Description
Classic cabbage rolls filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, ground pork, and parboiled rice, seasoned with herbs and spices, then baked in a rich tomato sauce. This hearty and comforting dish is perfect for family meals and can be easily reheated as leftovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Filling
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ¾ cup parboiled long-grain rice
- ½ yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
Sauce and Other
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 (2-3 pound) head green cabbage
Instructions
- Preheat and boil: Preheat your oven to 400°F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Prepare filling: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, parboiled rice, minced onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme, and sage. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Prepare sauce: Whisk together the tomato sauce and chicken broth in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Blanch cabbage leaves: Remove any wilted or loose outer leaves from the cabbage. Carefully peel off as many outer leaves as possible without tearing. Blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 3 minutes until tender. Remove with tongs, drain, and set aside.
- Softening whole cabbage: Place the whole cabbage head in boiling water for 3-4 minutes to soften. Remove and peel off more outer leaves carefully. Repeat the boiling and peeling process until you have enough workable leaves; allow additional time for inner layers to soften fully.
- Trim cabbage leaves: Cool the cabbage leaves. For leaves with thick stems, trim the stem by cutting a V-shape from the center using a sharp knife.
- Roll the filling: Lay one cabbage leaf flat and if stem cut, overlap the cut parts slightly to seal. Place about 3 tablespoons of the meat and rice mixture in the center. Fold the outer flaps over the filling, then roll from the bottom up to form a neat roll.
- Repeat rolling: Continue rolling remaining leaves with the filling. Use two leaves for smaller or more fragile ones to prevent tearing.
- Prepare baking dish: Drizzle olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking pan or casserole dish. Arrange cabbage rolls seam-side down in the pan to keep them sealed.
- Add sauce and cover: Pour the tomato sauce and chicken broth mixture evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam and keep the rolls moist.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, vent the foil carefully and bake uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes until meat and rice reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Optionally garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
- Parboiled rice is precooked and requires less cooking time than regular rice; available in most grocery stores near other rice varieties.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cabbage roll
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
