2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cooked rice
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 medium head cabbage (about 2 pounds), thinly shredded
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Coarsely ground pepper, optional
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is no longer pink. Drain fat, stir in garlic and cook a couple of minutes. Stir in 1 can tomato sauce and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and bacon; remove from heat. Add water to a large part (fill to 2/3) bring to a boil and add the cabbage. Par boil the cabbage and drain. Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture and a third of the cheese. Repeat layer. For final layer top with remaining cabbage and remaining tomato sauce over top. Cover loosely with foil and bake 40 minutes at 375. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake another 10 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
