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Cabbage Rolls

Ground Beef and rice wrapped up in a cabbage leaf
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large green cabbage
Sauce
  • 3 roma tomatoes
  • 1 jar favorite pasta sauce, 23 ounces
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
Sauce for Cabbage Rolls
  • 2/3 cup sauce from above
  • 2 ounces wine or vinegar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
Cabbage Rolls
  • 1 cup onion, diced or leek
  • 1.5-1.75 pounds ground beef 85-90% lean
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 frypan 10 inch
  • 1 13 x 9 baking dish
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Kitchen knife
  • 1 spoon
  • 1 spatula for frying
  • 1 roll of aluminum foil

Method
 

  1. Sauté' the onions/leeks with olive oil until soft. Set aside.
  2. Take the whole green cabbage and cut the bottom in a small circular 'V'.
  3. In a Dutch oven fill 1/2 with water and bring to a boil.
  4. Add Cabbage to boiling water carefully. Boil for 5-6 minutes. With lid on.
  5. Remove cabbage from boiling water and set aside to cool.
    6. You can use forks to safely remove the hot cabbage from the boiling water.
  6. Remove individual leaves and cut a 'V' at the bottom of the leaf where the white part of cabbage is. Set aside.
Making the main tomato sauce.
  1. Cut up the Roma tomatoes and place in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for about 12-15 minutes while stirring to cook tomatoes.
  2. Add oregano, basil, and jar of your favorite pasta sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Making the tomato sauce for inside the cabbage rolls (optional)
  1. Start with 2/3 cup of the main sauce. Add 2 ounces of wine or cooking wine and brown sugar. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
  2. After cooking the sauce should be reduced like this See photo. Set aside to cool.
Mixing the ground beef stuffing
  1. In a large bowl add ground beef, onions/leeks, Herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, white rice, egg, and tomato sauce for the stuffing (this is optional.)
  2. Mix well with your hands.
    3. You can omit the tomato sauce inside the cabbage rolls and have the tomato sauce on the outside only if you like.
Assembling the Cabbage Rolls
  1. In a 13 x 9 baking dish add about 1/2 of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly.
  2. Start with a cabbage leaf which you trimmed earlier. Add about 1/2 cup of meat mixture on to part of the cabbage leaf. Roll into a small football.
  3. Place the rolled up cabbage rolls in the pan on top of the tomato sauce.
  4. Once you have used up all of the meat stuffing and rolled up all of the cabbage rolls place them all in the baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls.
  5. When ready for the oven it should look like this...
  6. Cover with aluminum foil and seal the edges. Bake at 350℉ for 1 hour.