What isn't there to like about a Tender Cabbage Rolls Recipe? A hearty meal that's filled with all of the food groups. The perfect meal for a cold winter's day.
Like hearty meals? Then you'll love my recipe for Easy Baked Italian Stuffed Peppers, Cowboy Chilli with Corn or my Hearty Italian Beef Stew recipe.
Jump to:
- Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- Ingredients
- How to Make Your Cabbage Leaves Tender before Stuffing
- How to Make Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce
- Top Tips
- Substitutions and Variations
- Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
- Side Dishes to Enjoy with your Meal
- Recipe Details
- Top Tips
- PIN it for later here
- Food Safety
- Comments
Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
- contains 3 main food groups that packs enough energy so you can conquer the day
- great tasting dish that you'll want to make over and over again
- able to customize the filling so that you can add or take away ingredients
- great for prepping ahead of time for a quick dinner
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Ingredients
Packed with nutrients, this recipe for Cabbage Rolls recipe includes: onions, olive oil, garlic, tomato puree, basil, cabbage, rice, ground beef, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs, beef broth and spices.
For exact measurement details see recipe card...
How to Make Your Cabbage Leaves Tender before Stuffing
For the most tender cabbage leaves I learned this one trick. After you par boil your cabbage leaves, drain and cool them. Then place them in a zipper bag.
Place the bag in the freezer overnight and then thaw them out the next day. Continue with the recipe and stuff and bake them as usual.
Of course, this requires planning ahead and more prep work. So if you are in a hurry, skip it and carry on with the recipe because they will taste good just the same.
How to Make Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce
Cut the preparation time on this cabbage rolls recipe by preparing the sauce, ground beef, and rice ahead of time!
In a pan, sauté garlic and ½ of the onion in olive oil until fragrant. Add tomato puree, basil and and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
While the sauce is simmering. Cook rice until al dente. Rinse but do not drain. Set aside.
In another pan, sauté garlic and remaining ½ onion until fragrant. Add ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and place in a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the oil.
In a medium bowl, combine, rice, ground beef, egg, cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare cabbage by using a knife to cut around the core. Place is a large bowl and run under hot water allowing the water to separate the leaves at the core.
Boil water in a pot large enough to for the cabbage. Place 3 to 4 leaves in the water at a time. Use a spoon to push them down. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Remove from water using tongs and place in a large bowl. Repeat until you have par boiled all the leaves. For the most tender leaves, freeze overnight.
Grab one cabbage leaf and using a knife cut around the stalk in the middle of the leaf if it is tough.
Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat/rice mixture on the leaf. Fold over, then fold in the sides and continue to roll up tucking the sides in as you roll.
Place the cabbage roll in the baking dish. Repeat until you have finished the cabbage rolls or the meat/rice mixture.
Top the cabbage rolls with the sauce. If necessary add more broth until the cabbage rolls are almost submerged.
Bake at 350℉ for 60 minutes.
Storage:
Store leftovers in an air tight container stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Warm up in microwave.
You can also freeze these cabbage rolls. Remember to thaw them out in the fridge overnight and warm up as usual.
Top Tips
Save time by preparing the ground beef, rice and sauce ahead of time.
You can also save prep time by buying pre made sauce.
Prepare cabbage by using a knife to cut around the core. Place is a large bowl and run under hot water allowing the water to separate the leaves at the core.
For tender cabbage leaves, place leaves in a zipper bag after you boil them and put them in the freezer overnight. Thaw out and continue with the cabbage roll recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some ideas for variations of cabbage rolls:
- Cabbage Rolls in a Bowl - grab all of your ingredients and instead of stuffing a cabbage leaf, make it a deconstructed cabbage bowl instead
- Vegetarian- eliminate the meat and make the rolls vegetarian.
- Ground Meat - use any type of ground meat like ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken.
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
After parboiling, place cabbage leaves in a zipper bag and in the freezer overnight.
Side Dishes to Enjoy with your Meal
Recipe Details
Tender Cabbage Rolls Recipe
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caAffiliate Disclosure
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 24 oz tomato puree
- 3 leaves fresh basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Meat, Rice Mixture and Cabbage
- 2 lb savoy cabbage
- 1½ cup Arborio rice or long grain rice, cooked and drained (do not rinse)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped, divided into 2
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 15 oz ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- ½ parmesan cheese grated
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 cup beef broth or any broth
Instructions
- In a pan, sauté garlic and ½ of the onion in olive oil until fragrant. Add tomato puree, basil and and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
- While the sauce is simmering. Cook rice until al dente. Rinse but do not drain. Set aside.
- In another pan, sauté garlic and remaining ½ onion until fragrant. Add ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and place in a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine, rice, ground beef, egg, cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare cabbage by using a knife to cut around the core. Place is a large bowl and run under hot water allowing the water to separate the leaves at the core. You'll need about 14 - 17 leaves depending on how much stuffing you place in each cabbage roll.
- Boil water in a pot large enough to for the cabbage. Place 3 to 4 leaves in the water at a time. Use a spoon to push them down. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Remove from water using tongs and place in a large bowl. Repeat until you have par boiled all the leaves. For the most tender leaves, freeze overnight.
- Prepare a baking dish by placing 1 cup of broth on the bottom. Grab one cabbage leaf and using a knife cut around the stalk in the middle of the leaf if it is tough.
- Place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat/rice mixture on the leaf. Fold over, then fold in the sides and continue to roll up tucking the sides in as you roll. Place the cabbage roll in the baking dish. Repeat until you have finished the cabbage rolls or the meat/rice mixture.
- Top the cabbage rolls with the sauce. If necessary add more broth until the cabbage rolls are almost submerged.
- Bake at 350℉ for 60 minutes.
Notes
Top Tips
Save time by preparing the ground beef, rice and sauce ahead of time. You can also save prep time by buying pre made sauce. Prepare cabbage by using a knife to cut around the core. Place is a large bowl and run under hot water allowing the water to separate the leaves at the core. For tender cabbage leaves, place leaves in a zipper bag after you boil them and put them in the freezer overnight. Thaw out and continue with the cabbage roll recipe.Nutrition
PIN it for later here
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Billy says
These were super delicious. My family loved these cabbage rolls and unfortunately there weren't any left to take to work the next day 🙁 I'll need to remember to make much more next time.
AmyG says
Oh o, well I'm glad they liked it!