan, so I congratulated myself on my super estimating skills.  How long?  What temperature?  Well…I’m going treat it like meatloaf, but I want the flavors to meld, so 325.

I checked it at an hour, and it was cooked through, and still moist.   I gave it a few decorative swipes of ketchup, and put it back in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Et voila:

Was it the stuffed cabbage I was craving?  No.  Was it a good enough substitute?  Yes.  Would you be horrified to know that some people here ate it cold for breakfast?  Probably.

Add Beef Cabbage Casserole to your meal plan and try it!  And don’t worry about the other half of that cabbage, it will last for a long, long time…