Description
Delicious and comforting Easy Cabbage Rolls made with a flavorful mixture of ground turkey and beef, rice, onions, and herbs baked in a savory tomato sauce. This classic family-friendly dish features tender cabbage leaves stuffed with a well-seasoned filling and baked to perfection in a rich tomato-based sauce. Perfect for a hearty dinner that serves six.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 cup long grain white rice (uncooked)
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 2 small yellow onions (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 egg
Tomato Sauce
- 1 ¾ cups tomato sauce (divided)
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
Instructions
- Prepare Cabbage Leaves: Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft enough to bend without breaking. Carefully remove leaves from the head—if difficult, core the cabbage and peel leaves. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready when the cabbage rolls are assembled.
- Cook Rice: Cook the long grain white rice according to package instructions but reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice remains slightly underdone for better texture inside the rolls. Set aside.
- Cook Meat Mixture: In a pan over medium heat, cook the ground turkey, ground beef, diced onions, minced garlic, dried dill, parsley, salt, and black pepper until no pink remains in the meat and onions are translucent. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the cooked rice, diced tomatoes including their juices, ⅓ cup of the tomato sauce, and the egg to bind the mixture.
- Prepare Sauce Base: In a bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce (1 ½ cups) with the condensed tomato soup to create a rich, tangy sauce. Spread a very thin layer of this sauce across the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Assemble Cabbage Rolls: Remove or thin the thick stem from each cabbage leaf to ensure easy rolling. Lay each leaf flat, spoon ¼ to ⅓ cup of the meat and rice filling into the center, fold in the sides neatly, and roll up tightly like a burrito. Place each roll seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all filling is used.
- Bake: Pour the remaining tomato and soup sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 75 to 90 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the flavors meld together.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the foil and let the cabbage rolls cool for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set and flavors to deepen.
Notes
- When removing cabbage leaves, core the cabbage first to make peeling leaves easier.
- Thin or remove the thick vein from the cabbage leaves to prevent tearing when rolling.
- If leaves are small, use a smaller amount of filling and adjust rolling tightness accordingly.
- Reducing the rice cooking time maintains a slight bite, preventing mushy texture inside the rolls.
- Use lean meats to reduce fat content and drain excess fat during cooking for a healthier dish.
