Old-Fashioned Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Why you’ll love it

• Real comfort food: tender, saucy and deeply savory.
• Make-ahead friendly: assemble the day before and bake when you need it.
• Budget-smart: one head of cabbage and a little meat feed the whole family.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cabbage

• 1 large head green cabbage (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the cooking water

For the filling

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (85% lean)
• 1/2 lb (225 g) ground pork
• 1 cup (about 180 g) cooked long-grain white rice, cooled (from 1/3 cup raw)
• 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the tomato sauce

• 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf

Step-by-step method

1. Soften the cabbage. Bring a large pot of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Cut around the core with a paring knife to loosen it. Lower the whole head into the water and, as the outer leaves soften (about 2–3 minutes each), peel them off with tongs. Repeat until you have 12–14 large leaves. Drain and let cool.

2. Trim the leaves. With a paring knife, shave down the thick center rib of each leaf so it is as thin as the rest of the leaf; this makes rolling easy. Chop the small leftover cabbage and set aside.

3. Make the sauce. In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

4. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, cooled rice, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce. Mix gently with your hands just until combined.

5. Roll. Place about 1/3 cup filling near the stem end of a leaf. Fold the bottom over the filling, fold in the sides and roll up snugly, like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

6. Assemble. Spread the chopped leftover cabbage and 1 cup of sauce in a 9 × 13 inch baking dish. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in a single layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and tuck in the bay leaf.

7. Bake. Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour 15 minutes, until the cabbage is very tender and the filling reaches 160°F (71°C) in the center. Remove the bay leaf and rest 10 minutes before serving, spooning the sauce over the rolls.

How to know it is done

The cabbage should be soft enough to cut with the side of a fork, the sauce should be bubbling at the edges, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll should read at least 160°F (71°C).

Tips for the best result

• Freeze the whole cabbage overnight and thaw it: the leaves will peel off soft without boiling.
• Don’t pack the filling too tightly; the rice needs a little room to stay tender.
• Use the largest outer leaves for rolling and save the small inner ones for lining the dish.

Variations and substitutions

• All beef or turkey: use 1 1/2 lb of a single ground meat; with turkey, add 1 tbsp olive oil to the filling.
• Sauerkraut layer: line the dish with 1 cup drained sauerkraut instead of chopped cabbage for a tangier, Polish-style version.
• Slow cooker: layer as directed and cook on LOW 7–8 hours.
• Lazy cabbage roll casserole: chop the cabbage, brown the filling and bake everything layered for 45 minutes.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate covered up to 4 days. Freeze in their sauce up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or microwave individual portions until hot.