This is a 100% homemade recipe. You make it from scratch: from the tomato sauce to the cabbage rolls. This makes it very healthy and neat. It is very juicy and flavourful. It is made with ground beef, rice and our unique tomato sauce.
The taste of this dish brings back warm memories; especially weekends that you spent with your grandparents, aunts or uncles. The sight and smell of these rolls are definitely something that will haunt you as you grow up. Whenever you remember it, you get water in your mouth. It is for sure that everyone asks for second rounds whenever they taste it.
It is definitely okay to make these stuffed cabbage rolls in large batches and keep them in the fridge to serve in big gatherings.
INGREDIENTS
For the Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ cup of finely chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
28 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes. Do not drain
15 ounce can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons OF brown sugar
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
For the Cabbage Rolls:
2 pounds ground beef 80/20
1 ½ cups cooked white rice
½ cup of finely chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Ezoic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
2 eggs
1 head cabbage
cooking spray
PROCEDURE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take a large pot and place it on medium heat. Add olive oil and onions and cook until they become semi-transparent. Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir. Then, add the roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients in the pot and let them cook for 4 minutes. The final step to make the tomato sauce is to add the brown sugar and vinegar. Combine everything well and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Boil water in a large stockpot. Add the cabbage head to the boiling water and let it cook for 7-8 minutes. Drain the cabbage and place it on a tray. Peel off 12 leaves of the cabbage and set them aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, seasonings, and an egg.
Lay each cabbage leaf on a flat surface and cut the thick part with a knife or scissors. Place a portion of the ground beef mixture in the center of the cabbage leaf and roll it. Repeat the process until all the leaves are filled with the ground beef mixture.
Grease a 9×13 pan. Place half of the tomato sauce at the bottom of the pan and then place the filled cabbage leaves. Finally, top with the remaining tomato sauce.
Cover the pan with foil and cook it until the cabbage is soft, which takes about 90 minutes.
Note: You may use a premade tomato sauce and season it with oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and parsley to enhance its flavor.
