Cabbage Rolls Stuffed with Ground Beef and Rice

Cabbage can be made into a fantastic comfort food as done with this entrée. Normally cabbage is made into a slaw, but is great for wrapping as are lettuce wraps. However, this one is cooked to create a heartier entrée. Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 head of green cabbage remove some of the outer layers
1 lb. of ground beef
1 yellow onion diced about 1/4 cup
4 – 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce divided
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 cup of cooked rice (white or brown your choice)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Technique

Cook rice and set aside. This can be any type of your favorite rice. While rice is cooking make stuffing. In a large skillet over medium high heat add ground beef and onion and cook until beef has browned and onion is translucent. Add cumin, salt and pepper and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add 2 cans of tomato sauce and rice and stir to combine. Lower heat to simmer to allow flavors to blend. Fill a medium to large pot half way with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add entire head of cabbage to soften for easier peeling. Don’t cook it, just long enough to easily peel the leaves about 1 minute. Add 1 can of tomato sauce to the bottom of a baking dish about 3 inches in depth by 12 inches by 8 inches. Once cool enough to handle cabbage remove leaves, pat dry and fill each one with about 1/4 cup of the ground beef/rice mixture. Add the mixture to the middle of the cabbage for easier rolling, overlapping the ends to keep contents in place. Place in pan overlapped side down and side by side. Repeat with remaining rolls, which should make about 10 rolls. Pour fourth can of sauce over rolls, cover and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve family style or plated as shown.

Suggested Beverage

Try Healdsburg Ranches Appellation Series Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley), Beringer Third Century Central Coast Pinot Noir, Rodney Strong Pinot Noir (California), Flensburger Brauerei Gold Premium Lager Beer (Germany) or Baltika Premium Lager (St. Petersburg, Russia).

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