Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp butter/margarine/oil plus more for greasing pans
• 1 lb ground meat such as beef, pork, turkey, chicken OR veggie ground OR sausage meat (casings removed), OR about 4 crumbled veggie/veggie-bean burgers OR 1 (540 ml) can of beans/chickpeas, rinsed and draine
• 6 cups packed, shredded green cabbage (or one 14 oz package coleslaw mix – buy on quick-sale and freeze it; then use directly from frozen!
• 1 cup uncooked rice (avoid types with dried beans/lentils mixed in as they will not cook sufficiently in the casserole due to the acidity of the tomato sauce)
• 1 (284 ml) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 (680 ml) can prepared tomato sauce
• 3 cups prepared beef/chicken/veggie broth (such as ready-to-use from a tetra pack or reconstituted from a can of concentrate or bouillon cube)
• Salt and pepper to taste (go lightly with the salt; canned sauces and soups can be quite salty already!)
• 1 cup grated cheese such as mozzarella, Gouda, cheddar, etc. (optional)
• 4 slices bacon OR deli meat such as ham/smoked turkey etc., chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a deep 9 x 13″ casserole dish (or two smaller dishes or even 4-6 individual-sized ones – just be sure they’re deep and oven-safe) with butter/margarine/oil/cooking spray.
2. Sauté onion in 1 Tbsp butter/margarine/oil in a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat until soft. Add sausage meat/veggie-bean patties, crumbled/ground beef etc. plus a few pinches salt and pepper and continue to sauté until cooked and lightly golden. Drain excess fat if desired. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. To bowl with cooked meat and onions add tomato sauce, condensed tomato soup, shredded cabbage/ coleslaw mix, uncooked rice and a pinch of each salt & pepper. Stir to combine and pour into prepared pan(s). Pour prepared broth over the top of casserole (no need to stir). Cover tightly with lid/foil and bake for 60 minutes (if using instant rice bake about 15 mins less, if using brown rice bake about 15 mins more).
4. Meanwhile, if using the crispy bacon/chopped deli meat garnish, in the same skillet used to cook filling mixture, sauté chopped bacon/deli meat of your choice until crisp and lightly golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
5. After casserole has baked for one hour, remove lid/foil, stir gently, sprinkle with grated cheese (if desired), replace foil (taking care not to let foil touch cheese) and cook about 20 minutes more/until rice and cabbage are tender. Let rest, covered, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with crispy bacon/chopped deli meat as garnish, if desired.