Un-stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage rolls are one of my old school comfort foods. Seasoned rice and hamburger rolled up into cabbage leaves and simmered in a tomato sauce, delicious. As an added bonus it is an extremely economical meal. You can feed a family of 4-6 people for under $10.

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The down side to cabbage rolls is all the stuffing, rolling, etc. Like many recipes of the past they take considerable work. I was delighted to find a very old magazine clipping in grandma’s recipe box with a recipe for unstuffed cabbage (unfortunately the clipping does not state who wrote or published it, not even a year). This has all the flavor, but requires much less effort.

You can see my Pampered Chef simple slicer in action in this recipe. Slicing has never been easier! Just slide the food holder onto the track, pop in fruit or veggies and slide back and forth for perfect slices. Use this handheld slicer over a bowl or cutting board—the nonskid feet will keep it in place!

Un-stuffed Cabbage

Un-stuffed Cabbage
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Category: Main Dish, Meals Under $10
Cuisine: American

A hearty casserole that easily feeds 4-6 people for under $10. All the flavor of cabbage rolls/stuffed cabage with far less work.


  • 1 Small cabbage, shredded
  • 1 Pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3/4 Cup instant rice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 20 oz jar of pasta sauce
  • 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice (optional)
  • 1 Cup water (2 cups if you omit the diced tomatoes)
  • 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. In a large pan brown the ground beef with the onions over medium heat (about 5 minutes)
  3. Drain grease and stir in rice, salt, pepper and oregano
  4. Shred the cabbage
  5. Place the shredded cabbage in a non-stick or well greased 3-4 Qt casserole pan.
  6. Spoon the beef mixture over the cabbage, spread evenly
  7. In a large bowl combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and water. Pour this mixture over the beef.
  8. Sprinkle cheese over the top.
  9. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes in the preheated oven.

The original vintage recipe called for two cans of condensed tomato soup and two cups of water. I find the pasta sauce and diced tomatoes add a little more flavor but in a pinch you could use tomato soup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Yield: 8 cups
Serving Size:1 cup
Calories per serving:221.87 kcal
Fat per serving:11.48 g
Saturated fat per serving:4.49 g
Carbs per serving:17.03 g
Protein per serving:11.7 g
Fiber per serving:1.28 g
Sugar per serving:3.5 g
Sodium per serving:359.4 mg
Trans fat per serving:0.54 g
Cholesterol per serving:37.18 mg
Nutrition label for Un-stuffed Cabbage
https://oldguykitchen.com/2019/04/01/un-stuffed-cabbage/