Cabbage rolls made with burger, rice and topped with tomato juice can easily be made ahead of time. These classic cabbage rolls are hearty and packed with flavor.
This stuffed cabbage rolls are a comfort food favorite for our whole family. Every year we plant a few cabbage plants in our garden.
By the end of summer, we have big beautiful heads that gets turned into our cabbage rolls. Whether you get your cabbage from the local farmers market, the grocery store or grow your own, give this cabbage recipe a try!!
Gather all of your ingredients to make your cabbage rolls recipe. Crush the crackers into small pieces.
Combine the burger, cooked rice, eggs, diced onions, crushed crackers and ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. I use my hands for this step.
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How Do You Peel Cabbage Leaves Without Breaking Them?
Trying to peel cabbage leaves without breaking them is very tricky. You need to soften the leaves and then peel them off the head. I will be giving you some tips on how to do this.
What Is The Best Way To Soften Cabbage for Cabbage Rolls?
The best way to soften cabbage for easy cabbage rolls is to place the whole head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water. Start a large pot of water (about ½ full) on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cut the core out of the cabbage. See the “how to” pictures. Once the water is boiling, carefully place the whole head of cabbage into the water with the core hole side up.
Make sure the pot is big enough for the head of cabbage to fit into. And leave room for the water to rise once you put the cabbage in.
After about 2 minutes you can start to peel each cabbage leaf off the head one by one and place them on a plate. I like to use tongs to grip the large vein of the leaf and pull it away for the head.
How To Make Cabbage Rolls
On a cutting board, place one of the leaves and cut off the hard-white vein in the center and discard the vein. Flip the cabbage leaf around so the round end is closest to you.
Using a large spoon, scoop a portion of the burger mixture and place on the leaf. See pictures. Fold the first flap of the cabbage leaf onto the meat. Then fold the sides onto the meat and start to roll up making sure that it is tight.
Roasting the Rolls!
Continue until you have used up all your meat mixture. This is where I prefer to bake my rolls in a 13 inch oval roasting pan that I have had for many, many years.
I love, love, love my set of Granite Ware Covered Oval Roasters. Using my roasting pan for baking a turkey, baked spaghetti, cabbage rolls and many other recipes. In the roasting pan, pour some of the tomato juice to coat the bottom.
You can sprinkle some of the salt, pepper and sugar on top of the juice. Line as many of the rolls in a single layer on the bottom of the pan as you can. Pour more of the tomato juice over the rolls and sprinkle some of the salt, pepper and sugar over top.
Add any of the remaining rolls on top of the others. Pour the rest of the tomato juice and sprinkle with the rest of the salt, pepper and sugar. Cover the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Make sure the tomato juice should be bubbly. Test one of the rolls to make sure they are cooked all the way through.
Cabbage Rolls – Slow Cooker
This cabbage recipe can easily be made in a slow cooker instead of a roasting pan. My slow cooker of choice is a West Bend Slow Cooker. Every couple of years for Christmas because I use mine so much, my husband buys me one.
A West Bend Slow Cooker is a working mothers’ best friend because you can prepare a meal the night before and place it on the base before you go to work. When you get home, a hearty meal is waiting for you and your family.
Just make the recipe as normal but instead of placing the cabbage rolls in a roasting pan, line the rolls on the slow cooker pan. Continue with recipe as normal except instead of baking you place the slow cooker pan on it’s base and cook for 8 hours on medium heat.
What Do You Eat Cabbage Rolls With?
Many times, we just have the stuffed cabbage rolls recipe for dinner because they are so hearty and tasty. Stump mushrooms are in season the same time that cabbage is in season.
So, we have sautéed up stump mushrooms to go with our stuffed cabbage rolls. Try a fresh greens salad.
Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage rolls made with burger, rice and topped with tomato juice can easily be made ahead of time. These classic cabbage rolls are hearty and packed with flavor. This stuffed cabbage rolls are a comfort food favorite for our whole family.
Ingredients
- Beef Burger 1 1/3 lbs (548g)
- Rice, white, cooked 1 1/2 cups (8oz) (227g)
- Cabbage, large 1 lg head (5lbs 5oz) (2397g)
- Tomato Juice 46 fl oz (5 3/4 cups) (953g)
- Eggs, lightly beaten 2 each (3.6 oz) (101g)
- Saltine Crackers 10 squares (1.1oz) (30g)
- Onion, white, diced 1/2 cup (2.5oz) (71g)
- Salt 1 teaspoon (0.2oz) (6g)
- Pepper 1 teaspoon (0.1oz) (2g)
- Sugar 1 tablespoon (0.45oz) (13g)
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients to make your cabbage rolls recipe.
- Crush the crackers into small pieces.
- Combine the burger, cooked rice, eggs, diced onions, crushed crackers and ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. I use my hands for this step.
- What Is The Best Way To Soften Cabbage for Cabbage Rolls?
The best way to soften cabbage for easy cabbage rolls is to place the whole head of cabbage in a pot of boiling water. - Start a large pot of water (about ½ full) on the stove and bring to a boil. Make sure the pot is big enough for the head of cabbage to fit into.
- Cut the core out of the cabbage.
- Once the water is boiling, carefully place the whole head of cabbage into the water with the core hole side up. After about 2 minutes you can start to peel each cabbage leaf off the head one by one and place them on a plate. I like to use tongs to grip the large vein of the leaf and pull it away for the head.
- How To Make Cabbage Rolls
On a cutting board, place one of the leaves and cut off the hard-white vein in the center and discard the vein. - Flip the cabbage leaf around so the round end is closest to you.
- Using a large spoon, scoop a portion of the burger mixture and place on the leaf.
- Fold the first flap of the cabbage leaf onto the meat.
- Then fold the sides onto the meat and start to roll up making sure that it is tight.
- Continue until you have used up all your meat mixture.
- I prefer to bake my cabbage rolls in a roasting pan that I have had for many, many years. In the roasting pan, pour some of the tomato juice to coat the bottom. You can sprinkle some of the salt, pepper and sugar on top of the juice.
- Line as many of the rolls in a single layer on the bottom of the pan as you can.
- Pour more of the tomato juice over the rolls and sprinkle some of the salt, pepper and sugar over top.
- Add any of the remaining rolls on top of the others.
- Pour the rest of the tomato juice and sprinkle with the rest of the salt, pepper and sugar.
- Cover the pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.
- The tomato juice should be bubbly. Test one of the rolls to make sure they are cooked all the way through.
Notes
How Do You Peel Cabbage Leaves Without Breaking Them?
Trying to peel cabbage leaves without breaking them is very tricky. You need to soften the leaves and then peel them off the head. I will be giving you some tips on how to do this
Cabbage Rolls – Slow Cooker
This cabbage recipe can easily be made in a slow cooker instead of a roasting pan. My slow cooker of choice is a West Bend Slow Cooker. My husband buys me one of these every couple of years for Christmas because I use mine so much. A West Bend Slow Cooker is a working mothers’ best friend because you can prepare a meal the night before and place it on the base before you go to work. When you get home, a hearty meal is waiting for you and your family. Just make the recipe as normal but instead of placing the cabbage rolls in a roasting pan, line the rolls on the slow cooker pan. Continue with recipe as normal except instead of baking you place the slow cooker pan on it’s base and cook for 8 hours on medium heat.
What Do You Eat Cabbage Rolls With?
Many times, we just have the stuffed cabbage rolls recipe for dinner because they are so hearty and tasty. Stump mushrooms are in season the same time that cabbage is in season. So, we have sautéed up stump mushrooms to go with our stuffed cabbage rolls. Try a fresh greens salad.
Nutrition Information
Yield
7Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 342Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 100mgSodium 1171mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 18g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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If you enjoy this recipe, you may enjoy the following: Venison Tips and Noodles and Pickled Fish
To soften cabbage, put the whole head in the freezer. Take it out when it’s frozen and let it drain at room temperature. Leaves are easy to work with once it’s thawed out!
Thank you for the tip!
I love that this dish has cabbage but no one really notices, a perfect way to sneak it in! Yummy!
my wife is Polish and she said your cabbabe rolls were as good as her mothers!
Thank you Chef Dennis! I learned this recipe from my Polish grandmother-in-law.
After putting the head of cabbage in the pot to remove the leaves, can you use any of the rest of the cabbage for coleslaw?
No, because the cabbage will be cooked from the boiling water. Coleslaw is made with fresh cabbage.