Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

The editorial team here at Honest Cooking is split over the wonders of cabbage rolls. Some of us absolutely adore them, while some have questionable childhood food-memories connected to them and don’t want to even look at them. But since those that adore them are in charge of this article, here we go.

First things – stuffed cabbage rolls are a project, but a satisfying one. Blanch the whole cabbage head until the outer leaves are pliable enough to peel off and roll without cracking. The filling is a mix of ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, sautéed onion, and garlic, seasoned well and bound with an egg.

Roll them tightly, nestle them seam-side down in a baking dish, pour a simple tomato sauce over the top, cover with foil, and bake for about an hour and a half. The cabbage goes silky, the meat stays tender, and the sauce reduces into something thick and sweet-tart. They’re better the next day.

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How to Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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Blanch and Trim the Cabbage Leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Core the cabbage and carefully lower it into the water.

Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, peeling off leaves as they soften. You need about 12 large leaves.

Trim the thick center rib of each leaf so it rolls easily. Trimming the thick center rib prevents cracking and makes rolling easy.

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Make the Meat and Rice Filling

Mix the ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme until just combined.

Do not overmix or the filling will be dense.

Place about one-third cup filling on each cabbage leaf near the base. Fold the sides in and roll up tightly.

Place seam-side down in the baking dish on top of the tomato sauce.

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Braise in Sweet-Sour Tomato Sauce

Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down.

Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.

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Print

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