Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole—a super easy and fast way to have the flavors of cabbage rolls for dinner tonight.
Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole
Sandi, an email subscriber to 365 Days, sent me a note asking if I had a cabbage roll casserole recipe in the Instant Pot. I told her I didn’t but that I was intrigued…did she have an oven recipe she liked? Yes, she did and she sent it to me. I changed a few things around and made it into an Instant Pot recipe. To tell you the truth when I read the ingredient list I was a bit skeptical that it would taste good. I was TOTALLY wrong! It was so tasty! And I absolutely loved the cabbage! I almost wished that I had added more.
Sandi’s version of the recipe uses 2 cans of condensed tomato soup. I don’t usually have that ingredient in my pantry so I decided to go with a can of diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce instead. I just couldn’t make it to the store yesterday. It worked wonderfully.
I usually cook with brown rice but the original recipe used white minute rice. I decided to use white long grain rice and again, it worked well. Next time I make this I’m going to experiment with brown rice. I’m not exactly sure how that will work since brown rice needs a 22 minute cooking time. I’ll definitely let you know how it goes.
Sandi’s recipe called for water but I decided to amp up the flavor and use some beef broth. I love using Better than Bouillon products and always keep a jar of chicken base and a jar of beef base in my fridge at all times. I buy the big jars at Costco. They last forever and I use them all the time. Whenever a recipe calls for broth I simply add in a cup of water and then a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon.
I think that you’ll really enjoy this easy weeknight dinner! And if you have a favorite recipe that you think could be made in the Instant Pot I’d love to take a look at it. Just email me the recipe (karen@365daysofcrockpot.com) and I’ll see what I can do! Or you can chime in on the 365 Days of Instant Pot Recipes Facebook Group.
You’ll also like…
Instant Pot Ziti and Meatballs
Instant Pot Sausage, Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
A super easy and fast way to have the flavors of cabbage rolls for dinner tonight.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (you can also use ground turkey)
- 1 cup diced onion
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 6 cups cabbage (cut into ½” by 3” slices)
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 4 oz grated medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. When the display says HOT add in the ground beef and break it up. Add in the onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown the beef for about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Turn off the saute setting. Scrape off the bottom of the Instant Pot with a wooden spoon. Add in half the broth.
- Layer the cabbage on top of the beef. Then sprinkle the rice on top of the cabbage. Pour the rest of the broth over the top of the rice. Then dump the tomatoes and tomato sauce evenly over the top of the rice.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 8 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir in the cheddar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Scoop onto plates and enjoy!
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This was excellent. I’ve made stuffed cabbage rolls for years. This has the same tastes but less time and work. Didn’t have tomato sauce so I used ketchup. Great taste. I like the idea to add Worcestershire sauce. Will add it next time. Thanks for a great make again recipe.
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Really wonderful with smoked sausage also.
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Good idea!
Yes that’s so true! Much less work!
So good! One of my new favorite comfort foods.
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Glad you liked it Britney 😊
What size cabbage yields 6 cups?
I would use a small head.
OMG. This is amazing. Like really amazing. I just made this, followed the instructions as written. Absolutely delicious. I believe it’s key to deglaze the meat bits off the bottom before pressure cooking as I have been a victim of the BURN notice in the past. I might even add, the flavor in this recipe enhances the stuffed cabbage taste because you get more cabbage per bite, which in my opinion is the star of stuffed cabbage. Next time, I might add a bit more tomato sauce for color purpose and to loosen up the consistency, but the recipe is just fine as written!!!! Thanks for sharing!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for sharing your experience 😊
SORRY ::: SANDI’s Stuffed Cabbage Casserole.
I am making this recipe exactly as is for the second time tonight! I love it! Really does remind me of my mom’s cabbage rolls! Thank you, Karen!!
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Yay!! Glad to hear this 🙂
I made this as a vegan recipe and it was great. I used 28oz. can of diced tomatoes and a 5.5 oz can of tomato paste. I used real garlic, thyme and poultry seasoning, 2 cups of vegetable broth, 8 cups of cabbage, long grain brown rice and 2 packages of Yves Original Veggie Ground. It was a little too moist and I will play with the spices but overall it was good. I would also add more cabbage to this recipe next time. I cooked for 22 minutes which was probably a little too much. Will try 20 minutes next time.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing your experience!
I have always bought the 12 oz cans of V 8 juice for cooking with cabbage recipes and soups. It is very handy to keep in the pantry.
Good plan! I will do that too 🙂
Would you change time for basmati rice? I have a yon of it to use up
I would keep it the same! Should be very similar as long as it’s not brown basmati rice.
Thank you was very good!
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Glad you liked it Kim!
I tried this almost as is….
When I make cabbage rolls I saute the onion with bacon, so I added 3 strips of bacon diced. If I make this again, I will probably double that.
I added some thyme, because I add thyme when I make cabbage rolls.
I used real garlic instead of garlic powder.
No cheese. I just can’t do that to cabbage rolls.
I feel like the sauce was missing some acidity. If I make this again, I might use tomato juice instead of beef broth. And I will definitely add a bay leaf or two, though I’m going to dread digging them out. Not bad…but kind of …American tasting.
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Thanks for sharing your tips and experience!
I use rutabaga ‘rice’ instead in the oven but haven’t tried in instant pot. Adds great flavor and texture.
Wow! I’ve never heard of that. How is it compared to cauliflower rice?
Just made a double size batch of this in the 8 quart Duo. Used 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork and doubled everything else, DELICIOUS!!
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Wow that sounds so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Geoff!
So good! I used instant brown rice with 1/2 cup more of broth, used diced tomatoes instead because that’s what I had, and cooked it for 12 minutes! Thank you!!!
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Oh good idea on the instant brown rice. It wasn’t overcooked?
Not at all, instant brown rice takes the added minutes to cook! Regular brown rice takes much longer!
I made this this morning and it is awesome. I read all the comments first and made a couple additions. I used V-8 juice instead of beef broth but I did add 2 tsp of Better than Bullion beef. I also added a tblsp of Worcester sauce, a tsp liquid smoke, and 2 tsp of smoked paprika. I used a whole head of cabbage. This is going go be a regular at Our table.
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Wow John, your version sounds seriously so tasty!!
I am new to using a instant pot. Very use to a canning with a pressure cooker. With this recipe . When putting it on pressure cook. Should it be set on normal or high?
high pressure is what I use 🙂
Wow! Thank you! So I’ve had my IP for 2 yrs and used it maybe 4 times. My IP is more complicated than what I’ve seen on recipe sites and I am intimidated by it! Twice it yelled at me “BURN”. I call it the Devil’s Spawn! I am determined to get over my fear and try to use it again. Well, you’ve made a believer out of me for sure and I have signed up for your emails. Thank you!🤗
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You can do this Diana!
Burn message….u need to use liquid to get all the bits off bottom of pot. There can’t be anything stuck to bottom or it thinks good is burning and will give u that message.
This was so so good but I had one problem. All of the rice didn’t cook all the way. Should I have stirred it all together? Any ideas on what I should do next time?
Sorry to hear that! Did you layer all the ingredients evenly or was the rice just dumped into the middle? Layering evenly would definitely help 🙂
If the recipe is yours I would never hesitate to try it!
You are an amazing woman!
Thank you 😁
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Thanks Gail!
I have never had stuffed cabbage rolls. After trying this recipe, I definitely have been missing out! Both my husband and I loved it! I was out of tomato sauce, so I used approximately 4 oz of tomato paste and added the same amount of water I also switched the rice to brown rice, adding a bit more water and extending the natural release time by another 10 minutes. We will be eating this again! And again! And again!
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Nice Kathy!!! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Had really good flavor. The cabbage was a bit overcooked because I had cut it smaller than indicated. Will do it as written next time. Will also add a bit of worcestershire sauce and a bit of brown sugar.
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I love the idea of worcestershire sauce!
Karen, I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a bit. Looks great, and I’m hoping it’ll help me use up some of the scads of cabbage in our fridge…and simultaneously disguise it from my son!
Thoughts re using various types of cabbage with this? We have some classic green cannonball cabbage, some that may be the same (or perhaps napa – jury’s out), and a good chunk of red cabbage too. Weird combo, or should I go for it and hope for a beautiful hybrid/abomination?
Grins
I’d go for it!!!
Yaay – Karen, thanks for the go ahead, my super Instant Pot guru!
Looks like the weekend calls for cabbage casserole chez Jennie. 😉
Guru lol!
It’s true, Karen, you’re my go to, and source of inspiration for IP recipes. And FYI, oh wise one, 😉 your recipe was such a hit that It’s on the menu for the second time this week! There were no squawks re cabbage from teen boy, just num-num noises and requests for seconds from all of us!
Thanks again Karen, your brilliant recipe was a fab base.
In case any other tinkering busybodies like myself are curious, here are my tweaks:
– Added a lge raw honey garlic sausage with ground beef
– Used can of tomato soup instead of tomato sauce
– Worchestershire sauce went into the IP and the bottle went on the table at dinner
-Added some dry green seasonings: Italian seasoning mix plus some well crushed fennel seed
– Garlic – added more dry and some extra fresh minced
– We like heat, so minced serrano went into pot and on table…so did a bottle of Frank’s hot sauce for people to add if wanted
– Paprika: added some sweet Hungarian and several extra shakes of smoked paprika too
– My rice was still a little firm after cook time, so dumped in a little Clamato juice and pressure cooked another couple mins
– Cheese – had no sharp cheddar, but medium marble cheddar worked nicely
Looking forward to getting all cruciferrific again for dinner today! 😉
How awesome! Thanks for all your tips and changes!
Hi, would white minute rice work?.🇨🇦 I haven’t tried rice in my pot yet.
I think it would disintegrate as it pressure cooks.
Ok thank you Karen!!🇨🇦🇨🇦 Love your site!!.. very helpful..
I had bought a head of cabbage a few weeks ago to make cole slaw and had forgotten all about it until I got your recipe for this emailed to me and thought hmmm I’ve got the cabbage i might as well make this.
Boy am I glad I did I !
I made this exactly as per yours and it was absolutely amazing!! I would not change a thing and will make this again and again!
Thank you for sharing with us !
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Yay! So glad you tried it and liked it!
I made this today. We loved it.
We ate it during the game.
I didn’t have diced tomatoes, so substitued stewed tomatoes.
Very good.
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So glad you liked it Annie!
I made this last night, and gosh, what a hit this was! I halved the recipe for 2 very generous servings, but was nervous about using my 3 quart IP, as it is the only unit of my 3 sized IP’s, that constantly gives me the burn code. I opted to do my first “pot in pot” cook, and used my 8 quart IP for that. Worked like a charm. Ever the envelope pusher I am thinking of trying 2 tweaks for my next iteration of this wonderful and comforting meal. I’m thinking of amping the tomato flavor with the addition of some tomato paste, and raisins stirred into the meat mixture.
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Tomato paste is a great idea!
If using brown rice, how would you adjust the cooking time? Thank you!
I’d try 22 minutes.
Thank you so much for adapting. This recipe to the InstaPot and am excited to try your changes. It’s our favorite fall recipe hands down. You rock, Karen!
Aww shucks.
I wonder if It would be good to freeze the leftovers? Not everyone in my picky fam would eat this but I would!!
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I bet it would freeze well.
How much time would it take to cook this recipe without the rice?
I’d say 5 minutes
Ground pork works the best with any version of cabbage rolls but I’m half Ukranian so that’s what I was brought up with. So yummy. I make a layered version of this in a pot in pot method, probably a little more labor intensive than this so will try yours out soon too.
I’ll definitely have to try this with pork in the future!
Very similar to recipe I adapted. I use V-8 instead of beef broth and use part ground beef/part pork sausage, plus a package of sauerkraut with caraway in addition to cabbage. Spices it up nicely.
I really love the idea of the v8 and the sauerkraut. I love sauerkraut!
Hi Karen about how much of a medium cabbage would be used to get 6 cups? (Whole, half, quarter) Thank you.
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About half a cabbage.
I’ve made cabbage roll casserole before. I takes an hour in oven. This sounds wonderful. Will try.
Try soon! I love how fast the IP cooks the cabbage!
Could you print the original recipe since I would like to make oven version? Or you can e-mail it to me, thanks.
Sure here you go Mary:
6 cups cabbage (I cut into 1/2” by 3” slices)
1 pound ground turkey, chicken or ground beef
1 small onion (chopped)
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 small cans condensed tomato soup
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheese
Place the Cabbage in a greased 2-1/2 quart baking dish. In a skillet, cook meat and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink – drain. Stir in the rice, salt and pepper – spoon over cabbage. Combine soup and water – pour over meat mixture
Cover and bake at 350F for 1 hour or until rice and cabbage are tender. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Bake (uncovered) 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Karen, this sounds fabulous. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing your favourite recipe Sandi!
I think you’ll really like it Bonnie!
This is a true comfort food I have made for my family for years. My recipe also calls for a tsp. of Worcestershire sauce. I always add lots if pepper and garlic. My kids fight as to who gets to take leftovers if any is left.
I like the idea of Worcestershire!
One of my favorites! I sometimes use a Spanish rice mix to spice it up a little… have fixed it in my pressure cooker several times.
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I love that idea of the Spanish rice!