Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

The very moment I stumbled upon this recipe I knew it was a keeper and in fact I went out and bought the ingredients that same day. I love casseroles, and the cheesy crunchy top that reveals itself after baking so nicely in the hot oven! MMMMMMM I am a cheese & crispy bits lover! I changed the recipe up some to suit my taste. To see the original click here. For my edited version…READ ON!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbs olive oil, divided
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp Paprika, I like hungarian but any will do even the hot stuff
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 cups cooked brown rice (I cooked in chicken stock instead of water to add more flavor)
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese

(Love this shot)

DIRECTIONS – Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. I used a 10×13″ pan and it was full!
Cook rice and when it is finished set aside (use chicken stock instead of water for more flavor!)
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add 1 tbs olive oil, and garlic. Cook until just fragrant (about 1 minute or less) Add salt, pepper, paprika thyme and finally ground turkey. Cook until browned.
To the pan add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce and chicken stock.
Simmer until thickened, around 15 minutes give or take.
While meat mixture is thickening, cut up cabbage and make sure to cut out the core, and chop coarsely.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan, add the cabbage and cook over medium heat until the cabbage is wilted (I added a lid to help the process along). You want the cabbage about half-cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
Add your cooked rice to your meat mixture and stir to combine well.
Take 1/2 of your wilted cabbage and place in your casserole dish, then 1/2 of your meat mixture and repeat until all is in pan. Mix together gently with large spoon.
Add cheese to top and bake for 40 minutes uncovered.
Let casserole sit for a few minutes before cutting, the cheese will stay in place better this way and you get nice even squares for everyone to enjoy, serve hot.
This dish is freezer friendly if you have leftovers. (which I did) I stored in a Tupperware container, air tight.