How to make stuffed cabbage rolls

I’ve been curious about making this recipe for a long time. I love cabbage. I make slaw, salads and use them in stir fry all the time. I love how crunchy it is and how it tastes.

Stuffed cabbage rolls

This is one of the best new recipes I have tried. The tomato sauce is amazing. It has balsamic vinegar which gives it a tangy sweetness that I just loved.

Stuffed cabbage rolls with ground beef and rice smothered in tangy-sweet tomato sauce are now one of my favorite meals.

The stuffing is so tender and the leaves just absorb all the flavors from the meat and sauce. Please believe me when I tell you, this is a winning recipe!

How To Make Stuffed Cabbage?

1. For the sauce: In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent, about three minutes. Next, add minced garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Mix in the crushed tomatoes and oregano, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer sauce for 20 minutes.
3. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and blanch the cabbage for about a minute and remove the leaves when tender and flexible. Drain them.
4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Make the filling: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ground beef, one cup of sauce, rice, bread crumbs, chopped onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Make the rolls: remove the tough part of the white vein in the middle of the leaves and add ⅓ cup of filling on one end
6. Roll up, tucking in the sides as you roll. Keep your rolls seam side down as you finish rolling all of them.
   
7. Spread one cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and arrange rolls seam side down on top of the sauce
8. Spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
   

Can I Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ahead Of Time:

You certainly can. Make your sauce and make the rolls the day before you plan to eat them.

Remember there is raw meat inside the rolls, so don’t keep them in the fridge for more than a day.

Then assemble the casserole when you are ready to bake it.

Best Way To Freeze Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

The best way to freeze them is slowly. By this I mean, place them first in the refrigerator for a few hours to “harden” them up a little, then place them in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.

I would definitely freeze them without the sauce. You can freeze the sauce in a separate bag, otherwise, when they thaw out, they will fall apart.

When you are ready to bake them, thaw the rolls and the sauce overnight in the fridge, take them out 30 minutes before baking and assemble them in the baking dish just before putting them in the oven.

What To Serve With Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

When I serve this, I only add bread to scoop up the sauce, but you can add a side of veggies like broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower. Simple steamed veggies and then tossed in butter are good.

This dish is flavorful enough and already has rice in it, so no need to serve up any more carbs.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed cabbage rolls with ground beef and rice smothered in tangy-sweet tomato sauce are now one of my favorite meals.

5 from 9 votes

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CABBAGE ROLLS

• 15 cabbage leaves
• 1 lb ground beef
• ¼ cup uncooked white rice
• ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• For the sauce: In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent, about three minutes. Next, add minced garlic, tomato paste, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Mix in the crushed tomatoes and oregano, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer sauce for 20 minutes
• In a large pot, bring water to a boil and blanch the cabbage for about a minute and remove the leaves when tender and flexible. Drain them.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Make the filling: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ground beef, one cup of sauce, rice, bread crumbs, chopped onion, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper
• Make the rolls: remove the tough part of the white vein in the middle of the leaves and add ⅓ cup of filling on one end
• Roll up, tucking in the sides as you roll. Keep your rolls seam side down as you finish rolling all of them
• Spread one cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and arrange rolls seam side down on top of the sauce
• Spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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