Description
This super easy, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe brings together tender cabbage leaves that envelop a hearty beef and pork mixture with rice. The rolls are deeply comforting + satisfying and baked in a simple yet flavorful tomato sauce. These delicious rolls are perfect for weeknight-friendly dinners, cozy weekends inside, or a holiday-inspired main entree.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain parboiled rice, rinsed until the water runs clear!
- 1 lb ground beef (we use 93%)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper paste (or 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño as sub)
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought– divided
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper- to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or dill
- 3 tablespoons Steen’s pure cane syrup (or dark corn syrup as sub)– divided
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 whole head green cabbage, core removed
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup beef broth
- Fresh chopped parsley or dill & sour cream, for serving– optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- For the filling: In a large bowl, add the rinsed parboiled rice, ground beef, ground pork, onion, scallions, garlic paste, jalapeño paste (or diced jalapeno), 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, salt/pepper- to taste, chopped parsley (or dill), 1 tablespoon of cane syrup (or corn syrup), and worcestershire sauce. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to mix the ingredients thoroughly until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with foil/plastic wrap and then set the filling mixture aside to rest while you prep the cabbage.
- Prep the cabbage: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep the head of cabbage by using a paring knife to cut the core out of the cabbage.
- Gently place the whole head of cabbage into the boiling water and let boil for about 2-3 minutes. You should see the outer leaves of cabbage start to pull away and come loose. Use tongs to carefully peel/pull the cabbage leaves away, letting the outer leaves become soft and tender before removing them. Set the soft cabbage leaves onto a clean plate/platter and set aside until slightly cool before cabbage assembly.
- Cabbage roll assembly: The number of leaves you have will depend on your head of cabbage but you should have enough filling for 15-17 rolls. Once the cabbage leaves are cool, let’s begin assembling! Place a cabbage leaf lengthwise onto a clean surface and add about 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center. Like a burrito, fold in the sides and roll the cabbage leaf lengthwise away from you into a tight log. Set the filled cabbage roll aside and repeat this process until all cabbage leaves are stuffed, keeping the seam side down.
- Sauce prep: In a large bowl, add the can of crushed tomatoes, broth, 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, 2 tablespoons of cane syrup (or corn syrup), and season to taste with salt/pepper. Stir the mixture until well combined. Pour *half* of the tomato sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly along the bottom of the dish. Then place the stuffed cabbage rolls, seam-side down into the dish, packing/nestling them tightly together on top of the sauce. Then evenly pour the remaining sauce over the arranged cabbage rolls.
- Bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil and place into the oven to bake at 350° for 1 hour or until the cabbage rolls are cooked through (registering at least 160°F when checked using an internal thermometer).
- Serve the stuffed cabbage rolls immediately with a dollop of sour cream and more fresh parsley or dill to garnish, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.