Deconstructed cabbage rolls. All the cabbage roll flavor but less work!

Easy and delicious unstuffed cabbage rolls.

This deconstructed cabbage roll recipe actually doesn't roll any cabbage. But, it has that delicious flavor with just a fraction of the work! This is such an inexpensive recipe especially when cabbage is on sale (in the fall and around St. Patrick's day). This is such an easy way to get the healthy taste of cabbage rolls without the work!  Call them deconstructed, unstuffed, or whatever you like.  This is basically an easy and delicious cabbage roll casserole, but the cabbage rolls are deconstructed!

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What is a deconstructed cabbage roll recipe vs a cabbage roll casserole?

This is THE recipe I make when we have a need to have a healthy, vegetable-based meal. You know, when you are looking for a dish with lower calories.  And, there is a HUGE amount of cabbage in this (can we say high fiber!). And, it's super easy. The deconstructed part comes in because there is no rolling of the cabbage rolls. So much easier to just chop and layer.  No need to make the cabbage rolls.

I  make this in either a casserole dish OR a dutch oven.   Often, I prepare this meal the night before, and then I can just pop it in the oven and cook it.  I have this casserole dish and a similar to this Dutch oven.

Ingredients

1 large cabbage (estimate how much you can get in your casserole dish).

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1 chopped sauteed onion

3 lightly sauteed garlic

1 ½ lb cooked ground beef (can use ground pork or ground turkey)

2 cans of Campbells Tomato soup

1 can beef broth or chicken broth

1 ½ cups pasta (uncooked) OPTIONAL
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Prior to assembling ingredients,  prep.  hamburger by browning in a skillet on medium heat ...................and set aside. Drain any fat from the hamburger.

In the same skillet, saute onions and garlic.  Be careful not to burn the garlic!  Set aside.

Chop cabbage in long thin strips. You are aiming for ½ inch strips about 3 inches long (ish).

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

Fill casserole dish about ⅔ full of cabbage.

Spread cooked hamburger crumbles evenly over cabbage

Sprinkle uncooked noodles as the next layer. Use lots if you like noodles, none if you are avoiding carbs. Your choice 🙂

Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Easy on the salt though since the soup is already quite salty.

Layer on the rest of the cabbage. Keep adding. It often is heaped.

Add the two cans of tomato soup with the ½ can of water mixed in. Spread it evenly over the top.
Put the lid on. If the cabbage is layered too high, it'll cook down and the lid will eventually fit.
Bake at 325 for about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Enjoy!

I love this recipe!  Hope you do too.

Does this deconstructed cabbage recipe freeze well?

Yes, I regularly portion this into airtight containers and place it in the freezer.   I thaw it in the fridge for a day and then either heat it in a small saucepan or microwave it in an appropriate microwaveable container.

Printable recipe.

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls (unstuffed cabbage rolls)

A delicious cabbage roll dish without the work of cabbage rolls!  Same hearty flavor without the need to do the work of rolling the cabbage rolls. Can easily be adapted to a vegetarian or gluten-free meal.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: one pot meal

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Calories:

Author: Susan Moncrieff

Ingredients

• Large casserole dish with lid or Dutch Oven
• 1 large cabbage
• 1 ½ lb cooked hamburger meat
• 1 chopped sauteed onion
• 3 minced and lightly sauteed garlic
• 2 cans Campbells Tomato soup
• 1 can about 8 oz of beef broth or chicken
• 1 ½ cups pasta uncooked OPTIONAL
• salt & pepper to taste remember the soup is already salty.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Prior to assembling ingredients,  prep.  hamburger by browning in a medium heat skillet and set aside. Drain any fat from the hamburger.In the same skillet, saute onions and garlic.  Be careful not to burn the garlic!  Set aside.
• Chop cabbage in long thin strips. You are aiming for ½ inch strips about 3 inches long (ish).
• Spray casserole dish with cooking spray
• Fill casserole dish about ⅔ full of cabbage.
• Spread cooked hamburger crumbles evenly over cabbage.
• Sprinkle uncooked noodles as the next layer. Use lots if you like noodles, none if you are avoiding carbs. Your choice : ).
• Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Easy on the salt though 'cause the soup is already quite salty.
• Layer on the rest of the cabbage. Keep adding. It often is heaped.
• Mix the can of broth into the tomato soup in a small bowl.  Spread it evenly over the top.
• Put the lid on. If the cabbage is layered too high, it'll cook down and the lid will eventually fit.
• Bake at 325 for about 2 ½ to 3 hours.  It will start to simmer and cook within the casserole dish or dutch oven.
• Enjoy!

Notes

You can use any variation of ground meats you have on hand.

This can easily be gluten-free if either gluten-free pasta is used or no pasta (it's fine without!).

If you choose to make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetarian crumbles for your protein.

Enjoy the recipe!

Other delicious but easy one-pot recipes

Easy cabbage and vegetable soup.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Taco Pasta Shells

Shredded beef - how to cook and serve it.