UN-rolled cabbage casserole

My mom makes killer stuffed cabbage rolls.  I mean they are just fantastic.  A flavorful meat mixture wrapped in delicate cabbage leaves and simmered for hours in a yummy tomato sauce.  YUM!  I've used her recipe a couple of times, and while the end result was quite delicious, the time and energy it took to get there was more than I wanted to spend.  See in the original recipe, you have to core and boil the cabbage, then let it cool enough to take apart all of the leaves individually, then roll about a bajillion little rolls, then let it simmer for longer than I want to wait.  I'm a little lazy by nature and frankly folks, this is all a little too much work for me.  I usually only have about 15-20 minutes in the kitchen by myself before a three year old is trying to "help" me or asking for a snack and a 10 month old is down around my ankles or dumping the dog's water bowl all over himself.  I require meals that are get in and get out, if you know what I mean.

Enter the un-stuffed cabbage casserole.  It's all the flavor of a cabbage roll without the boiling of the cabbage and the work of rolling.  The original recipe also called for rice.  I'm certainly not against rice, but I'm trying to get more veggies in our diet, so I substituted cauliflower instead.  I know you're probably thinking that doesn't sound too appetizing but really it is.  If you chop the cauliflower into tiny bits that resemble rice, you can hardly tell the difference. If you prefer rice instead, by all means, use rice.  You might want to add only a 1/2 cup raw rice and maybe add more liquid ingredients.  Basically, you'll have to play around with it. 

My husband and I love this dish, while my three year old still isn't sure of it.  I've made this twice now and the first time she wouldn't even touch it.  The second time she took a couple of bites, so we're making progress.  She's not a big fan of ground meat.  Crazy girl.  :)  So here's the recipe.  Hope you like it.

Un-rolled Cabbage Casserole

1.5 lbs ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and sausage (grass fed is best)
1 small head of green cabbage
1 cup cauliflower (chopped very small to resemble rice)
1/2- 1 c diced onion depending on how oniony you like your food
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 cups strained or crushed tomatoes (divided)
1 T. dried oregano
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic or 1/4 t. garlic powder
sea salt (1 t. divided) and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Core and chop up a small head of cabbage into bite sized pieces and place in the bottom of a deep 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle with a 1/4 t. salt and drizzle about 1 c. tomato product over the cabbage as well.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine meat, cauliflower, onion, 2 c diced tomatoes, 1/2 t salt, garlic, and spices.  Mix well with hands.  Crumble meat mixture in an even layer over the cabbage.  Drizzle remaining 1 cup of tomato product over top.  Sprinkle 1/4 t salt and a generous amount of pepper on top.  Bake covered for 50 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.  Make sure meat mixture is no longer pink before serving.

Note:If your meat is not very lean, I would recommend draining off some of the grease that will accumulate on the sides.  If you use lean grass fed beef, you shouldn't have much problem.