Wow, these cabbage rolls are delicious! These are stuffed with ground beef, onions, garlic, dill, and a touch of nutmeg to provide flavor without adding fat. All the flavor of the cabbage rolls is concentrated in the marinara sauce, which is simmered on low heat for a long time.

this Recipe

 

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

One of the best things about baking a dinner is how little effort you have to put into it.

I know what you’re thinking, cabbage rolls don’t exactly seem like the most appetizing dish. They are traditionally Polish and are made by wrapping a meat filling in cooked cabbage leaves. There are many options for fillings, but my personal favorite is made with ground lean beef, brown rice, dried dill, onion, garlic, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Slowly baking the stuffed cabbage rolls in the marinara sauce makes them tender and flavorful. They’re great any time of year, but in the winter they’ll do wonders to keep you toasty. These filled cabbage rolls are fantastic!

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls ingredients

The combination of these hearty ingredients makes for a wonderful and satisfying meal.

Cabbage: I made this dish with green cabbage.

Ground beef: I prefer a high fat-to-meat ratio when using ground beef. Stuffed cabbage rolls, which contain many other things, allow you to get away with using something a little leaner. A 90/10 ratio of meat to fat was used in this dish.

Brown rice: Since brown rice is higher in fiber and contains a few less processed ingredients, it is a staple in my home. If you don’t have any short-grain brown rice, long-grain white rice can do in a pinch.

Garlic cloves: Mincing garlic is an acceptable substitute for whole garlic cloves. Half a teaspoon is roughly the same as one garlic clove.

Onion: When cooking with onion, I prefer to finely chop it so that there are no huge bits.

Seasonings: Whenever I need to spice things up, I reach for the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, dill, and nutmeg.

Egg: The addition of one egg will make the mixture more stable.

Marinara sauce: It’s up to you whether you want to use jarred marinara sauce or homemade marinara sauce.

Steps To Make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

It won’t take you more than a few minutes to whip up this simple dish up. Quickly, you will be enjoying a delicious lunch and/or dinner!

Step 1: Set the oven temperature up to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Over high heat, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cut a circle around the center with a paring knife. Pull six cabbage leaves off gently, being careful not to damage them. It’s fine if they rip a little. Submerge the entire head of cabbage in boiling water for a few minutes to loosen the leaves before pulling them off. Boil cabbage leaves three at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until extremely soft and malleable.

Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, half-cup marinara, egg, salt, dill, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, and cooked brown rice. Then, using your hands or a fork, gently blend the ingredients.

Onion:

Garlic:

Dill, nutmeg:

Italian seasoning:

Then, using your hands or a fork, gently blend the ingredients:

Step 4: Half of the sauce should be placed in the bottom of a 9×12-inch baking dish.

Remove the hard vein from the cabbage with a paring knife.

Fill each cabbage leaf with roughly half-cup of the filling.

Tuck the edges in and wrap up like a jelly roll.

Place seam-side down in the prepared pan.

Step 5: Cover the stuffed cabbage with the remainder of the sauce.

Step 6: Cover with foil and bake for about an hour until the cabbage is extremely tender and the meat is cooked through.

Cooking Hints and Substitutions

Meat: You may use whatever type of steak you like! 85/15 ground sirloin. As a healthy alternative, ground turkey might be used!

Cinnamon: Add a few dashes of cinnamon for an added note of warmth.

How to Peel Cabbage Leaves Without Ripping Them:

Place the cabbage head in the freezer for 2 hours to make peeling the leaves off easier. Take it out and set it aside to thaw. The leaves should come off more easily.

Remember to cover it! While baking, keep the cabbage rolls covered with foil. Steaming the cabbage rolls makes them very delicate and soft.