Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts Classic Berry Cobbler with biscuit topping Classic Berry Cobbler Freshly baked maple syrup calzone Sweet Ricotta & Maple Syrup Dessert Calzone Raspberry Waffles with fresh fruit Fresh Raspberry Waffles Moi Moi with palm oil, served fresh with rich flavors Savory Steamed Bean Pudding (Moi Moi) with Palm Oil Gua Bao steamed buns with pork belly and pickles Classic Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns (Gua Bao) Roasted sausage served with mustard Oven-Roasted Sausages with Mustard Fideuà with cuttlefish served, garnished with fresh parsley Seafood Pasta with Cuttlefish (Fideuà) Haleem with vegetables served, rich, thick and spicy dish Vegetable Haleem Stew Blue cheese croissants served Blue Cheese Croissants Chocolate cream cake with chocolate glaze Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake Tinda dahi with yogurt and cilantro, garnished with fresh lime leaf Creamy Yogurt Curried Squash (Tinda Masala) Spicy Biltong with lime slices and cilantro Spicy Biltong Salad with Lime Martabak Manis with condensed milk, chocolate, and banana Indonesian Sweet Pancake (Martabak Manis) Spicy Shakshuka with eggs and vegetables. Spicy Turkish Vegetable Shakshuka (Şakşuka) Frikadeller served with brown gravy and fresh parsley Danish Pork Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Gravy Creamy cauliflower and swiss chard soup served in a bowl Creamy Cauliflower & Swiss Chard Soup Strawberry cheesecake crepes plated Strawberry Cheesecake Crepes Oopsie bread low carb cloud bread fresh from the oven Oopsie Bread - Low Carb Cloud Bread Beef and yuba stir-fry with soy sauce and vegetables Beef & Yuba Stir-Fry Zeppole filled with sour cherry jam and dusted with sugar Sour Cherry Filled Italian Donuts Classic Berry Cobbler with biscuit topping Classic Berry Cobbler Freshly baked maple syrup calzone Sweet Ricotta & Maple Syrup Dessert Calzone Raspberry Waffles with fresh fruit Fresh Raspberry Waffles Moi Moi with palm oil, served fresh with rich flavors Savory Steamed Bean Pudding (Moi Moi) with Palm Oil Gua Bao steamed buns with pork belly and pickles Classic Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns (Gua Bao)
Layered Savoy cabbage casserole with juicy ground pork and tender rice
Savoy Cabbage Casserole - Hearty Hungarian One-Pot Meal

Cheesy Savoy Cabbage & Pork Casserole

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
This layered casserole is ultimate Hungarian comfort food. The distinct, slightly sweet flavor of Savoy cabbage pairs perfectly with savory spiced pork and creamy sour cream. The magic happens in the layering: pork fat flavors the rice, while sour cream softens the cabbage, all crowned with a crispy cheese topping.
🕒 Prep Time 25 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
🍽️ Servings 5 servings
🔥 Calories 520 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large pot for blanching
  • Skillet for the ragout
  • Ovenproof dish or casserole pan
  • Colander

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Separate the cabbage leaves, remove the thick ribs, and boil in salted water for 5-8 minutes until pliable. Drain and let dry.

Tip: Blanching breaks down fibers and removes some compounds that cause bloating, making it easier to digest.
2 ✓

Cook the rice in double the amount of salted water until tender.

Tip: Starch granules absorb water and swell. Ensure the water is well-salted for flavor.
3 ✓

Sauté finely chopped onion in fat until translucent. Add ground meat and fry until opaque/browned. Remove from heat, stir in paprika, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper, then finish frying.

Tip: Browning meat creates deep flavors (Maillard reaction). Dissolve paprika in fat off-heat to avoid burning and bitterness.
4 ✓

Grease a baking dish. Lay down a layer of cabbage, top with rice, then the meat mixture. Drizzle with sour cream.

Tip: Layering ensures flavors penetrate vertically; fat and sour cream trickle down to season lower layers.
5 ✓

Repeat layers until ingredients are used up, finishing with cabbage. Spread remaining sour cream on top and sprinkle with cheese.

Tip: The creamy top layer insulates the dish, steaming the inside while the top browns.
6 ✓

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Tip: Cheese proteins and sugars brown under heat, creating a savory crust.

Recipe FAQ

The dish is too watery.
Drain the cabbage thoroughly after blanching; you can even squeeze it gently. Cook the rice slightly drier than usual.
The rice stayed hard.
Rice barely softens in the oven due to limited liquid. Cook it almost completely before assembling.
How to boost the flavor?
Mix crushed garlic and a pinch of salt into the sour cream layer for an extra punch.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head Savoy Cabbage
  • 14 oz Ground Pork (Shoulder or Leg)
  • 3/4 cup Rice (uncooked)
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 1/4 cups Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Grated Cheese (e.g., Gouda or Swiss)
  • 2 tbsp Lard or Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Hungarian Sweet Paprika