Southern Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Savory, seasoned beef and pork with rice, onions and peppers are wrapped in tender cabbage leaves then baked in a rich, tangy tomato sauce in this classic Southern Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe.
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Servings: 12 rolls
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground pork sausage
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup instant rice, uncooked
- ½ medium bell pepper, diced
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon all purpose creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Tomato Sauce
- 15 ounce canned tomato sauce
- 14-15 ounce petite diced tomatoes, not drained
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- In a large stock pot, bring salted water to boil. Remove discolored or torn leaves from the head of cabbage. Use tongs to safely lower the cabbage head into the boiling water. Boil for 5-6 minutes. Remove from boiling water and place into a large bowl filled with ice water to cool.
- Combine filling ingredients in a large bowl, and combine sauce ingredients in another bowl. Add a thin layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Set aside.
- When cabbage has cooled, cut ½-1 inch from the stem end of the cabbage. Carefully remove 12 leaves from the head. Using a knife remove about ½ inch of the hard ridge from each cabbage leaf in a v-shaped notch. This will ensure you can easily roll the leaf.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling mixture into the center of each leaf. Roll each leaf by pulling together the v notch and rolling the notched end over the mixture. Fold sides in, then roll forward to the end of the leaf. (see video in post)
- Place each roll seam side down in sauce lined 9x13 dish. When all the cabbage rolls are in the dish, top with remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven to bake for 45 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Buy a large head of green cabbage, if you can. Larger leaves are easier to roll, and you will have extra leaves to work with, if you need them.
- Neither the ground beef/pork mixture nor the instant rice is cooked when you stuff it in the cabbage. It cooks in the oven while the dish bakes.
- The cook time listed in the recipe is accurate for cooking the raw meat in the cabbage rolls. To double check, use a meat thermometer and check for a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for done rolls.
- Leftover Southern Cabbage Rolls can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They are also freezer-friendly!