Hot N’ Hearty Melty Cabbage Casserole

If you’re a cabbage lover (like me!) then you’ve gotta get this on your family’s menu asap!
Our Hot N’ Hearty Melty Cabbage Casserole is ultra-satisfying and hearty without being too “heavy”. This one will leave you feeling GOOD after eating thanks to the simple whole-food ingredients. It’s incredibly flavorful too!

Casseroles are a cold-weather love language at our house.

When it turns cold outside, I love to pull a hot bubbly casserole out of the oven to serve for dinner. The house is filled with heat from the oven, delicious aroma from the flavor-packed casserole, and an overall homey vibe that we all crave this time of year.

This cabbage casserole is even better reheated the next day, so it’s an EXCELLENT meal prep idea. Stays good stored in the fridge in sealed containers for 3-4 days.

Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable.

In terms of price per cup, a report by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has shown cabbage to be the second most economical cooked vegetable in terms of price per edible cup. Yes! Grab you some.

Cheese please:

Instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, I like to find a block of grass-fed cheese ON SALE and shred it myself…. or better yet enlist one of the kids for this duty.

Many pre-shredded varieties are coated in very strange things (anti-caking & clumping garbage) that actually interfere with the natural texture and melting quality.

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large head of green cabbage, thinly sliced (around 8 cups)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef, bison, or turkey
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups, or 16 oz marinara sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsps dried oregano
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• 2 tsps apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup freshly shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack)

To garnish:

• fresh thyme or parsley

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. and lightly spritz or rub to coat a 9×13 baking dish with avocado oil.

Place your chopped cabbage into a large bowl and season it generously with sea salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage the cabbage for a few minutes, or until it starts to shrink. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground meat, mincing it with a wooden spoon as it browns.

Once the meat is no longer pink, drain any excess grease, then stir in the onion and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes.

Stir in all the seasonings, marinara sauce, and apple cider vinegar then bring the sauce to a boil. Once bubbling, remove from heat.

Allow all excess moisture to drain off the cabbage.

To assemble your casserole, add half of the meat mixture to the bottom of the prepared oven dish.

Layer with half the cabbage and a sprinkle of cheese.

Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients, finishing off with a layer of cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cabbage is tender.

Sprinkle with fresh thyme or parsley and enjoy!

Rachel

The post Hot N’ Hearty Melty Cabbage Casserole first appeared on Clean Food Crush.

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