Heart-warming and delicious, there's nothing better than a stuffed cabbage casserole and you'll love this one!
Cabbage rolls with tomato sauce is an all-time favorite and it's actually pretty easy to make!
You'll love this recipe!
- Low-carb and low-calorie
- Easier than it looks - basically you make a meat filling, make a sauce, stuff it and bake!
- Healthy and balanced meal - meat and veggies all in one dish!
Here's what you'll need:
How to make it:
Prep
This recipe makes 12-14 stuffed cabbage rolls; the outer leaves are larger and darker green than the inside leaves.
Heat a large pot of water on high--almost, but not quite to the boiling point. Use a paring knife and remove some of the core. Place entire head of cabbage in hot water for about 3-5 minutes; use tongs to gently loosen and remove the leaves and set aside on paper towel.
Once the leaves are cool to touch, cut a "V" near the bottom of the leaf, removing the tough part of the leaf stem. This allows the leaves to be flexible once they're stuffed.
Combine the meat with onion, bell pepper and seasonings
Place a large spoonful of meat on the leaf (about 1/4 cup)
Fold "V" up and over meat filling; roll forward, tuck in sides, and continue to roll leaf tightly
Place seam side down in lightly oiled baking dish; bake at 350ºF for 30-45 minutes (until the meat reaches 160ºF); drizzle 1 cup water into baking dish
Next, combine sauce ingredients in large bowl; remove cooked leaves from oven; drizzle sauce over leaves; replace in oven uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens
FAQ's
How much meat per leaf?
- It really depends upon the size of the leaf. Start with 1/3 - 1/4 cup of filling and if it looks skimpy, add more. Don't worry about serving different colored "green" leaves; once the sauce is added, no one will notice.
How to roll the leaves
Place a spoonful of filling in the center of the leaf; pull the "V" parts up over the filling; tuck in the sides of the leaf and continue rolling.
Reheating:
Reheat in microwave on "reheat dinner" setting or low for 2-4 minutes, depending upon your microwave wattage. For best results, place a damp paper towel over them.
Storage:
Store in the fridge or freezer. Refrigerator storage up to 3-5 days; freezer storage up to 3 weeks.
Related recipes:
♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced
- 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
- 1½ cups bread crumbs seasoned or plain
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prep Cabbage
- Bring large pot of water to high heat
- Rinse and core cabbage
- Place cabbage in hot water for 3-5 minutes
- Use tongs and gently remove leaves; set aside on a paper towel
- Score a "V" on the leaves and remove the hard stem
- Preheat oven to 350º F
Meat Filling Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients
- Place 1/3 - 1/4 cup of meat filling right above the "V" on the cabbage; roll the "V" up and forward; tuck in the sides; continue rolling and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish
- Repeat; when all leaves are assembled, add 1 cup water to baking dish
- Place foil over baking dish and bake at 350º F for 30-45 minutes; internal thermometer should read at least 160ºF
- In a medium bowl, add sauce ingredients and combine well
- Remove cooked cabbage rolls from oven
- Drizzle sauce over cabbage rolls and place back into oven for 15 minutes, uncovered
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes
Notes
- You may have to use a paring knife to loosen the leaves from the core while the cabbage is in the hot water...be careful!
- Some cabbage roll recipes call for rice. If you choose to add rice follow these instructions:
- Cook Rice
- Allow rice to cool
- Combine rice into meat mixture
- Resume recipe
Nutrition
I'd love to hear from you!