Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls might be one of my all-time favourite foods. Call it comfort food or a one plate meal, there is nothing like a good cabbage roll!

I’m SO grateful to all the big-busted grandma’s who filled trays of cabbage rolls at every community dinner I had the opportunity to experience as a child.

These tasty sensations could be one of the main contributors to my love of food and gathering people. 

Necessary details

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Cooking time 3 hours. Pan Size 9x13. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

FILLING

  • 1/3 chopped 

  • 1/3 cup chopped celery

  • 1 cup cooked rice

  • 1 kilo ground meat – if you can a mixture of pork mince and beef (preferably grass fed). If not, one or the other will do. 

  • ½ cup ketchup

  • 1 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • ½ tsp allspice

  • ½ tsp paprika

  • 1 whole garlic crushed

  • 1 head of cabbage

SAUCE

  • 1 jar pasatta

  • 1 can chopped tomatoes 

  • ¼ tsp allspice

  • ¼ tsp basil (not necessary)

  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 clove crushed garlic

  • 1/3 chopped 

  • 1/3 cup chopped celery

  • 1 cup cooked rice

  • 1 kilo ground meat – if you can a mixture of pork mince and beef (preferably grass fed). If not, one or the other will do. 

  • ½ cup ketchup

  • 1 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • ½ tsp allspice

  • ½ tsp paprika

  • 1 whole garlic crushed 

Method

  1. Mix filling ingredients together.

  2. Soften cabbage by boiling until the leaves can be stuffed and rolled up without breaking. Alternatively, you can freeze the cabbage ahead of time and take out of the freezer to thaw 24 hours before you want to make the cabbage rolls.

  3. Use torn leave to line bottom of pan and to cover cabbage rolls to help prevent burning. 

  4. Put a spoonful or 2 of filling on each leave and roll, poke the sides of the cabbage into the centre so the cabbage looks like a pillow or a Vietnamese rice paper roll.

  5. Stack in the roasting pan.

  6. Mix together the sauce ingredients and cover over the cabbage rolls.

  7. Cover with aluminium foil and roast.

  8. Take the aluminium foil off in the last 20mins.

  9. Make sure you don’t over roast. 

These are good as leftovers, heated up in the microwave. Perfect quick snacks or as a main meal.

Susan Sohn