Stuffed Cabbage or Cabbage Rolls

5 from 5 votes

Stuffed Cabbage or Cabbage Rolls

Tender cabbage leaves STUFFED to the BRIM with SAVORY, JUICY, HEARTY meat and rice and then simmered in a TANGY, RED, DELECTABLE tomato sauce! Classic Cabbage Rolls will have your whole family begging for MORE!

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cabbage rolls, stuffed cabbage

Servings:

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

Ingredients

1 head of fresh cabbage
2 tbs butter
½ onion - minced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 bay leaf
dash of salt
1 lbs ground beef
½ lb hot ground sausage
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dried chipotle
2 tbs tomato paste
½ tsp raw sugar can sub brown sugar if no raw sugar available
1 cup of cooked white rice
1 can of Tomato Sauce
1 Can of Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Place a soup sized stock pot on medium heat with water filled to 75% of the pot. Set up a large bowl with ice water. Set out several layers of paper towels on a sheet tray. Peel as many leaves from the cabbage as possible without damaging them. Using tongs, carefully press the cabbage leaves down into the water when it comes to a simmer - do not boil. Allow each leaf to simmer for 30 secs or until pliable and bright green. Then remove to the ice bath for 10 secs and then remove to the paper towels. Continue until all leaves have been soaked and layed out to dry. Use at least 12 leaves. Use extra paper towels or a salad spinner, dry each cabbage leaf well. Using a sharp knife, remove the large vein that makes the base stem. Cut it out by making an upside down V shape.
In the bottom of a oven proof dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until onion starts to become translucent (3 minutes). Add the garlic and bay leaf and cook over medium heat until fragrant (1 minute). Remove from the heat and set aside and allow to cool. When cooled, remove the bay leaf. Remove the onion and garlic mix and set aside in a separate bowl. Pour the can of Tomato sauce into the bottom of this stock pot.
In a medium sized bowl, add the ground beef, sausage, salt, pepper, cumin, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle, tomato paste and sugar. Add the rice. Add the reserved onion and garlic mixture (make sure you removed the bay leaf). Mix well. See recipe tips that follow the recipe for directions about testing the spice level.
Time to assemble! On a flat surface, lay the cabbage leaf out flat. Using your hand, scoop up about ½ cup of ground meat mixture and shape into a log shape and lay on the cabbage leaf in the center of the leaf. Roll the cabbage leaf up like a burrito by folding the sides in and then rolling from the end closest to you to the outer edge. Lay the completed roll in the bottom of the large oven proof pot on top of the tomato sauce which you already poured into the pot. Put the seam of the cabbage roll on the bottom so it stays closed. Continue doing this until all of the cabbage leaves have been rolled with the meat mix in the middle.
Pour the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes on top of the cabbage rolls (do not pour off any can water, simply add to the dish). This should cover the cabbage rolls, but if it doesn’t add more tomato sauce until rolls are covered.
Place heavy duty aluminum foil on the top of the sauce pot and secure well. Place the pot lid on top of the aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake until the meat mixture is well done - start checking at about 45 minutes to 1 hour Should be completely done by 1.5 hours for sure.

Notes

When precooking the leaves, only allow them to stay in the hot water until they are more pliable. If cooked too long they become too limp.
It is important to dry the leaves well before wrapping around the meat. If you do not, your sauce will be too thin.
You will only want about 1/4-1/2 cup of meat in each roll.
Make sure to cut the large vein out of the cabbage leaf before starting to roll. A large vein is not palatable for this recipe.
If you are concerned about the meat seasoning, you can microwave a small bit to check to make sure it is spiced to your satisfaction.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

It is OK to substitute other types of meat like lamb, hamburger, ground pork, etc. for the meats in this recipe.
Any flavoring of the diced tomato is fine (even no added flavoring at all). The garlic basil makes a nice addition.
If you don't have onion and garlic, use 1 Tbs of onion or garlic powder added directly to the meat mix instead and skip browning these in the pan.

Nutrition