Classic Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
This southern favorite, classic stuffed cabbage rolls, is a beloved Cajun dish. The recipe contains instructions for cooking in an Instant Pot along with helpful tips for easy preparation. They are incredibly delicious, and the recipe also includes stove-top instructions.
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Stuffed cabbage rolls have been around for a long time. They are a favorite way for Southerners to consume this healthy leaf. The Cabbage Soup with Andouille Sausage is also a delicious and healthful dish. Andouille sausage adds the signature flavor of Southern Louisiana cuisine.
Instant Pot Smothered Cabbage, An Easy Southern side dish, is simple to make. The combination of the Cajun vegetable trinity, Cajun seasonings, and pressure cooking creates a delicious cabbage dish with a rich, flavorful taste.
If you like fresh cabbage in a salad, this Southern Louisiana Coleslaw is a winner. It has a touch of cane syrup for sweetness and pecans for added crispness and crunch.
What's in a cabbage roll?
"Cabbage rolls? … they are like little meatloaves with rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked in tomato sauce," is what I told my grandson when he asked what I was cooking for supper. It surprised me how simple that sounded.
Ingredients
For The Rolls
- cabbage leaves to roll the meat with
- ground meat (beef, pork, or a mixture of both)
- chopped yellow or white onion
- chopped green bell pepper
- chopped celery
- finely chopped cabbage flavors the meat, adds texture
- pressed garlic permeates the beef for flavor
- cooked white rice or brown rice, leftovers work great
- breadcrumbs are for softening and binding the meat
- an egg helps bind the meat also
- salt for seasoning
- cayenne pepper for a bit of spice
For The Sauce
- stewed tomatoes in a food processor add more taste than canned tomatoes
- tomato sauce for more tomato flavor
- dark brown sugar for a bit of sweetness
- spice it up with chili powder
- salt for flavor
- pepper to taste
- water to thin the sauce
Tips for easy cabbage rolling
No need to pre-cook the cabbage leaves before stuffing them with the meat mixture. Does this set you free? I cut out the hard center of large cabbage leaves. This makes them easier to roll and a breeze to cut through when eating.
Save the core of the cabbage head after peeling the leaves away, then use it to flavor the meat. Chop it finely and add it to the bowl with the remaining ingredients.
How to make cabbage rolls?
First, combine the meat with the vegetables, rice, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings. Prepare the cabbage leaves as outlined in the tip above. Divide the beef into equal-sized balls. Place a ball of meat on a few cabbage leaves.
The cabbage is my favorite part, and I used to feel cheated when I was given just one leaf. Now I use two or more, especially with the smaller leaves.
Roll the cabbage as tight as possible.
I don't use toothpicks to hold rolls together, either. Packing them close together in the pot helps with that.
Place the stuffed cabbage rolls on the rack in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker for quick, easy cooking.
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the rolls, turn the pot on, and let it cook under pressure. There's no need to babysit these babies. You can spend more time doing what's essential… or what's not important.
The cabbage rolls can also be baked in an oven-safe dish, tightly covered with foil. Or, simmered in a pot over the stove.
Equipment
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
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More beef recipes like stuffed cabbbage rolls:
The recipe
Print📖 Recipe
Classic Cabbage Rolls
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 9 rolls 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe for Classic Cabbage Rolls has Instant Pot cooking directions and helpful hints for easy preparation and tasty ingredients. You'll be surprised how much more convenient these are to prepare.
Ingredients
Cabbage Rolls
- 18 cabbage leaves from 1 head
- 1 ½ pounds ground meat (beef, pork, or a mixture of both)
- ¼ cup onion, chopped fine
- ¼ cup green pepper, chopped fine
- ¼ cup celery, chopped fine
- ½ cup cabbage, chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 ½ cups cooked white or brown rice
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Sauce
- 1 15-ounce can stewed tomatoes, processed in a food processor
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Carefully peel 18 leaves from the cabbage head after removing its core.
- Mix together ground meat, chopped vegetables, rice, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings in a bowl.
- Divide evenly into 9 balls and place onto two or more cabbage leaves.
- Roll up one end over the meat, then fold in the two sides, and roll all the way up to the top; no need for toothpicks to hold the rolls together.
- Place rolls on the rack inside the Instant Pot.
- Make the sauce by combining the ingredients in a bowl, stirring, and pouring it over the cabbage rolls.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot, seal it with the valve set to the sealed position, press the manual button, and set the pot to high pressure for 18 minutes.
- After the pressure is reduced, you can serve the cabbage rolls immediately or keep them warm until ready to eat.
Notes
- Oven-baking instructions are to bake in a covered oven-safe dish in a 350-degree oven for about an hour, until the meat is done, and the cabbage is tender.
- For the stovetop cooking method, cook in a heavy pot, covered, over medium to medium-low heat for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is done. Check often to see if extra water is needed during cooking.
- Make ahead and/or double the recipe to store in the freezer for future meals.
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Have a nice day!
" I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. "
C.S. Lewis
Love cabbage & meatloaf....will try!
Sounds good! I think you’ll like it!
Made my own version of Cabbage Rolls and the turned out very good.
Thank you for your framework for making cabbage rolls.
Lois B Washington State
Yay! You're very welcome, Lois. Glad to help!