Description
Tender cabbage, a savory meat and rice filling, and a rich tomato sauce - classic cabbage rolls are a Southern comfort food that never goes out of style. Make them in the Instant Pot, the oven, or on the stovetop. However you cook them, this is the kind of rib-sticking meal that brings everyone to the table happy.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cabbage Rolls
- 18 cabbage leaves from 1 head of cabbage
- 1 1/2 pounds ground meat (1 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork works well)
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup cabbage, leftover from extracted leaves, and chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or amount to suit desired taste
Sauce
- 1 15-ounce can of stewed tomatoes, processed in a food processor
- 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Carefully peel 18 leaves from the cabbage head after removing its core; do not cut the cabbage in half.
- Mix together ground meat, chopped vegetables, rice, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings in a bowl.
- Divide evenly into 9 balls.
- Place two or more cabbage leaves flat and overlapping on a plate, and place the ball of meat mixture onto the leaves.
- Roll up the bottom 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: bake the stuffed cabbage rolls in a covered, oven-safe dish in a 350-degree oven for about an hour, until the meat is cooked and the cabbage is tender.
- For the stovetop method, cook in a heavy pot, covered, over medium-low to medium heat for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. 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.
