Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: Not specified
Ingredients:
Sauce
- 1 can (28 oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cabbage Rolls
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped onion and sauté until tender.
- Mix in the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a light boil.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Bring a pot 3/4 of the way full of water to a boil.
- Add the cabbage head to the boiling water and cook for about 8 minutes, until the leaves are softened a bit.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Remove the cabbage and run it under cold water.
- Pull off 12 of the large outside leaves and cut the hard rib area off of each cabbage leaf.
- In a bowl, stir together the ground beef, eggs, cumin, Italian seasoning, white rice, 1/2 cup onion, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Form the meat mixture into 12 evenly sized balls and place each one into the center of a cabbage leaf.
- Roll the cabbage leaves around the filling to form a wrapped burrito shape.
- Layer half of the sauce into a 9×13 baking dish and then layer the cabbage rolls on top.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and bake for 90 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender and the rolls are cooked through.
Notes:
- Boiling the cabbage leaves briefly helps to soften them, making them pliable for wrapping around the savory beef and rice filling, ensuring a tender texture in the finished dish.
- The addition of cumin and Italian seasoning to the ground beef mixture adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile, complementing the herbs and spices in the tomato sauce.
- Layering the cabbage rolls over a bed of sauce in a baking dish ensures even cooking and allows the flavors to meld together as they bake in the oven, resulting in a cohesive and satisfying dish.
- Baking the cabbage rolls for 90 minutes at a moderate temperature allows the flavors to fully develop while ensuring that the cabbage becomes tender and the filling cooks through, creating a comforting and hearty meal.