Italian-Style Layered Savoy Cabbage Casserole with Napa Cabbage
It’s quick, tasty, and perfect for busy weeknights!
I really love layered cabbage casserole, but sometimes I just don’t feel like going through the whole process. Cooking the rice separately, boiling the cabbage separately, and frying the meat too – it takes quite a lot of time. So I simplified the process. I have to admit, the inspiration came from a leftover Napa cabbage sitting in my fridge. Poor thing had been waiting there for weeks to be used. Luckily, Napa cabbage keeps very well and is much more tender than regular savoy cabbage, so there’s no need to pre-cook it. All I needed was some ground meat, which I already had in the freezer. Instead of rice, I chose bulgur because it cooks much faster. And rather than making the traditional Hungarian version, I was craving Italian flavors, so I prepared it with cream and oregano. Let’s see how to make this Italian-style layered cabbage casserole with Napa cabbage!
Italian-Style Layered Savoy Cabbage Casserole with Napa Cabbage
Ingredients
- 500 g ground pork (7% fat)
- 200 g bulgur (measured dry)
- 380 g Napa cabbage (about half a head)
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 200 ml cooking cream (22% fat)
- 200 ml water
- 175 g sour cream (12% fat)
- 120 g mild semi-hard cheese (such as Edam or Gouda)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- dried oregano
Instructions
- Cook the bulgur in lightly salted water until tender. Set aside.
- Dice the onion and sauté it in olive oil in a deep skillet until golden brown.
- Add the ground pork.
- Season with salt and pepper, then brown the meat.
- Grate in one clove of garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Pour in the water and let it simmer gently.
- Add the cooking cream.
- Season with oregano.
- Add the remaining garlic.
- Stir in the cooked bulgur and set aside.
- Trim the end of the Napa cabbage and remove the outer leaves. These are usually damaged, so discard them. Separate and wash the inner leaves. There’s no need to pre-cook them.
- Butter an ovenproof baking dish and arrange a layer of Napa cabbage leaves on the bottom.
- Spread half of the meat mixture over the cabbage.
- Cover with another layer of Napa cabbage leaves.
- Add the remaining meat mixture.
- Cover again with Napa cabbage leaves.
- Spread the sour cream on top.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F (top and bottom heat with fan) for about 40 minutes.
- Once baked, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Tip: Serve with a little sour cream flavored with garlic!
Calories and macros
Did you like it? There’s more where that came from. 🙂 Sign up for my newsletter!
