Un-Stuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet Meal

Thanks for sharing!

Get the flavor of cabbage rolls without the work! Un-stuffed cabbage casserole is a quick and easy one pan dinner that makes cabbage roll goodness possible on a weeknight.

This economical and flavorful dinner is a great way to feed your family.  A pound of ground beef is stretched with rice and plenty of healthy cabbage making it possible to feed the whole family for under ten dollars.

Plus you can get the flavor of grandma’s stuffed cabbage rolls without the effort and only 1 dirty pan!

I was first introduced to cabbage rolls when I asked family members for favorite recipes. My husband’s uncle Greg sent over a guide for how he make golumpki (or gotabki depending on who you ask.)

I gave them a go and they were delicious, but to be honest they were also a fair amount of work. So despite enjoying them and really needing to update the pictures, I haven’t made them again since.

However I have made versions of this casserole version several times.  It is a lot quicker to make and every bit as flavorful.

Tips and tricks

Make sure to use a large enough pan. The cabbage cooks down quite a bit but will take up a lot of space to start with.

Use a pan with a lid. That will help the rice and cabbage to cook evenly. I’ve used both an enameled cast iron braiser and covered saute pan with great success.

Do yourself a favor and core the cabbage and cut it into nice bite sized pieces while it’s raw. It will make serving and eating it much easier.

Possible Substitutions

Not into white rice?  Use brown rice or quinoa instead. Just be sure to adjust the amount of beef broth and cook time accordingly.

Could you use a different kind of greens? Sure, but cabbage’s mild flavor and sturdy leaf really is ideal.

A cabbage cousin like bok choy or napa would do well. Kale would alter the flavor, but would likely be delicious if you are a kale lover.

Uncle Greg sent a list of spices he like to use. He said he generally picks 2 or 3 of them and mixes and matches.

I generally stick with marjoram or oregano and some garlic  because those are flavors my family loves. Greg also suggests celery seed, thyme, nutmeg, ground mustard, ground cumin, garam masala, or cloves.

He gravitates toward cloves plus one other spice. You can do whatever your mood and imagination dream up.

He also likes to add mushrooms, green beans and other vegetables to the mix in his cabbage rolls. You could easily do the same in this skillet meal.

The cheese topping is not at all traditional, but makes it super delicious. Plus a layer of melted cheese helps me sell almost any meal to my family. Feel free to leave it off if that’s your preference.

More great cabbage recipes:

• Bacon wrapped beer braised cabbage
• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
• Carlee’s Cabbage {Cabbage with potatoes and Parmesan cheese}

Or try southwest chicken and rice skillet meal for another tasty all in one pan meal. It is loaded with tex-mex flavors and a bit of cheese.

Now get this perfect one pan un-stuffed cabbage skillet dinner on your menu and let me know what you think!

Thanks for sharing!