My Mammaw's Stuffed Cabbage Has a Clever Retro Trick
Prep
30 mins
Cook
1 hr
Servings
6
Difficulty
Hard
My mammaw always said the secret to perfect stuffed cabbage was knowing when to work smart, not hard. This recipe uses a clever trick that cuts your prep time in half, making this classic comfort food achievable on a weeknight. The cabbage leaves are naturally rich in vitamin C and fiber, keeping you satisfied and healthy. What I love most is how forgiving this dish is it's budget friendly, comes together in about ninety minutes, and tastes even better the next day. Your whole family will be asking for seconds, and nobody needs to know just how simple you made it.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 1 largehead green cabbage(2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
- 11(28-ounce) can tomato sauce, divided)
- 2 tablespoonsolive oil
- 11 yellow onion
- 1 teaspoonssalt(divided)
- 1 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
- 237 mldark brown sugar
- 12 lemons(juiced)
- 11 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 237 mllong-grain basmati rice
- 2 tablespoonschopped fresh dill
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Freeze the whole head of cabbage until frozen solid, at least two days. Three days before you wish to make the stuffed cabbage, move the cabbage to a bowl in the refrigerator to thaw. When you’re ready to assemble the stuffed cabbage, trim off the bottom of the fully thawed cabbage and use a paring knife to cut around and remove the core. Pull off as many large, unbroken leaves as you can and lay them on paper towels to dry.
- 2
Measure out 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce and set it aside in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining tomato sauce, sugar, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- 3
In the large bowl with the reserved tomato sauce, combine the ground beef, rice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until just combined (do not overmix).
- 4
Working with one leaf at a time, place 1/4 cup of the filling in the center of a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the cabbage over the filling. Then, start at the thick end of the leaf and roll up the whole cabbage leaf into a tight bundle. Repeat with the remaining leaves until you have used up all of your filling.
- 5
Spoon 1 cup of the cooked sauce onto the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. Arrange the stuffed cabbage leaves seam-side down in the sauce, packing them snugly to keep them bundled and stacking them into a second layer as needed. Pour the remaining cooked sauce over the stuffed cabbage. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cabbage is slightly translucent, 45 minutes to 1 hour. To check for doneness, open a bundle to check that the rice is tender and the beef is brown throughout, not pink, or check with a probe thermometer that the internal temperature is at least 160°F.
- 6
Sprinkle the tops of the stuffed cabbage with dill and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!
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