Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – How To Make

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Easy step-by-step recipe for making delicious savory stuffed cabbage rolls. One head of cabbage makes approximately 14 cabbage rolls.

Home Grown Cabbage

One of the best loved recipes my family request every summer is cabbage rolls.

Every spring I like to plant green and red cabbage in my garden.

Cabbage is a cool weather loving vegetable plant and does very well if planted in the early spring. From seed to table, green cabbage can be ready to harvest in as little as 70 days depending on the variety.

I have always had luck growing cabbage. Some people say I have a “green thumb” but that’s not true. I can’t grow everything! Take for instance, I have not mastered the art of growing brussel sprouts yet. I did grow them but the sprouts were tiny. I will try it again sometime and let you know how it goes.

Growing cabbage is actually fun. I know that may sound a bit crazy but watching the transformation from seed to sprout to plant and then watching the leaves transform into a ball is absolutely amazing when you think about it!

I am usually in my garden every day just to check on the growing progress. But if I skip a day and then go back to the garden to see the progress it’s like WOW! I missed something because it really took on a different shape.

Jump to Recipe

Home grown cabbage is well worth its weight in gold. At least in my book anyways. Especially for this recipe! Why? Because I like having those leafy outer leaves to use in this recipe and you usually don’t get them when purchased at the grocery store.

As with any garden there are those pesky pests that can and will destroy cabbage. They are call cabbage loopers. To save the cabbage from being infested with cabbage loopers in the early stages of growth I carefully apply a small dusting of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth to the outer cabbage leaves and as needed throughout the growing season. And about the time the cabbage is ready to harvest I have a beautiful full head of a perfectly shaped cabbage!

Cooking With Cabbage

Green cabbage is used for this cabbage roll recipe which my family can’t seem to get enough of. Another recipe I use green cabbage is in my awesome German Bierocks recipe.

You can also find green cabbage in my Cabbage Soup. It is one of the easiest recipes of all time as you just throw everything together and let it simmer. It’s the perfect soup to welcome in the fall and winter season.

And of course, every spring, on or near St. Patrick’s Day, you will find me making Corned Beef & Cabbage.

Last but not least, green cabbage is used in my Sweet & Tangy Coleslaw recipe. Hopefully, I’m not leaving anything out.

As for red cabbage, it tastes wonderful too. I mostly like to use it to add color in dishes like salads and I do use it when making my Spring Rolls.

Cabbage as a snack!

It’s not unusual for me to slice up a green cabbage and just snack on it raw; without being cooked at all. Surprisingly enough, the dogs even like to nibble on it raw as a snack too! Since cabbage is low calorie it’s a perfect snack for all.

I saw somewhere on the internet where chicken owners prepare a whole head of cabbage for their chickens. Since I have chickens I thought I would give it a try.

The instructions were to drill a hole through the center of the cabbage, put a string through the hole and hang it up like a tether ball so the chickens could peck at it.

Just my luck, the chicken would NOT have anything to do with the hanging cabbage. Not the slightest bit of interest. Bummer! Oh well! Anyway, let’s get to this recipe for Cabbage Rolls.

Making Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 large head green cabbage
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef (80/20 is fine)
• 1 single rib or stick celery chopped
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cups white rice (slightly cooked)
• 1/2 to 1 green pepper diced
• 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove Core

To remove core from cabbage carefully use a chef knife and make four cuts at an angle next to the cabbage core. Remove core and discard. If you have the large outer leaves from the cabbage remove them from the head of cabbage and set aside. We will use these as a lining while baking. If you don’t have them no worries as it is not mandatory.

Boil Cabbage

Fill a large stock pot half full with hot water and place on stove. Bring to boil.

Place head of cabbage in boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes.

Prepare Filling

Prepare rice according to directions but only cook it for half the time recommended.

Saute onion, celery, green pepper (mirepoix) and garlic for about 3-5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine pork, beef, rice, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes and sauteed vegetables. Cover with a towel and set aside.

Prepare Cabbage For Rolling

Using tongs, carefully remove cabbage from hot water and place in a large bowl. The cabbage will be very hot so allow to slightly cool before handling. The cabbage should be soft and pliable yet still have some shape. Begin gently removing outer leaves and set aside. I usually work with five leaves at a time.

Using the chef knife, slide the blade down the center of the back of the cabbage to partially remove the vein. Careful not to remove the entire vein. Just enough so the cabbage will roll easily.

Filling and Rolling Cabbage

Then take the leaf, lay it flat with the cut end towards you. Take a handful of meat mixture, form it into a log and place on the center of the cabbage closest to you.

Gently begin wrapping the cabbage away from you. Take the end of the cabbage and cover the meat mixture with one turn. Then take the right side of the cabbage, fold it to the center and do the same with the left side.

Then complete rolling the cabbage away from you to make the cabbage roll. Set aside and continue making more cabbage rolls until you run out of meat.

Prepare For Baking

If you have the outer leafy leaves toss them in the hot water for a few seconds then place one leaf on the bottom of a large 6-quart pot or baking pan large enough to hold about 14 rolls.

Begin placing rolled cabbage on top of the leaf making one row and cover with 1 can of tomato sauce. Add a handful of diced tomatoes on top.

If available add another big leafy green piece of cabbage on top of this layer to use as a divider and begin adding the rest of the cabbage rolls. Add the other can of tomato sauce and top with remaining diced tomatoes.

If available add another big leaf on top of this layer. This recipe made 14 cabbage rolls. The number of rolls made will depend on the size of the cabbage and how much filling is used in each roll.

Baking Cabbage Rolls

Cover pot with lid or aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven allow to cool for 5 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

I AM EXCITED THAT YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S CABBAGE ROLL RECIPE AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT IF YOU SHOULD MAKE IT! BE SURE TO USE THE HASHTAG ON SOCIAL MEDIA! 

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Red Cabbage From My Garden!

Above I shared the pictures of my green cabbage from my garden and I wanted to show you the red cabbage. My garden is not real big so I usually grow three of each, green and red. If you are interested in growing cabbage from seed check out these Red Acre Seeds.

OTHER CABBAGE RECIPES