Easy Dutch Oven Cabbage Roll Casserole

Not sure about you, but I'm not a fan of cabbage rolls.  Yes, I've said it.  I'm not a fan of cabbage rolls.  There, I've said it again.

BUT, this is a casserole.  This is a TOTALLY different animal.

This I can eat!  This is amazing.  This isn't drowned in tomatoe sauce.  Don't get me wrong, tomatoe sauce has it's place, but drowning my meal isn't one of them.

Ingredients

1 cabbage, coarsely chopped, divided
8 slices bacon, chopped (who am I kidding, I use the entire package)
2 large onions, chopped
2 pounds ground beef, turkey, pork, chicken or sausage, or a combination of 2, or 3, but enough for about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups long grain rice
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, not drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, more or less to taste

Stuff you will need

Largest Dutch Oven you got
Largest cast iron skillet you got, 14 inch should do
Cutting board
Sharp chef's knife
Tongs for cooking the bacon
Large enough spoon/spatula to cook the meat/onions
Colander
Large mixing bowl
Cooking spray

Directions

Prepare your dutch oven with a light coating of cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 your chopped cabbage all across the bottom of your dutch oven.

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F.  200 F if you starting this in the morning for your evening meal, or on low if your using a slow cooker.

In a large cast iron skillet, over medium to medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and place on a paper towel lined plate. You are not finished with this skillet, do not dump the bacon grease.  Set bacon aside. 

Add onion, ground meat, garlic and pepper. Cook until ground meat is cooked.  Onions should be tender. Drain meat/onion mixture in a colander that is sitting in the large mixing bowl so that you can remove as much grease as possible. Dump your meat/onion mixture on top of the cabbage in your dutch oven.

Now sprinkle your rice on top of the meat mixture. Then sprinkle your crisp bacon on top of the rice. Sprinkle remaining cabbage on top of the bacon.

Pour the vegetable broth over the cabbage.  It's going to percolate to the bottom of the dutch oven.

In a good sized bowl combine your can of not drained, diced tomatoes, and hot pepper sauce. Pour as evenly as possible all over the top of the casserole. Do not stir it at all. 

Put the cover on the dutch oven and into the oven for 3 hours.

Stir before serving.

If you would need this recipe to be done so that you can enjoy it while on the Keto WOE, remove the rice.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!