Easy & Healthy Cabbage Rolls Casserole

I ate a lot of cabbage rolls in my life. My grandma used to make the best cabbage rolls and they were simple. Over the years, i have tasted some store-bought made cabbage rolls. They were small, full of rice and bacon and made with sour cabbage.

For me, a cabbage roll is the size that you can eat only 2 or 3, meaty and juicy.You mash it in your plate, make a big unappetizing looking mess with sour cream on top and then dip dark rye bread into the juices. That’s the real cabbage rolls eating procedure.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed & divided
• 1.5 lbs extra lean ground turkey
• 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, divided
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp brown sugar, divided
• 5 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 medium cabbage (3 lbs), thinly shredded
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
• Greek yoghurt (for garnish)
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

- Preheat large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and half of garlic. Saute until golden brown stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer in a separate bowl and set aside.

- In the same skillet brown ground turkey, breaking into pieces with a spatula. Add onion and garlic from step 1, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, rice, water, 1 tsp brown sugar, bay leaves, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

- In the meanwhile, remove the outer leaves from cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half and using a sharp knife or mandoline thinly slice/shred it. Place in a mixing bowl along with 1/8 tsp salt. Massage cabbage using your hands until the volume of cabbage decreases. This helps to soften the cabbage.

- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

- In a 2.5" deep 9 x 13 casserole dish, spread evenly half of the shredded cabbage topping with half of the meat-rice sauce. Then another layer of remaining cabbage and another layer of meat-rice sauce, until all used up.

- To remaining can of crushed tomatoes, add remaining garlic, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper and mix together. Pour over the layered casserole, spreading evenly with spatula. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 75 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest for 10 minutes and cut with a knife into 8 pieces. Serve warm (I like hot) with a dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt and a slice of rye bread. The casserole tastes even better the next day and makes great leftovers and work lunch.

Storing Instructions: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in a microwave.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 8 pieces

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 281.4

Total Fat: 4.5 g

Cholesterol: 33.7 mg

Sodium: 489.3 mg

Total Carbs: 38.9 g

Dietary Fiber: 9.6 g

Protein: 26.9 g

WW Points+: 7

Source: ifoodreal