Description
This recipe for Easy Cabbage Rolls features a comforting blend of ground turkey and Italian sausage, combined with cooked rice and aromatic spices, all wrapped in tender cabbage leaves and baked in a flavorful tomato sauce. A hearty and satisfying dish perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Cabbage Rolls
- 1 head green cabbage, frozen
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Sauce
- 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil for sautéing (estimated 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Freeze and Prepare Cabbage: Place the whole head of green cabbage in the freezer and freeze completely for 24 hours. After freezing, remove cabbage and let thaw for 2 hours or until the leaves start to peel off easily, peeling a few leaves at a time.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and grease or prepare a 9x13 inch casserole dish for baking.
- Prepare Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced red onion and minced garlic for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and chicken stock. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Make Meat Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked white rice, ground turkey, Italian sausage, egg, Italian bread crumbs, and minced fresh parsley. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Assemble Cabbage Rolls: Lay one cabbage leaf flat on a clean surface. Using a medium ice cream scoop or spoon, portion the meat filling into the widest part of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling and then roll it up tightly to enclose the mixture. Repeat this process until all filling and leaves are used.
- Layer and Bake: Pour half of the prepared sauce into the bottom of the 9x13 casserole dish. Place the assembled cabbage rolls seam side down in the sauce, layering as needed. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the rolls.
- Bake: Bake the cabbage rolls in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and tender. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Freezing the cabbage makes the leaves easier to peel and roll without tearing.
- You can substitute ground beef for turkey and sausage if preferred.
- Using Italian bread crumbs adds flavor, but plain bread crumbs can be used alternatively.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the meat with a mixture of cooked lentils, mushrooms, or other plant proteins and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock in the sauce.
- Leftover cabbage rolls can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce if you like a bit of heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cabbage roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
