by 
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 228 | calories |
| 6g | Fat |
| 35g | carbohydrates |
| 12g | protein |
View full nutritional information
Hide full nutritional information
×
| nutritional information | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| amount per serving | |
| calories | 228 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 6g | 8th % |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
| 52 mg | 17% |
| 919 mg | 40% |
| 35g | 13% |
| dietary fiber 6g | 23% |
| Total sugar 18g | |
| 12g | |
| Vitamin C 91 mg | 457% |
| Calcium 195 mg | 15% |
| Iron 2 mg | 12% |
| Potassium 846 mg | 18% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
(Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
These cabbage rolls are stuffed with ground beef and rice and baked to perfection with a flavorful tomato sauce. Stuffed cabbage is a popular comfort food from Eastern Europe and is often reserved for special occasions or large family meals.
Freeze your tender cabbage leaves
Instead of cooking the cabbage, there's an easy shortcut to softening the leaves if you plan ahead. The night before preparing the cabbage rolls, place the whole head of cabbage in the freezer. Take it out in the morning and let it thaw for the rest of the day or several hours. The leaves of thawed cabbage peel off easily and are flexible enough to fill without the need for pre-cooking.
What to serve with stuffed cabbage rolls
Serve cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes for a filling and special meal. If you're craving a fresh vegetable side with all that ground beef, try a quick cucumber salad or roasted beets. A few slices of rye bread are great for soaking up the flavorful tomato sauce.
recipe tips
- The meat is not cooked in advance. Therefore, try to use very lean ground beef to avoid excess fat.
- To ensure the ground beef filling is adequately seasoned before stuffing the cabbage leaves, cook a spoonful of the filling in a small skillet and taste. Then adjust the spices as needed.
- Boil a few extra cabbage leaves in case one of the leaves splits or breaks while stuffing and rolling. There is no need to transfer the filling to a new sheet. Simply place the broken leaf with its filling on top of a new intact leaf and roll up as directed. If you're using the freeze method, you can just peel off a few extra leaves.
- If you can use a casserole dish that the stuffed cabbage fills well, there is no need to pierce the buns with toothpicks. Simply place the rolls in the pan, seam side down.
- It's very easy to overthick a sauce with cornstarch. To avoid this, add the cornstarch slurry gradually, waiting a minute between additions. When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, stop adding the cornstarch.
Click play to see this savory stuffed cabbage rolls recipe
“These traditional stuffed cabbage rolls bring back childhood memories of your grandmother's kitchen. The buns are bathed in a savory-sweet tomato sauce as they bake in the oven. The sauce is finally thickened to the perfect consistency and then poured over buns to make this the ultimate comfort food. -Diana Andrews
For the buns:
1 Head Green cabbageabout 1 dozen large cabbage leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon Saltplus more for the water
1 Pound ground beef85 percent or leaner
3/4 Cup cooked rice
1/2 Cup finely chopped Onion
1 large egg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Cup milk
For the sauce:
1 (14 1/2 ounces) can diced tomatoesundrained
1 (8-ounce) can Tomato sauce
3 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 Cup Waterdivided
2 tablespoon cornstarch
Gather the ingredients. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F/180C/Gas 4.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Peel about 12 to 15 large leaves from the cabbage.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Place the cabbage leaves in a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water. cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
For the filling, combine the ground beef, rice, onions, egg, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well and divide into 12 portions.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Place a portion of the beef mixture (about 60 grams) in the center of each cabbage leaf.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Roll the sheet around the filling, burrito style, and fold in the edges to seal.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Secure the rolls with toothpicks. Place the buns in a single layer in a large casserole dish or ovenproof Dutch oven.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
For the sauce, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil (be careful not to use toothpicks) and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the cabbage is soft and the sauce is bubbling.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Remove the buns with a slotted spoon and discard the toothpicks.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Carefully pour the juice from the baking pan into a medium-sized saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir the cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water until dissolved. Add about half of the cornstarch to the sauce and bring to a boil. Bring to a simmer and cook while stirring constantly. Gradually add the remaining cornstarch until the sauce is as thick as you like.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
Serve the cabbage rolls garnished with the sauce. Enjoy.
The spruce eats / Ahlam Raffii
recipe variations
- For a low-carb option, replace the rice with steamed cauliflower rice.
- If you like, you can substitute a plant-based ground beef substitute for the beef, use unsweetened, non-dairy milk in place of the milk, and omit the egg. The filling will be a little crumbly, but still tasty.
- If you're looking for cabbage roll flavor but are short on time, try an “unstuffed” version.
How to store cabbage rolls
- Stuffed cabbage rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. Place them in an airtight plastic container or wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
- You can freeze cabbage rolls, but it's best to leave them uncooked. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then prepare the sauce and cook as directed.
