Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole has all the flavour of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls, but not all the work.
Made in one pot on the stovetop in about 60 minutes, these unstuffed cabbage rolls are Ukrainian approved.
A hearty and delicious meal. No side dish is needed. Perfect for batch cooking.
Deconstructed recipes are the best. No fuss, but all the flavour. Have you tried Quinoa Sushi Salad? Just like an unrolled California roll in a bowl.
Chicken Mushroom Barley Casserole is another one-dish dinner that is sure to please.
I love Ukrainian comfort food. Yes, there is such a thing. Here are a few of our favourites:
- Pierogi Sauce – the best topping for pierogies and more. Try it on baked potatoes or steak.
- Traditional Egg Noodle Casserole – my baba’s recipe.
- Ukrainian Kobasa Kapusta – sauerkraut with kobassa is a staple in Ukrainian kitchens.
- Ukrainian Dill Potatoes – the perfect side to any meal. Potatoes covered in a green onion dill sauce.
- Ukrainian Cheesecake – made with dry curd cottage cheese is so delicious.
You can even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this easy skillet version of corned beef and cabbage.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these deconstructed cabbage rolls can be found at the bottom of this post.
Lazy Cabbage Rolls Need Simple Ingredients
I even used my roasted tomatoes in this easy stovetop recipe. Be sure to read on to find some great substitutions and recipe tips.
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Water
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Rice
- Seasoning
- Olive Oil
- Ground Turkey
Cabbage Roll Casserole Is So Easy To Make
If you have made cabbage rolls before, you will know just how time-consuming it can be. Precook the cabbage, mix the filling, make the rolls, layer in a baking dish, and bake.
This unstuffed cabbage roll recipe is the easiest way to enjoy cabbage rolls without all the work. Don’t worry, you won’t be sacrificing on any of the flavour either. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare the cabbage, onion and garlic.
- Cook the onions and garlic in a dutch oven.
- Add the meat and saute.
- Add the cabbage and cook until softened.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and dinner is ready in about 40 minutes.
What you end up with is an undone version of classic cabbage rolls. Meat, rice, cabbage and a tasty tomato sauce. Delicious spoonfuls of Ukrainian comfort food.
Substitutions/Recipe Tips
- Ground turkey – you can also use beef, pork, lamb or chicken. We also love a combination of beef and pork.
- Crushed tomatoes – can be replaced with spaghetti sauce, canned tomato soup or tomato paste. If you choose tomato paste, I would decrease the amount since it might be overpowering.
- Greek seasoning – easily substituted with Italian seasoning, parsley, or oregano.
- Onion and garlic – you can reaplace powdered onion and garlic, adjusting the amount. I would say about 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder. You be the judge.
- Cabbage – one really quick tip is using a colelaw mix in place of the cabbage.
- Rice – I used parboiled white rice. You can also use long grain or short grain rice. Want the casserole to stretch a little further? Add more rice, but be sure to add/adjust the amount of water as well.
How to store it? Can you freeze this casserole?
Any leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container. This casserole will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.
This is the perfect meal for batch cooking. Place in freezer bags, or containers and store. This will last for several months in the freezer.
Thaw in the fridge, and reheat easily in the oven, stovetop or microwave. If you find the casserole too thick, simply add a bit of water when heating.
Visit my casseroles and one-pot meals page for easy-to-make recipes. Looking for more stovetop recipes and skillet casseroles? Here are a few to try:
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Vegetarian Baked Beans
- Sloppy Skillet Chicken Parmesan
- Sausage and Rice Skillet
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Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ounces onion diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 4 cups cabbage finely chopped
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 1 ¼ cup rice uncooked
- 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
Instructions
- Finely chop the cabbage, dice the onion and garlic and set aside.
- In a dutch oven, heat the oil.
- Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to soften.
- Toss in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the ground turkey and cook for 5-6 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
- Toss in the cabbage to the meat, and cook for about 10 minutes to nicely wilt the cabbage.
- Add all the remaining ingredients: water, tomatoes, seasoing, rice.
- Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes.
- Stir several times during the cooking process. The casserole will be done when the rice is cooked and contents in the pot have thickened.
- Remove from heat and enjoy.
Sharon
I do love cabbage rolls but they can be time-consuming to make, this casserole saves so much time!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is the easiest way to make cabbage rolls without the work.
Freya
Wow, this was so yummy! I had some frozen blanched cabbage taking up prime real estate in my freezer so I used that! I also used vegan mince instead and it was so good!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you were able to adapt this lazy cabbage roll recipe to suit your needs.
Natalie
This is perfect dinner idea for busy weekdays. Looks delicious and I love that is filled with veggies. I’m going to make this for sure.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Cabbage really is the star of the show. ENJOY!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I love seeing how flavors from different cuisines meet in the middle. We make lot of rice casseroles like this and absolutely love them as a comfort food for lazy cold day. More flavor and less work than the traditional cabbage rolls 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
OMG this is the best cabbage roll casserole ever. ENJOY!
Brianna May
I made this last night! It was so easy and tasty. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome, so glad you enjoyed this cabbage roll casserole.
Debra
These deconstructed cabbage rolls were a big win in our house. I love how easy it was to make and hubby adored the rice in there and all the flavors. Will definitely be making these again.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Awesome. These lazy cabbage rolls are so much easier than traditional ones.
Heidy
Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole is so easy and flavorful. I just made Polish and Greek cabbage rolls- as everyone in the family has their favorites-but everyone agreed your cabbage rolls were terrific. Great instructions! Have a great day! I’m going to enjoy more of this casserole!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well you can never go wrong with a great cabbage roll recipe. These lazy cabbage rolls are so easy too. ENJOY!
Beth
I would call this genius cabbage roll casserole! So easy to make and still all the great flavors of traditional cabbage rolls – perfect!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Yup, I totally agree with you. Easy and delicious….all the flavour and none of the work to get great cabbage roll taste.
Tayler Ross
I love cabbage rolls but don’t always love the time it takes to make them. This casserole was a great alternative and tasted wonderful!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Seriously this is just like the real deal without all the hassle.
Maya
I’ll admit I’ve never made Ukranian food before, but this seems like a great place to start! I love how approachable the recipe is, and I really appreciate the substitutions you’ve included!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You really need to give this super easy cabbage roll casserole a try. The results are so delicious.
Jerika
This Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole looks delish!!:) Can’t wait to try it tomorrow night.:) It’s perfect timing because we have a stock of cabbages.:) Thanks!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I know you will find this cabbage roll casserole easy and delicious. ENJOY!
Jessica
Comfort food is my jam but this will be my first time trying Ukrainian comfort food. I love how simple this recipe looks and that it doesn’t call for any obscure ingredients. I actually have everything I need to make this already so we’ll be having it for supper tonight.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well enjoy this Ukrainian comfort food. All the flavours of traditional cabbage rolls without all of the work.
Dannii
You had me at lazy. This looks like a great alternative to cabbage rolls.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
HAHAH….it’s all about easy recipes, and these lazy cabbage rolls deliver!
Hayley Dhanecha
These lazy cabbage roll casserole is super delicious, looking forward to make it very soon as I have a big cabbage in my fridge.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You will love the results….and the flavour is just like baba would make.
Roxana
I love cabbage rolls and this is a great way to experience the amazing taste of this great dish. The tips were all very helpful.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is lazy cabbage roll casserole delivers on taste and saves you so much time in the kitchen. ENJOY!