Cabbage and Meatball Casserole

This Cabbage and Meatball Casserole is a comforting, hearty dish featuring savory meatballs made with ground pork, beef, or turkey, served in a rich tomato and cabbage sauce. Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb ground lean pork, beef, or turkey
• 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into half or quarter circles
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed or minced
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 x 14 oz cans)
• 1 small to medium head green cabbage, chopped
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• ½ cup broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg

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Instructions:

1. Preheat and Prepare Casserole Dish:

   • Heat the oven to 400°F and prepare a 9x13 casserole dish.

2. Sauté the Vegetables:

   • In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, sauté sliced onion in a little oil for about 2 minutes.
   • Add the chopped cabbage and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes more.

3. Add Tomatoes and Broth:

   • Stir in diced canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, letting the flavors meld together.

4. Make the Meatballs:

   • In a large bowl, combine ground meat, cooked brown rice, egg, garlic, marjoram, paprika, salt, and pepper.
   • Mix everything together with your hands until well combined, being careful not to overmix.
   • Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the meat mixture and roll it into golf ball-sized meatballs with wet hands.

5. Assemble the Casserole:

   • Pour half of the cabbage-tomato sauce mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
   • Place the meatballs on top of the sauce in a single layer.
   • Pour the remaining cabbage sauce over the meatballs.
   • Cover with tin foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly.
   • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.

6. Serve:

   • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot!

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Notes:

• To make 1.5 cups cooked brown rice, use ½ cup dry brown rice.
• If you prefer, you can swap brown rice for white rice in the recipe.
• The meatballs can be made with any ground meat you prefer, such as beef, pork, or turkey, depending on your preference.

This dish is perfect for a family dinner, and the leftovers taste great too! Enjoy!