Baked Cabbage Casserole

Every cook needs a collection of workhorse recipes, the ones you can make again and again when you’re busy and just need something on the table. Rounding out your collection of go-to dinners will help make cooking into a sustainable habit, something that doesn’t take hours every night because you’ve got it down to a time-saving science.

If you’re still building your collection of kitchen staples, this is definitely one to consider. It’s not the prettiest, and it’s not the flashiest, but it sure does get the job done. And it actually tastes a whole lot better than it looks! The vegetables take on a lot of flavor from the meat, and the cabbage naturally softens and even gets a little bit sweet in the oven – the finished flavor is almost like deconstructed cabbage rolls, only without all the work of actually rolling up all those cabbage leaves.

The tomatoes in this recipe also give it depth and more body. It’s sometimes possible to find a good Paleo-friendly tomato sauce recipe in the store, but if you don’t have one, you could always make your own. There are enough vegetables already here that you could get away with a one-dish meal, but if you want something else on the side, just toss a tray of broccoli or other vegetables into the oven to roast when you put the casserole in. It’ll all be done at the same time, ready to hit the table whenever you need something fast.

Baked Cabbage Casserole Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 20 min. COOK: 45 min.

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs. (roughly equivalent to 1 medium head) mixed cabbage, blanched and roughly chopped
• 1.5 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 ½ cups cauliflower, riced
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. Heat a skillet over a medium heat and brown the ground beef.
3. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 8 minutes.
4. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce and stir well.
5. Season to taste and add the chopped parsley.
6. Add the cauliflower rice, lemon juice, and chopped cabbage. Cook over a medium low heat for about 10 minutes.
7. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.