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Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

Name: Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Cuisine: Europe, German
Ingredients: 1 medium head cabbage (3 pounds); 1/2 pound uncooked ground beef; 1/2 pound uncooked ground pork; 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided; 1 small onion, chopped; 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice; 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh dill or dill weed; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1/2 teaspoon sugar

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Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 1-1/2 hours

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Jan. 04, 2023

It was an abundance of dill in my garden that led me to try this. My family liked the taste so much that, from then on, I made my old-fashioned cabbage rolls recipe with dill. This is how to make easy cabbage rolls. – Florence Krantz, Bismarck, North Dakota

Ingredients

1 medium head cabbage (3 pounds)
1/2 pound uncooked ground beef
1/2 pound uncooked ground pork
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh dill or dill weed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Cook cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves pull away easily from head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill and cayenne; mix well.
Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up. Repeat.
Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over sliced cabbage. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350° until cabbage rolls are tender, 1-1/2 hours.

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls Tips

How do you cut cabbage for cabbage rolls?

To make cabbage rolls, cut out a narrow triangle from the bottom of the cabbage leaf, removing only the thick ridge. This ensures that your cabbage rolls will be tender and not tough. Check out more recipes starring cabbage.

Where did cabbage rolls originate?

Many cultures eat cabbage rolls with a variety of fillings and sauces, but they are especially prevalent in Polish culture and often served for holidays and special occasions. Golabki is the Polish name for cabbage leaves wrapped around beef or pork with rice or barley. In Eastern Europe, tomato sauce or plain sour cream are the traditional toppings. Here are more recipes made better with a dollop of sour cream!

Can you cook cabbage rolls from frozen?

Yes. You can cover and freeze unbaked cabbage rolls and cook them from frozen later. When you're ready, partially thaw the cabbage rolls in the refrigerator overnight. Remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and follow the steps in this Make-Ahead Cabbage Rolls recipe.

Do you cook cabbage covered or uncovered?

Covering cabbage while cooking locks in the steam and aids in faster, more even cooking.

Research contributed by Catherine Ward, Taste of Home Prep Kitchen Manager

Nutrition Facts

2 cabbage rolls: 260 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 50mg cholesterol, 694mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 18g protein.