Mom’s Stuffed Cabbage Roll Recipe
No summer cookout is complete without a tray of stuffed cabbages! Tender cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, seasoned ground meats and a rich tomato sauce make this the perfect summer comfort food. Plus these freeze beautifully!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 1/2 hours
- Yield: ~12-15 rolls
- Category: Stuffed
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: comfort food
Ingredients
- 1 large size head cabbage (about 3-5 pounds)
- 1 lb ground beef (or 1 1/2 lbs if not using pork)
- 1/2 pound ground pork (omit if using all beef)
- 1 medium onion, chopped small
- 3 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, cooled white rice
- 3 10.75 ounce cans tomato soup (if using a deep dish pan with a 3” side use 4 cans)
Instructions
Prepare the cabbage
- Core Cabbage: Remove the core from the head of cabbage using a paring knife.
- Boil & Soften: Submerge the head in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until outer leaves soften. Gently peel off leaves as they loosen (return head to boiling water for 1–2 minutes if leaves resist).
- Trim Ribs: Once cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to shave down the thick center stem of each leaf until flat, taking care not to cut through the leaf.
Make the meat mixture
- Mix Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, cooked rice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, eggs, ketchup, tomato paste, and parsley.
- Add Soup: Add 2/3 can of condensed tomato soup (approx. 3/4 cup) to the bowl and mix gently until just combined.
Assemble the cabbage rolls
- Stuff & Roll: Lay a leaf flat with the cut stem end facing you. Place about ½ cup of meat mixture onto the lower third of the leaf (use more or less depending on leaf size). Fold the sides inward over the meat and roll tightly upward like a burrito. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling. (Note: Roll any leftover filling into meatballs to bake alongside the rolls).
Prepare to bake
- Prep Oven & Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the center position. Grab a deep baking dish (at least 4″ deep) or two 9×13 inch glass pans.
- Bottom Sauce Layer: Spread the remaining 1/3 can of soup across the bottom of the dish. Open a 2nd can of soup and spread half of it over the bottom layer.
- First Roll Layer: Arrange a single layer of stuffed cabbages seam-side down. Top with the remaining half of the 2nd soup can. Scatter any small or torn leaves over the soup.
- Second Roll Layer: Add the second layer of cabbage rolls, leaving at least a 1/2 inch gap below the top rim of the dish. Top evenly with a 3rd full can of condensed soup.
- Cover & Protect: Lightly spray one side of aluminum foil with nonstick spray. Cover the dish tightly, sprayed-side down. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spillovers.
- Bake & Rest: Bake for 3 to 4 hours (start checking at 2 hours 45 minutes) until cabbage is completely tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven, uncover, and rest for 15 minutes before serving.