Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Sometimes I want cabbage rolls, but I don't want to do all the work associated with actually making cabbage rolls. Who am I kidding? Not sometimes; that actually happens all the time! In light of this dilemma, I have created the ultimate laziest and easiest way to get my cabbage roll fix! These Lazy Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls require much less effort and are also ww friendly.

Lazy man's cabbage rolls in the slow cooker are a great recipe for busy weeknights! And it's popular all year 'round. This recipe also inspired my Lazy Pierogi Casserole.

And these cabbage rolls ain't your Baba's traditional cabbage rolls either! They are not the traditional rice cabbage rolls, covered in tomato sauce. And neither is this lazy cabbage roll casserole- it's hearty and meaty!

I grew up with what we deemed "Scottish Cabbage Rolls " with meat, rice, and mushrooms stuffed inside, then covered in tomato soup sauce. They are the best kind of cabbage roll, as far as I'm concerned. And now I've turned them into an easy slow cooker casserole!

For this slow cooker cabbage roll casserole, you'll need:

• Extra lean ground beef. If you use any other kind of ground beef it will be too greasy!
• Instant rice *you can use white or brown rice
• Onion. The onion gives this dish flavor and texture.
• Canned mushrooms. I use canned mushrooms because I always have them on hand and they are economical.
• Ketchup. My Mom always used ketchup so I do too.
• Cabbage. Cabbage is the star of the show! Make sure you chop it up like I did in the photos.
• Condensed tomato soup. Economical and I always have it on hand. This is something my Mom also always used.

*see recipe card for quantities

📖 Variations

• Mushrooms - I use canned but you can use fresh
• Rice - I use instant brown rice, but you could use white rice 
• Ground beef - I use extra lean ground beef but you could use lean or regular (if you're not worried about extra WW points) or ground turkey to further reduce WW points

🔪How to Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls in the Slow Cooker

Preparation:

• Brown ground beef with chopped onion in a large skillet, over medium heat, on the stove top. Add mushrooms when ground beef is nearly done. Cook until meat is browned and onions and mushrooms are soft. Drain.
• Cook rice per package directions.
• Mix ground beef mixture, cooked rice, and ketchup together in a large mixing bowl.
• Remove core from cabbage and chop cabbage leaves into bite-sized pieces. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add ½ of the cabbage to the bottom of the crock-pot.

• Then add ½ the rice with cooked ground beef mixture, then 1 can of tomato soup on top of it.
• Add the remaining layer of chopped cabbage, then remaining rice and meat mixture, then 2 cans of tomato soup on top. Add the remaining layer of cabbage, then remaining rice and meat mixture, then 2 cans of tomato soup on top.

🌡️ Storing

Otherwise known as unstuffed cabbage rolls in a crock pot, these Ukrainian lazy cabbage rolls are so easy to make, yet taste just as delicious as the original cabbage roll. They are also perfect in the summer when you don't want to heat up your house!

• They can be made ahead and stored for up to 4 days in the fridge in a sealed airtight container
• They can be frozen and stored in a sealed airtight container for up to 3 months.

👪 Serving Size

1 serving is 1/12 of the recipe, which is about 1 cup.

🔢WW Points

These Crock pot unstuffed cabbage rolls are Weight Watchers friendly at 7 ww points. However, if you really want to bring down the points, use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. That substitution will bring the points down to 5 points.

🥟More Healthy & Weight Watchers Friendly Ukrainian Food!