This recipe for Lebanese stuffed cabbage casserole is a shortcut version of favorite family recipe.
Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
One of the dishes my Lebanese grand-mother would sometimes make was called Malfouf. It's a stuffed cabbage dish with lots of garlic and lemon juice instead of the popular Eastern European tomato sauce based recipe.
Growing up in Pittsburgh I've had my share of delicious homemade stuff cabbage at many celebrations such as high school graduations, weddings and other family parties. Next to pierogies they are a mainstay of many generations of recipes from great cooks.
The Lebanese stuffed cabbage is stuffed with meat and rice. Some use lamb instead of beef. The difference other than the sauce is that they are very thin, cigar shaped rolls.
Needless to say, both types of stuffed cabbage are a lot of work. So when I noticed people were make casseroles with the flavors of the red stuffed cabbage I decided to try making the deconstructed Lebanese stuffed cabbage casserole.
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It all started with this beautiful head of Savoy cabbage from the CSA basket.
I made it in a skillet and pre-cooked the rice. It didn't take long.
Using a whole head of garlic seems like a lot but it wasn't over-powering. Perhaps that's due to the amount of fresh lemon juice.
Overall it ended up being a good dish with the familiar flavors I remember from grandma's Malfouf. However, I think when I make it next time I will cook it in a large dutch oven and allow it to braise for a longer time.
I'm not sure if grandma would approve of this shortcut, but it certainly brings back fond memories of dinner at her house.
Here's the recipe
Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 1 large head cabbage chopped
- 1 head garlic crushed
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef or lamb in a large skillet or heavy pot.
- Add the cabbage, some of the lemon juice, and some of the garlic. Be careful to burn the garlic.
- Season with salt and pepper
- As the cabbage starts to wilt, add the rice and about 1 cup of water.
- Continue adding lemon juice and garlic.
- Let casserole simmer for 20 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and wilted.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Miss Vicki
I love this recipe.
My Lebanese friend use to make something similar all in one pot and leave a container sitting on my counter so I'd have something nutritious to eat when I got home from work. I prepare basmati rice the traditional way then add it between layers of raw cabbage and browned meat (lean minced lamb and beef), garlic, and onions in a baking dish. In the summer, I add chopped fresh tomatoes, and mint. Lemon juice for a win!!!
Patti Estep
That sounds delicious. I'll have to try it that way. Thanks for sharing.
Anne Hogan
Hello -
I love the idea of this but the rice turned to mush and it was overall very lemony. I will try again and mince the garlic, saute it with onion before browning meat, and only add the rice at the very end, maybe without water, or even keep it separate
Patti Estep
Anne, sorry it wasn't great for you, and thank you for sharing your ideas.
Susan Paul
Patti - I have a head of cabbage from my farm share and wasn't sure what to do with it. I'm going to try this recipe tonight. What do you think about adding some herbs to the meat such as fennel seed or oregano?
Patti Estep
Hi Sue,
I think adding those herbs would be fine if they are flavors you really like. I will say that the cabbage probably needed to cook down more, so make sure you give yourself enough time. Let me know how it turns out.