021 / 75 · Noodles, Grains and Pantry Bakes

Beef, Cabbage and Tomato Rice Hotdish

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 35 min

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This cabbage-and-beef rice pan has the flavors of a slow cabbage filling without the work of rolling individual leaves. Freshly cooked long-grain rice is folded into a thick tomato base, then baked briefly to bring the pan together. The cabbage is softened before assembly, and the rice starts hot from its saucepan rather than arriving as an unknown leftover.

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Drawn beef, cabbage and tomato rice hotdish with tender vegetable ribbons.

Let cabbage lose its volume in the skillet

A broad pan can look impossibly full when the first ribbons go in. Add them in batches, turn with the softened onion and keep cooking until they become pliable. Small carrot dice should be nearly tender too. The tomato is added after this stage so the vegetables have a useful head start. Raw cabbage trapped in a deep rice pan can release water and remain tough at the same time. The target is a moist filling with soft ribbons that share a spoonful, not a layer of boiled cabbage under separate rice.

Time the rice to meet the filling

Start the rice while the beef browns, using the packet’s water ratio if it differs from the one given. Keep the lid on for the standing stage and fluff once. The freshly cooked grains should go straight into the hot sauce and then the oven; this is one continuous preparation. Previously chilled rice is not the base ingredient for this method. Its history and reheating limit would need a different plan. The rice does not need to be mashed or stirred hard to combine with the vegetables.

Tomato sauce should be present, not soupy

Crushed tomatoes provide body, while a little passata and stock make enough coating for the grains. Simmer uncovered before folding in the rice. A spoonful should be moist with no loose watery moat. Do not add a cheese crust merely because this is a casserole: the browned edges of tomato and cabbage are the finish here. The rice also gives leftovers a shorter clock. Cool saved portions quickly and label the original rice cooking date, then reheat only once and eat immediately.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (150 g)
  • 2 medium carrots, cut in 1/4-in/6-mm dice (150 g prepared)
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (450 g)
  • 1 lb 5 oz green cabbage, cored and cut in thin short ribbons (600 g prepared)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (6 g)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
  • 3/4 cup tomato passata (180 ml)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock (120 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (4 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup dry long-grain white rice (180 g)
  • 1 1/2 cups water (360 ml), or rice-packet amount for 180 g dry rice
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (15 ml)

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Covered rice saucepan, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Bowl, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil

Allergens

Celery or other allergens may be present in stock; check labels. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and carrot 8–10 minutes until nearly tender. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add beef to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat 8–10 minutes, breaking up, until it reaches 160°F (71°C). Safely drain excess fat if needed. Meanwhile rinse rice, put in its covered saucepan with the stated water or packet amount, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15–18 minutes or packet time. Stand covered off the heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Return vegetables to the beef. Add cabbage in batches and cook 8–10 minutes, turning, until softened. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then tomatoes, passata, stock, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 7–8 minutes until thick and cabbage is tender. Stir in vinegar.
  4. Fold freshly cooked hot rice into the hot filling and transfer promptly to the dish. Cover with suitable foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5–10 minutes more until the center and several other spots reach 165°F (74°C).
  5. Rest 5 minutes and divide into six portions.

A spooned cabbage supper

This recipe is an original unrolled pan, not a claim to reproduce a particular family’s cabbage rolls. The useful details are tender vegetables, moist separate grains and a clearly managed rice clock.

A useful detail

The 95-minute total overlaps rice cooking with the cabbage-and-sauce stage. Follow a longer rice-packet time if necessary. Previously chilled or reheated rice is not substituted into this continuous fresh-rice method.

Another way

  • Replace green cabbage with the same prepared weight of Savoy cabbage, removing tough ribs and cooking the ribbons until tender before adding rice.

Keep it well

Cool the finished rice bake quickly in small shallow portions, ideally within 1 hour of cooking, and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 24 hours of the rice’s original cooking or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat no more than once, to 165°F (74°C) throughout, then eat immediately and discard reheated leftovers. Do not leave the full deep pan on the counter to cool. No freezer-batch method is included.