Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Two stuffed cabbage rolls on a plate garnished with sour cream, parsley, and crispy bacon.

5 from 4 votes

A hearty and comforting stuffed cabbage recipe with meat, rice, and a rich tomato sauce -- just like Grandma used to make!

Course Dinner

Cuisine European

Keyword polish cabbage rolls, polish stuffed cabbage recipe, Stuffed Cabbage, stuffed cabbage recipe, stuffed cabbage rolls

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings servings

Calories 373.7kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 ½ cups uncooked long grain white rice
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 strips of 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)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 (23.2 ounce) can condensed tomato soup (this is the “family size” can)
Optional garnish: sour cream; chopped fresh parsley; chopped fresh dill

Instructions

PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

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

ASSEMBLE THE ROLLS

In a large bowl, stir together the 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 a heaping 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture at the core end of the cabbage leaf (use less filling for particularly small leaves).
Start to roll, fold in each side, and then continue rolling to seal. Don’t roll the cabbage rolls too tightly. The rice expands as it cooks, so cabbage rolls stuffed too tightly might tear or burst in the cooking process, causing that yummy filling to spill out and fall apart. 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 season with salt and pepper. Spread the condensed soup (not diluted) over top.

COOK THE ROLLS

Cover with the lid 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 and sour cream, if desired.

Video

Notes

The total number of cabbage rolls prepared will vary depending on how many leaves you get from your head of cabbage. The large recipe typically yields at least 22-24 rolls, or enough to serve about 10-12 people.

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