Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

My husband never usually has a lot of positive things to say about the cooking from his mom growing up, but there was one thing that she cooked that he said he loved, so I tried to re-create it for him. He loves stuffed cabbage casserole, and I was never a huge fan of cabbage so this recipe was either going to fail miserably or pass with flying colors. To my surprise, not only did it turn out great and taste delicious, but he said it was better than his moms growing up. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground beef
2 small onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1 Tbs. smoked Paprika
salt and pepper
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 15 oz. can tomato juice
2 c. cooked white rice
1 1/2 c. shredded white cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Heat large pan on medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook the beef until slightly browned, drain, and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 Tbs. olive oil and onion, and cook over medium heat, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, Thyme, Paprika, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes more. Add tomato juice, diced tomatoes and ground beef. Cook 5-7 minutes longer until the sauce starts to thicken. In another large pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and cabbage. Cook approximately 5 minutes until the cabbage is halfway cooked, and season with salt and pepper. When the meat mixture is done, add the rice and stir to combine. Spread the cabbage on the bottom of the pan evenly. Top with the meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the white cheddar, and bake for 20 more minutes.