Oh yes 😍 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls—classic comfort food! Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory meat and rice filling, simmered in rich tomato sauce. Perfect for cozy dinners.
🥬 Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
Cabbage
- 1 large head of green cabbage
Filling
- 1 lb ground beef (or mix beef & pork)
- ½ cup uncooked rice (white or long-grain)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
Sauce
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare cabbage
- Core the cabbage
- Boil a large pot of water, carefully separate leaves
- Blanch leaves 2–3 minutes until pliable
- Drain and set aside
2️⃣ Make filling
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, uncooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and paprika
- Mix until combined
3️⃣ Assemble rolls
- Place 2–3 tbsp filling in center of each leaf
- Fold sides in, then roll tightly from the stem end
- Repeat with remaining leaves
4️⃣ Make sauce
- In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper
5️⃣ Cook
- Place cabbage rolls seam-side down in a large pot or baking dish
- Pour sauce over rolls
- Cover and simmer 45–60 minutes on low heat (or bake at 350°F / 175°C for 45 minutes)
6️⃣ Serve
- Spoon sauce over rolls
- Optional: garnish with fresh parsley or sour cream
🔥 Pro Tips
- Blanching cabbage leaves makes rolling easier and prevents tearing
- Don’t overfill the leaves—about 2–3 tbsp is perfect
- For extra flavor, sauté onions and garlic before adding to the filling
- Let rolls sit 10 minutes after cooking—they hold together better
Variations
- 🌿 Herby: add fresh dill or thyme to the filling
- 🥩 Pork & beef: mix half pork, half beef for juicier rolls
- 🍅 Sweet & tangy sauce: add a little honey or more lemon/vinegar
- 🥬 Vegetarian: replace meat with lentils or cooked quinoa
If you want, I can give you a restaurant-style version where the cabbage is tender but not mushy, the filling is extra juicy, and the sauce is rich, slightly sweet, and perfectly seasoned 😋🥬🍅
Do you want me to do that?
