Here’s a classic recipe for Favorite Stuffed Cabbage Rolls — tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory filling and baked in a flavorful tomato sauce.
🥬 Favorite Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Servings: 6–8
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef or a mix of beef & pork
- ½ cup cooked rice
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp paprika or garlic powder
For the Rolls:
- 1 large head of cabbage
- Water (for boiling cabbage leaves)
For the Sauce:
- 2 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar (to reduce acidity)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or paprika for flavor
Instructions
- Prepare cabbage leaves
- Core the cabbage and carefully separate leaves.
- Boil leaves for 2–3 minutes until soft and pliable. Drain and cool.
- Prepare the filling
- In a bowl, mix ground meat, cooked rice, chopped onion, egg, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings.
- Assemble the rolls
- Place 2–3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each cabbage leaf.
- Fold the sides over and roll tightly from the base to the tip.
- Prepare the baking dish
- Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom.
- Place cabbage rolls seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour remaining sauce over the top.
- Bake
- Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–60 minutes, until meat is fully cooked and cabbage is tender.
- Optional: Remove foil in the last 10 minutes to brown the top slightly.
- Serve
- Serve warm with extra sauce and optionally a dollop of sour cream.
Tips
- For extra flavor, sauté onion and garlic in oil before adding to the meat mixture.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
- Can be made ahead and frozen after assembly, then baked later.
I can also make a visual step-by-step diagram showing how to roll and layer stuffed cabbage rolls — it makes the process very easy, especially for beginners.
Do you want me to make that?
