Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

March 1, 2017 6 Comments

Marrying into my husband’s proud Polish family meant learning about a whole new, wonderful world of food. I loved making my late mother-in-law’s glorious homemade pierogi and famous lemon coconut bars. This week I made a variation on her incredible stuffed cabbage rolls and I was so happy I did! They were more simple to make than I thought and such a great change of pace from my Mediterranean food.

I prepared the cabbage for the stuffed cabbage rolls first. The whole head of cabbage boiled in salted water for a few minutes. That made it easier to pull the leaves apart. I cut away the tough bases of the leaves in a V shape. It also made the leaves easier to roll up.
I made the filling for the stuffed cabbage rolls next. It was just like making a meatloaf or meatballs! I used my clean hands to mix all of the ingredients together. It had so much flavor from onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and spices.
The last component of the stuffed cabbage rolls was my sweet and sour tomato sauce. The apple cider vinegar and brown sugar complimented each other so well. I just stirred everything together and it was done! Like I said, this dish was simple to make.
To assemble the stuffed cabbage rolls, I grabbed a big handful of the filling and formed it into a little log. I rolled that gorgeous filling up tightly in my cabbage leaves like little burritos or egg rolls.
Once I formed the stuffed cabbage rolls, I nestled them in all snuggly in my baking dish. They were all smothered in the yummy tomato sauce. Then they baked for 2 hours to perfectly cook through! The house smelled so good as they cooked.

When they were done my hubby and I couldn’t wait to dig in. I loved his reaction so much. While I could never match his mother’s, these babies were so darn delicious. They reminded him of his childhood. Food is incredible the way it can evoke memories like that. Hope you all enjoy this family classic!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
4.34 from 3 votes
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
 

These stuffed cabbage rolls are such a beloved family classic! The tender cabbage, meaty filling and sweet and sour tomato sauce are so good together. 

Course: Main Course
Keyword: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Servings: 10 cabbage rolls
Calories: 407 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE CABBAGE ROLLS
  • 1 head cabbage
  • salt for the boiling water
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 whole onion finely diced
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1/2 cup brown rice rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1 dash worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
FOR THE SWEET AND SOUR TOMATO SAUCE
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 ounce size
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt
Instructions
  1. First, prepare the cabbage. Bring the largest pot of water you have to a boil and salt it generously. Boil the cabbage in it for 3-4 minutes to just get it tender. Carefully remove it to a cutting board and let it cool enough to handle. Carefully pull apart the leaves without ripping them. You will need 10 big leaves for this recipe, which should be most of the head. Cut away the tough bases of the leaves by cutting a V into the base with the point facing away from you. Set the prepped leaves aside.
  2. Make the meat filling next. Combine the beef, pork, onion, egg, rice, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl. Use clean hands to mix it all together well. Then make the sweet and sour sauce. Combine the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Stir it all together well into a gorgeous sauce. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and get out a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 of the sauce into the bottom of the dish as the base.
  3. Form the cabbage rolls by taking a big handful of the meat filling and forming it into a small log. Place it in the middle of the first cabbage leaf and fold the leaf over it toward you. Continue to roll it up tightly while you bring in the sides and place it into the baking dish. Continue to form the cabbage rolls and place them in the dish all snug next to each other. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and cover the dish with foil. Bake the cabbage rolls for two hours or so. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then serve them immediately!
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Amount Per Serving (2 cabbage rolls)
Calories 407 Calories from Fat 168
% Daily Value*
Fat 18.7g29%
Saturated Fat 6.5g41%
Cholesterol 111mg37%
Sodium 707mg31%
Potassium 446mg13%
Carbohydrates 31.8g11%
Fiber 6.9g29%
Sugar 8.7g10%
Protein 28.1g56%
Calcium 90mg9%
Iron 4.1mg23%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

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6 thoughts on “Stuffed Cabbage Rolls”

  1. Hi Leigh!
    I soooo LOVE cabbage rolls, I can eat them every single day of the week.
    I like your recipe for the tomato sauce, different from my other sauces.
    I’ll be making your version soon, I just need to buy some cabbage and I’m all set to cook.
    Have a nice evening!
    Pinned!

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4.34 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)