Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Immaculate Bites

What is cabbage roll?

It is believed that this dish originated in Turkey and then spread to Europe, Iran, Western Asia and Northern China. Every country (and every grandmother) has their own recipe with different ingredients. It can be baked, stewed or steamed with sauce.

In the United States, cabbage rolls are popular in Southern Cajun and Creole cuisine. They are typically stuffed with ground meat, rice, and chopped vegetables, stuffed into boiled cabbage leaves with a tomato-based sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

1. cabbage – You only need one head of cabbage to wrap the beautiful filling and make a stunning presentation. Most recipes call for green cabbage because it looks beautiful. You could also use Savoy cabbage for this recipe.
2. Filling – Minced meat, cooked rice and chopped onion are mixed with eggs and perfectly seasoned with smoked paprika, thyme, chicken bouillon, salt, white pepper and parsley.
3. sauce – The rolls are simmered in a sauce made from canned tomato sauce, chicken broth, onions, garlic, peppers and thyme. Creole seasoningwhite pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.

How to make cabbage rolls

Cabbage rolls

• Blanch cabbage – Fill a large pot with water. Carefully remove the core of the cabbage and discard any discolored or torn leaves. Add the raw cabbage to the pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the cabbage. (Photo 1)
• nice – Remove the pot from the stove, pour off the boiling water, add ice water to the pot and turn off the heat. Allow to cool. Once cooled, remove 10-12 cabbage leaves. Set aside. (Photo 2)
• Filling – In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, cooked rice, chopped onion, garlic, paprika, egg, salt, white pepper, parsley, and chicken or beef bouillon. (Photos 3-4)
• thing – Place ¼ to ⅓ cup of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll the leaf tightly around the filling, tucking in the edges. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat this process until all the meat mixture is used. Set the roll aside. (Photos 5-6)

sauce

• heat Add oil to a large pot and place over medium heat.
• Sauté – Add the chopped onion, thyme and garlic and stir for about a minute. (Photo 7)
• season – Next, add the tomato sauce, Creole seasoning, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Stir the pot frequently to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom. (Photo 8)
• Boil – Add salt and bouillon (if needed) to about 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow all the flavors to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Photo 9)
• Stovetop Method – Once the sauce is ready, arrange the stuffed cabbage, seam side down, in a single layer. Spoon enough sauce over the stuffed cabbage to cover it. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, undisturbed, until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. (Photo 10)
• Oven Method – Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the tomato sauce (I used a 12 inch skillet) or a 9×13 casserole dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) until the filling is cooked through and the cabbage is tender (about 45 minutes).
• serve Serve warm with rice.

Recipe Variations

1. Replace the meatInstead of ground pork, you could also use ground beef, ground turkey, or a mixture of the three.
2. for Low Carb OptionsIt’s also delicious if you use cauliflower rice instead of rice! 😋
3. Hungarian cabbage rollsThe recipe is nearly identical, except substitute paprika for the Creole seasoning and thyme and add a little sauerkraut.
4. German cabbage rollsThe recipe is similar: Substitute marjoram for thyme, add a dab of Dijon mustard and a few eggs to the stuffing, use ground beef instead of pork (or none), and add diced carrots and a bay leaf to the sauce instead of Creole seasoning.
5. Instant Pot Cabbage RollsStuff the cabbage rolls with the ingredients, make the sauce and place in a pressure cooker, cover and cook on high pressure for about 20 minutes.
   Release the pressure and, if the pressure will allow, carefully remove the lid and remove the cabbage rolls. Thicken the sauce if desired and serve.
6. Vegetarian cabbage rollsA very simple solution involves replacing the minced meat with diced mushrooms and the soup with vegetable broth.

Tips and Tricks

1. When removing the cabbage leaves, don’t cut through the whole leaf, but instead use a paring knife to cut off the thick center stem, which will make it easier to break off.
2. If you don’t know what to do with leftover cabbage, just chop it finely and saute it with salt and pepper and serve it as a garnish or toss it in a sauce.
3. Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks holding the rolls in place before serving them to your guests. 😬
4. To check if the cabbage is tender, pierce it with a fork – if it comes out easily, it’s ready.

Advance preparation and storage

This delicious recipe can be made the day before and stored in the fridge. Simply place the cabbage rolls and sauce in a baking dish or large skillet and finish cooking when you’re ready to serve.

You can also store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 2-3 months.

What goes well with cabbage rolls?

Cabbage rolls are Steamed rice or Garlic Mashed Potatoes If you don’t like carbohydrates, Crispy homemade bread Easy Side Salad Too much!

Recipes for cabbage lovers

1. Ground beef and cabbage
2. Chicken cabbage soup
3. Southern style fried cabbage
4. Cabbage roll casserole
5. Corned beef and cabbage

This blog post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful photography.