Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls: These easy Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls are stuffed with a savory ground beef mixture, coated in tomato sauce, and are so scrumptious! Inspired by my grandmother, it'll be the only stuffed cabbage roll recipe you'll need!

How to make Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls ?

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

to make this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:

• 1 cup COOKED long-grain rice (or similar variety)
• 1.5 pounds lean ground beef (or 'extra lean')
• 1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and minced
• ⅓ cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
• 40.5 ounces tomato sauce, divided (About three 398 milliliter cans or 13.5-ounce cans (roughly 5 cups). See point 5 below in recipe 'Notes.')
• 1 medium head green cabbage (you'll need about 18 leaves for the rolls and another 8 to 10 or so for the bottom of the dish and over top.)
• ½ cup water (leftover from boiling cabbage)
• fresh dill, chopped (garnish, optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook rice per package instructions and lay to one side. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit at this point too.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, egg, cooked rice, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, onion powder, red chili flakes (if using), and ½ cup of tomato sauce. Mix until combined.

To a large pot of boiling water, add the head of cabbage and boil for 8 to 10 minutes (carefully turn over partway through). Carefully remove. Don't discard water because you will need to re-boil the cabbage as you start to peel off the leaves and you will need some of the water for your sauce.

Note: Don't fill the pot all the way up because the cabbage will displace some of the water. Before boiling water, test how much the water will displace by placing the head of cabbage in the pot.

Once the cabbage is cool enough to handle, carefully remove leaves and cut out the core from each leaf. Once you start taking leaves off, you'll likely need to add the cabbage back to the boiling water (to soften more leaves). Just boil for another bit, let cool enough to handle, and continue removing leaves.

Place some cabbage leaves on the bottom of a deep 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish or roasting pan. Taking one leaf at a time, distribute about ¼ cup of ground beef mixture on top and wrap up (fold in sides and roll up, placing in prepared dish, seam side down. Continue with the remaining ground beef mixture/leaves.

Combine remaining tomato sauce with ½ cup of cabbage water. Whisk to incorporate everything. Pour over top of cabbage rolls.

Note: You could stir in about a tablespoon or so of white or brown sugar into the tomato sauce if you want less of a tomato bite. I like the brightness of tomatoes, so I skip this.

Top with more cabbage leaves. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Cover and bake about 2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes or until cabbage rolls are cooked through.

Once done, be careful removing foil covering as there will be steam. Discard top cabbage leaves. Allow cooling for 20 minutes or so before digging in. Garnish, if desired, with dill. 

Enjoy!

source: girlheartfood