If you like egg rolls, I have a unique new recipe for you to try: Egg roll casserole. Think the inside of an egg roll, in casserole form, baked until tender and topped with a variety of crunchy ingredients.

Egg roll in a bowl is one of my go-to weeknight recipes: An easy skillet dinner that I can customize based on what’s on hand, but typically consisting of ground pork, cabbage, carrot, and a flavored hoisin sauce.

But that’s not why I’m here. 

Do you really need another egg roll in a bowl recipe? Probably not!

This egg roll casserole recipe, on the other hand? You definitely need to add this to your dinner rotation.

All of the ingredients are mixed together right in the same casserole dish. This is such an easy recipe to make – perfect for weeknight dinners!

What Is Egg Roll Casserole?

Egg roll casserole is basically a deconstructed egg roll, in casserole form, without the outer crispy egg roll wrapper.

Egg roll fillings are layered in a casserole dish and baked until tender. 

The best part, in my opinion, are all the crunchy toppings added before serving: Sliced almonds, crunchy rice noodles, and sliced green onions.

You can serve this casserole with additional sauce on the side: Sweet and sour sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce or a drizzle of sriracha sauce (for a spicy kick).

Move beyond the egg roll bowl and try a new spin on an old classic.

What You’ll Need

Don’t be intimidated by this long ingredient list. There is a lot of flexibility in terms of what ingredients you add to this recipe.

If you are sticking to a strict food budget, you can omit any of the ingredients listed as optional, below. 

Meat: There is some flexibility regarding what meat you can add to this egg roll casserole. Just as regular egg rolls and be made with ground chicken, ground beef or ground pork, so can this casserole. You could even try ground turkey. But don’t stop there: I seasoned and cooked up two chicken breasts and shredded the meat. You could also use shredded rotisserie chicken.

Cabbage: Cabbage is one of the main ingredients in an egg roll – and also in this egg roll casserole. The cabbage is steamed before baking it, ensuring that it’s tender and perfectly cooked. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch squares. This can be prepped up to a day in advance.

Water chestnuts (optional): These are optional, but I love the crunch they add to the casserole.

Mushrooms (optional): You can leave mushrooms out to save money – or you could use canned mushrooms. 

Carrots: Carrots are affordable and add more flavor and nutritional value to this casserole. Matchstick carrots are ideal for this recipe.

Rice: Uncooked white rice (long grain) is the base of this casserole recipe. The rice absorbs the liquid and cooks in the oven – no par cooking necessary.

Chicken broth: Money-saving tip: Use chicken bouillon cubes or Better Than Bouillon + hot water instead of buying a can or a box of chicken broth.

Sesame oil (optional): Another ingredient to include if you have it on hand is sesame oil – just a teaspoon will do.

Rice vinegar (optional): Rice vinegar gives this dish a little extra oomph and Asian flavor, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

Ginger (optional): Grated fresh ginger adds that certain something – that peppery, spicy, sweet kick that gives this dish true Asian flavor. Buy a thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, peel and grate it. You can also substitute a half teaspoon ground ginger.

Garlic: Fresh garlic or minced garlic in a jar will work.

Soy sauce: You can substitute coconut aminos if you’re following a paleo, keto or gluten-free diet.

Sauce: There are a few options for this casserole recipe. I’ve seen some recipes using hoisin sauce, which is a staple sauce in Chinese cooking. I used sweet and sour sauce which is what I typically dip egg rolls in, so this sauce added familiar flavor. Oyster sauce would be another option.

Toppings (optional): I think this casserole tastes best with toppings, but these are optional. Try chow mein or crispy rice noodles, sliced almonds, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or crispy wonton strips.

Instructions

Scroll down for detailed recipe. But here’s the process, in a nutshell:

• Steam cabbage: This can be done up to a day in advance.
• Prepare meat: If you’re using ground meat, you’ll want to brown and season it in a large skillet. If you’re using chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, shred it.
• Prep other ingredients: Cut veggies, mince ginger and garlic.
• Layer ingredients in casserole dish: Rice, veggies, sauce, seasonings. Mix.
• Bake: Cover with tin foil and bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
• Add toppings: This casserole is delicious when topped with plenty of chow mein noodles, sliced almonds, and sliced green onions. Sesame seeds would also taste great.

Yes, this recipe is super easy to make. All of the ingredients are added to the same casserole dish and baked.

More Affordable Cabbage Recipes

This is one of several creative meal ideas I have recently posted highlighting affordable cabbage as a main ingredient.

Cabbage is extremely cheap: You can buy a whole cabbage for 85 cents/lb. at ALDI. Once it’s chopped up, cabbage costs around 12 cents per cup.

When you start basing more of your meals around affordable cabbage, you will start saving money on meals without even trying.

Here are some more easy recipes to try:

• Cabbage and ground beef casserole
• Cabbage roll soup
• Cabbage crunch salad
• Buttered cabbage
• Oven-roasted cabbage
• Traditional egg rolls
• 50+ cheap cabbage recipes

That’s it! I hope you like this deconstructed egg roll casserole recipe – give it a try, make it your own, and let me know what you think!