Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray, 9x13 or 10x13.

Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through. Break it apart as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Once done, remove it from the skillet and set aside.

In the same pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion. Cook until translucent, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, rosemary, basil, and smoked paprika, and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the ground beef back to the pan. Stir.

Add broth, stir, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the cabbage by cutting it in half, removing the core and any wilted leaves, and chopping it into 1-inch pieces.

Add the remaining olive oil to a large Dutch oven or frying pan, and add the cabbage. Cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, stirring a few times. Season with salt and pepper.

When the meat mixture has thickened, stir in the 2 ½ cups of cooked rice and gently stir to combine.

Layer half of the cabbage on the bottom of the casserole dish, top with half of the meat mixture, half of the cooked bacon, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and then add the remaining cabbage and meat mixture on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for around 40-45 minutes.

Uncover and add the rest of the bacon and cheese on top. Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about ten more minutes.

Remove it from the oven, let it cool for 15 minutes, slice, and serve.