Italian Cabbage Casserole

Back when I did "the diet", I was introduced to using cabbage in cooking. In the past, the only reason I'd ever picked up cabbage was for coleslaw...and even that was pretty rare. But once I mentioned it and started looking, cooked cabbage was everywhere. I tried a few different recipes, but this one is my favorite so far. And, personally, I like it better as leftovers.

Italian Cabbage Casserole

by Taste of Home - Healthy Cooking adapted by Vivs


1 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper, optional

dash of pepper flakes, optional
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions
Place cabbage in a steamer basket; place in a large saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the beef, green pepper and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Place half of the cabbage in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with half of beef mixture. Repeat layers (dish will be full). Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

My Notes: I added the cayenne and pepper flakes for flavor. I used ground turkey, and a 9x13 pan since I had a good sized head of cabbage. This also freezes well.