🥬 Cabbage Rolls Like Grandma’s
These Cabbage Rolls Like Grandma’s are tender, savory, and simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce — a classic comfort meal made with love. Packed with seasoned ground beef and rice, they're a timeless family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 cups tomato juice or V8 juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Blanch the cabbage: Core the cabbage and place it in a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 8–10 minutes, removing outer leaves as they soften. Reserve 12–16 large, intact leaves. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Mix gently until just combined.
- Fill and roll: Place about 2–3 tablespoons of the meat mixture near the thicker, stem end of a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides inward and roll up tightly from the bottom, forming a neat bundle.
- Layer in the pot: Place a few of the remaining blanched cabbage leaves at the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Arrange the filled cabbage rolls, seam-side down, in tight rows within the pot.
- Make the sauce: In a separate bowl, mix together tomato sauce, tomato juice, water, brown sugar, vinegar, and the bay leaf (if using).
- Add sauce and simmer: Pour the sauce mixture over the cabbage rolls, ensuring they are mostly covered. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the rice inside the rolls is tender and the cabbage is soft.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Serve warm — wonderful with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce!
Tip: These rolls freeze exceptionally well before cooking. Assemble, place in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly, and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw, add fresh sauce, and simmer as directed!
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