Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are filled with seasoned meat and rice, wrapped in softened cabbage leaves, and baked in a savory tomato sauce. This classic, comforting dish fills the kitchen with inviting aromas of onions, garlic, and tomatoes and makes a satisfying meal for family dinners, leftovers, or freezing for later.
This recipe requires some assembly, but the results are worth the time. While you soften cabbage leaves and prepare the filling, the kitchen will be filled with the warm scent of cooking meat, onion, and garlic. Once assembled, the rolls bake slowly in tomato sauce until tender and flavorful.
Making Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil—enough to submerge a whole head of cabbage. Trim about 1/2–1″ from the bottom of the cabbage so the leaves separate from the core, then carefully submerge the whole head in boiling water for 2–3 minutes. The leaves will loosen and change color slightly.
Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon and let it drain over a bowl or pan. Peel off the outer leaves one at a time and set them aside to cool. Repeat until you have at least 12 usable leaves; smaller or torn leaves can be doubled up if needed.
While you’re softening the cabbage leaves, cook the rice according to package directions and set it aside. In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion and the ground meat until no pink remains, then drain any excess fat.
Choice of ground meat
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 lb total ground meat. You can use one type or a combination for added flavor—ground pork sausage and ground beef work well together, but ground turkey or chicken are fine substitutions.
Once the meat is cooked, add minced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and dill weed. Stir and cook for about one minute. Then add the cooked rice, a can of diced tomatoes with their juices, and about half a can (roughly 1/2 cup) of tomato sauce. Stir in a lightly beaten large egg and cook another 3–5 minutes to meld the flavors; then remove the skillet from the heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce with one can of tomato soup and spoon a thin layer of this sauce into a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Trim the thick vein at the base of each cabbage leaf by cutting a V-shaped notch or shaving it down with a sharp knife—this makes rolling easier and yields a more tender bite. Lay a leaf flat and add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling near the bottom half. Fold the bottom over the filling, tuck the sides in, and roll away from you until sealed. Place each roll seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all filling and leaves are used.
Leftover filling or extra rolls
If you have extra filling after all the leaves are used, stir it into the sauce before pouring it over the rolls. If the rolls don’t all fit in one dish, use a second baking dish. You can make the rolls larger or smaller depending on preference; smaller rolls will yield more portions and are handy for freezing or leftovers.
Baking Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 75–90 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the filling is cooked through. After removing the dish from the oven, leave the foil on for 10–15 minutes before uncovering to avoid splattering hot sauce. Serve warm.
If you’re short on time but still want cabbage-roll flavors, try a stuffed cabbage stew version that skips the rolling step while delivering similar taste and heartiness.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 lb. ground pork sausage*
- 1/2 lb. ground beef*
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dill weed
- 14 oz. diced tomatoes with juices (1 can)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 16 oz. tomato sauce (2 – 8 oz. cans). divided
- 10.5 oz. tomato soup (1 can)
Instructions
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Boil cabbage leaves until soft, about 2 minutes. (See Notes below for method.) Set aside to cool.
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Cook rice per directions on package. Set aside.
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In large skillet, cook onion and ground meat until thoroughly cooked and no pink remains. Drain any fat.
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Add garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and dill weed. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
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Add rice, diced tomatoes, and 1/2 can of tomato sauce. Add egg and stir to thoroughly combine ingredients. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
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Meanwhile, in medium bowl, add remaining tomato sauce and tomato soup. Spoon a thin layer in a 13 x 9″ baking dish.
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Preheat oven to 350°.
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Remove any thick cabbage leaf stems by cutting a “V” around them, or shave them down with a sharp knife. Lay each leaf flat and add 1/3 – 1/2 cup filling towards the bottom half. Roll from the bottom of the leaf and tuck in the sides, then continue rolling. Place seam-side down in baking dish until all the leaves and filling are used.
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Pour sauce over tops of rolls and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 75 – 90 minutes. Allow to cool 10 – 15 minutes before removing the foil as hot tomato sauce splatters. Enjoy!
Notes
TO REMOVE LEAVES FROM CABBAGE HEAD: cut about 1/2″ from the bottom of the head, submerge the entire head in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then remove and carefully peel off softened leaves. Repeat until you have enough leaves—16 leaves is a good number if you want extra for freezing or leftovers.
Leftover filling can be stirred into the sauce before pouring over the rolls. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls can be frozen in a sealed container before or after baking.
Nutrition
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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Thank you for reading. Enjoy making these comforting cabbage rolls and have a blessed day.
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