Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Two weeks ago my local Aldi had cabbage for 75 cents a head. That was a good deal, so I grabbed a large one. There was a lot of food in the refrigerator, and the cabbage got shoved to the back of a shelf behind a bowl.  By Sunday the refrigerator had emptied out, and I spotted the cabbage  Its outside leaves looked wilted and were sporting a couple of dark spots.  Time to figure out a way to use it!

I threw the outer layer of leaves into the compost pile, then julienned  the next layer and added them to a pot of chicken vegetable soup.  Even after that there was still a lot of cabbage left; I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and put it back into the refrigerator.

This morning was about cooking, mainly figuring out a way to use the cabbage.  I love stuffed cabbage, but the full-fledged rolls take hours to prepare.  I didn't have that much time, so I used the basic ingredients to make a casserole.  Less than an hour later tonight's AND tomorrow night's dinner was done.  All it needs is a quick reheat in the microwave.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
(serves 4)

1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped (or approximately 8 cups)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a large pot over medium heat brown the turkey, onions, and garlic until the turkey is no longer pink.
2. Drain juice from tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add chicken broth until you have 2 cups of liquid.
3. Stir cabbage, rice, tomatoes, liquid, and seasonings into pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Five years ago today: New Thing #258--Are You Up To The Challenge?