Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

My Polish grandmother's recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls is an old-fashioned dinner that stands the test of time. Cabbage leaves are stuffed with meat and rice, then cooked in a sweet tomato sauce, for a classic crowd-pleasing meal!

My dad's mother is from Poland, so he was raised on these Gołąbki, or Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. My grandmother prepared them for us every time she visited, so the hearty meal has become synonymous with special occasions like birthdays, holidays or family gatherings.

Gołąbki is the plural form of gołąbek, which comes from the Polish word gołąb, meaning "pigeon." Apparently the shape of stuffed cabbage rolls resembles a bird, hence the name! You may have also heard the recipe referred to as Golumpki or Kohlrouladen (German Stuffed Cabbage Rolls).

The traditional dish is popular in cuisines of Central Europe, and is often served during the Christmas season or for special occasions such as weddings. No matter what you call them, you will soon realize why these amazing stuffed cabbage rolls are so well loved!

How to make Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:

Even folks who claim to not like cabbage seem to enjoy this meal! The low-and-slow cooking process results in tender, sweet cabbage that has a very mild (almost undetectable taste), so the leaves really just serve to hold the filling together. The filling is very similar to a meatball, and includes ground meat, rice and onion.

While this recipe is definitely more involved and time-consuming than most of the meals that I share on this blog, it's well worth the effort for a special occasion. Quick note -- if you're looking for easier, shortcut recipes that include similar flavors, see my list of other cabbage dinner ideas below!

Let's get started...

Ingredients:

• Head of green cabbage
• Meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, ground veal and ground pork)
• White rice
• Butter
• Onion
• Stale bread or breadcrumbs
• Beef broth
• Parsley
• Bacon
• A family-size can of condensed tomato soup

You'll need to steam the cabbage in order to make the leaves soft enough for rolling. I do this in the microwave (thanks to my mom's easy shortcut tip), but you can also steam the cabbage in a pot of water on the stovetop like my grandmother used to do. Both methods are included in the recipe below!

Once the leaves are soft, carefully pull them off one at a time and place them on a cutting board.

Next, prepare the filling for your cabbage rolls.

How to roll Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:

Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat and rice filling onto each cabbage leaf. It helps to trim off some of the stem from each leaf to make the rolling process easier.

Then roll up the cabbage leaves burrito-style! Start at the stem-end, roll up slightly, and then fold in the sides and continue rolling. You can use toothpicks to secure the rolls, as necessary.

Place the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a large Dutch oven that's coated with bacon grease. You can stack the cabbage rolls on top of each other, as necessary.

Finally, the tomato sauce! My grandmother always used condensed tomato soup, which is obviously not a traditional Polish ingredient. The soup gives the dish a slightly sweet, rich tomato flavor, so just trust me on this one. Don't skip it!

Spread the tomato sauce over top of the cabbage rolls, then cover the pot and simmer over very low heat for about 2 hours.

The cabbage rolls will slowly steam in the pot, so the meat cooks through and the rice becomes tender. Then just serve the rolls on a plate, spoon the sauce over top, and garnish with cooked bacon and fresh parsley.

What goes with Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

Serve the cabbage rolls with rice or potatoes on the side, or with a fresh green salad for a bright addition to the meal. Good options include mashed potatoes, buttered dill new potatoes, German Potato Salad, buttered rice or noodles, dinner rolls or a loaf of crusty bread to soak up that great tomato sauce, applesauce, or fried apples.

Are Stuffed Cabbage Rolls healthy?

This meal includes vegetables, protein and starch in one dish. It's hearty and satisfying, full of nutrients, and absolutely delicious! The total number of cabbage rolls prepared will vary depending on how many leaves you get from your head of cabbage. The large recipe yields enough to serve about 10-12 people, with each serving including about 373 calories.

Can you freeze Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

Yes! This recipe freezes really well, which is great because it creates a very large portion. If you don't need all of the cabbage rolls for one meal, package the cooked extras in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You get two dinners for one effort!

The leftover cabbage rolls will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to reheat Stuffed Cabbage Rolls:

To reheat the cabbage rolls, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, you can warm the cabbage rolls in a Dutch oven (covered) over very low heat, just until heated through (about 20-30 minutes). Alternatively, you can place the cabbage rolls in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350 degree F oven until heated through.

If you want extra sauce for serving the leftovers, simply add another (small) can of tomato soup to the pot!

Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

• Instead of steaming the cabbage in the microwave, you can boil the cabbage in a pot of water until tender. Bring 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a boil, and then add the cabbage (stem-side-down). Boil for 10 minutes; turn the cabbage over, and continue cooking for 4 more minutes (or until soft). Allow the cabbage to cool enough so that you can handle it, and then carefully remove the leaves, one at a time.
• I have never tried it myself, but I know that other cooks suggest freezing the head of cabbage and then thawing before stuffing and rolling. This cuts out the step of boiling the cabbage, because the freezing and thawing process will adequately soften the leaves so that you can roll them. Let me know if you give this a try!
• While you can prepare this recipe using ground beef instead of the meatloaf mixture, I highly recommend using the combination of ground beef, pork and veal. The meatloaf mixture gives the dish a unique flavor and richness that you don't get with just ground beef.
• Make sure that you purchase the family size (23.2 ounce) can of condensed tomato soup. This is larger than the standard 10.75 ounce can. If you can't find the extra large can, you can substitute with two smaller cans.
• You do not need to dilute the tomato soup before adding it to the pot. The tomato sauce will thin as it cooks and combines with the steam in the pot.
• Slow Cooker Method: Assemble the cabbage rolls as described, but place in a slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray (or spread with bacon grease). Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• If using brown rice, you’ll need to boil the rice for 15 minutes before adding it to the meat mixture.

More cabbage recipes that you might enjoy:

• Stuffed Cabbage Roll in a Bowl
• 5-Ingredient Cabbage Casserole
• Dump-and-Bake Sausage and Cabbage Dinner
• Dump-and-Bake Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Casserole

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

My Polish grandmother's recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls is an old-fashioned dinner that stands the test of time!

Course Dinner

Cuisine European

Keyword Stuffed Cabbage, stuffed cabbage rolls

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

0 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings 10 - 12 people

Calories 373.7kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 very large head of green cabbage (or 2 small heads)
• 2 lbs. meatloaf mix (a combination of ground beef, ground veal and ground pork)
• 2 slices stale bread, crumbled (or about ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (23.2 ounce) can condensed tomato soup, NOT diluted

Instructions

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS:

• Parboil the rice by cooking rice in salted boiling water for 4 minutes; drain. Set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion in the melted butter just until tender (about 7-10 minutes). Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.
• Steam cabbage in the microwave by placing the cabbage in a pan with about 2 inches of water. Cook for a total of about 10-12 minutes, or until tender. I like to do this increments, every few minutes removing the outer cabbage leaves as they become soft.

ASSEMBLE THE ROLLS:

• In a large bowl, stir together ground meat, parboiled rice, sautéed onion, breadcrumbs, beef broth and parsley. Add salt and pepper, and up to 1 tablespoon of sugar, if desired. The mixture should be very moist.
• Place a steamed cabbage leaf on a cutting board. Trim a little bit of the core off of the leaf to make it easier to roll. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at the core-end of the cabbage leaf. Start to roll, fold in each side, and then continue rolling to seal. You can use toothpicks to secure the rolls if you like, but it’s not necessary. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
• Place the stuffed cabbage rolls seam-side down in the Dutch oven that has bacon grease in the bottom. Stack the rolls, as necessary, and then season with salt and pepper over top.

COOK THE ROLLS:

• Spread condensed soup over the top, cover, and cook over very low heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
• Garnish the stuffed cabbage leaves with the reserved cooked, crumbled bacon and fresh parsley, if desired, just before serving.

Notes

• Instead of steaming the cabbage in the microwave, you can boil the cabbage in a pot of water until tender. Bring 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a boil, and then add the cabbage (stem-side-down). Boil for 10 minutes; turn the cabbage over, and continue cooking for 4 more minutes (or until soft). Allow the cabbage to cool enough so that you can handle it, and then carefully remove the leaves, one at a time.
• I have never tried it myself, but I know that other cooks suggest freezing the head of cabbage and then thawing before stuffing and rolling. This cuts out the step of boiling the cabbage, because the freezing and thawing process will adequately soften the leaves so that you can roll them. Let me know if you give this a try!
• While you can prepare this recipe using ground beef instead of the meatloaf mixture, I highly recommend using the combination of ground beef, pork and veal. The meatloaf mixture gives the dish a unique flavor and richness that you don't get with just ground beef.
• Make sure that you purchase the family size (23.2 ounce) can of condensed tomato soup. This is larger than the standard 10.75 ounce can. If you can't find the extra large can, you can substitute with two smaller cans.
• You do not need to dilute the tomato soup before adding it to the pot. The tomato sauce will thin as it cooks and combines with the steam in the pot.
• Slow Cooker Method: Assemble the cabbage rolls as described, but place in a slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray (or spread with bacon grease). Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• If using brown rice, you’ll need to boil the rice for 15 minutes before adding it to the meat mixture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the recipe | Calories: 373.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.8g | Protein: 18.9g | Fat: 17.3g | Saturated Fat: 7.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 59.8mg | Sodium: 416.2mg | Potassium: 615.8mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 9.9g