Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Roll Casserole 1 lb . lean ground pork or beef 1 large onion , diced 3 cloves garlic , crushed 1 cup tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon thyme 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 1 large head cabbage 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown) 1 tablespoon olive oil Optional Topping 2 cups gruyere or monterey jack cheese 1 egg 1/4 cup milk Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest Instructions Brown beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Stir in tomatoes (including juice), tomato paste, seasoning and tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and add rice. Meanwhile, coarsely chop cabbage, rinse and shake dry. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add 1/2 of the cabbage. Cook just until softened (about 5 minutes). Repeat with remaining cabbage. Place 1/2 of the cabbage in a large casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. In a small bowl combine cheese, egg and milk. Remove foil, top casserole with cheese mixture and bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes.