SOUTHWESTERN STUFFED CABBAGE CASSEROLE

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef ( or 1 lb ground sirloin)
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon southwest seasoning ( or Cajun seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
salt and black pepper
1 head green cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
1 (14 1/2 ounce) cans southwestern petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 (4 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup broth, beef or 1/4 cup vegetables or 1/4 cup water
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup mozzarella cheese, low-fat

Directions

Cook brown rice following package’s directions.
Chop onion finely, and cabbage into bite size pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish.
In a large skillet heat to medium heat, brown ground beef crumbling into small pieces.
Remove ground beef and set aside.
Add ½ T of oil to skillet and add chopped onion. Sautee for 5 minutes or until translucent.
Add minced garlic, Southwestern or Cajun seasoning, paprika and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, ground beef, cabbage & broth. Stir thoroughly.
S&P to taste. Add more spice is preferred.
Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Mixture will thicken slightly.
Add cooked rice and fold in so rice doesn’t break down.
Transfer into baking dish and cover with foil, baking for 20 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese melts & browns lightly.