This old-fashioned Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe will make any Polish grandmother proud! Learn how to make this hearty, comforting dish, which is quick and easy to pull together!
123.2 oz cancan 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 the bacon and set it 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 in 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 large 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.
Other cooks suggestfreezing 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.
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 usingbrown riceinstead of white rice, you’ll need to boil the rice for 15 minutes before adding it to the meat mixture.
Add extra flavor to the stuffed cabbage filling by including garlic powder or fresh minced garlic. You might also like to add a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice to the sauce before serving. Garnish with fresh dill for additional flavor, too!
While you can prepare this recipe usingground beef or ground turkey 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 ounces) 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 it with two smaller cans.
Youdo 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.