

So much flavour, so little fuss!
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve in bowls, sprinkled with crispy bacon/chopped deli meat as garnish, if desired.
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