Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a buttery, savory meat-and-rice filling and baked in a silky tomato-butter sauce for a warm, comforting main course.
Silky Buttered Cabbage Rolls
Tender cabbage leaves cradle a buttery meat-and-rice filling and a glossy tomato-butter sauce for a cozy, hands-on main that feeds a family and keeps nicely for leftovers.
There’s something very reassured about a dish you can tuck away in the oven and let the flavors do the work — these cabbage rolls are exactly that. Blanched cabbage leaves become soft and flexible enough to wrap around a mix of ground beef and pork, just-cooked rice, fragrant sautéed onion and garlic, and a binding kiss of egg and breadcrumbs. The result is compact, comforting bites that feel like a Sunday roast in miniature.
A couple of technique choices make a huge difference: blanch the whole head so the leaves peel off intact, and cook the rice only until just tender so it finishes gently during baking without turning mushy. Mix the filling gently — you want everything evenly combined but not worked into toughness. The tomato sauce gets brightened with a touch of sugar to tame acidity and finished with melted unsalted butter for a silky mouthfeel that coats each roll.
On the plate you’ll notice contrasts: the tender, slightly sweet cabbage, the savory, juicy meat-and-rice center, and the round, glossy sauce that soaks into every bite. Breadcrumbs and egg keep slices from falling apart while baking, so each roll holds together when you lift it out. Serve with a smear of plain yogurt or mashed potatoes to sop up that sauce, or tuck rolls into bowls with extra crusty bread.
These rolls are unexpectedly good for make-ahead cooking: assemble and chill up to a day in advance (or freeze before baking), then bake straight from chilled or thawed. Leftovers reheat beautifully and the flavors deepen overnight, making this a perfect choice for a weekend batch-cook or a cozy weeknight supper that feels like a potluck favorite.
Ingredients
How to Make Buttery Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Core the cabbage and bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the whole head and blanch 8–10 minutes until outer leaves soften and peel away easily, then transfer leaves to a bowl of cold water and drain when cool.
- Cook the rice according to package directions but stop when just tender (about 12–15 minutes); drain and let cool slightly.
- Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic; melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic 4–5 minutes until translucent and fragrant, then remove from heat to cool a bit.
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef and pork, cooked rice, sautéed onion and garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; mix gently until evenly combined but not overworked.
- Trim the thick white ribs from the base of each cabbage leaf so they can roll flat, then place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture near the stem end of a leaf and roll it up, tucking in the sides to form a neat parcel; repeat with remaining filling and leaves.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl whisk together the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to make the sauce.
- Spread a couple of reserved inner cabbage leaves across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; arrange the rolls seam-side down in the dish in a single layer and pour the tomato-broth sauce evenly over them.
- Dot the rolls with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces, cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 50–60 minutes until filling is cooked through and cabbage is tender; uncover for the last 10 minutes to let the tops brown slightly.
- Let the cabbage rolls rest 10 minutes before serving so the sauce settles; garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired and spoon sauce over each serving.
Recipe Card
Buttery Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a buttery, savory meat-and-rice filling and baked in a silky tomato-butter sauce for a warm, comforting main course.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Core the cabbage and bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the whole head and blanch 8–10 minutes until outer leaves soften and peel away easily, then transfer leaves to a bowl of cold water and drain when cool.
- Cook the rice according to package directions but stop when just tender (about 12–15 minutes); drain and let cool slightly.
- Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic; melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic 4–5 minutes until translucent and fragrant, then remove from heat to cool a bit.
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef and pork, cooked rice, sautéed onion and garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; mix gently until evenly combined but not overworked.
- Trim the thick white ribs from the base of each cabbage leaf so they can roll flat, then place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture near the stem end of a leaf and roll it up, tucking in the sides to form a neat parcel; repeat with remaining filling and leaves.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a medium bowl whisk together the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to make the sauce.
- Spread a couple of reserved inner cabbage leaves across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; arrange the rolls seam-side down in the dish in a single layer and pour the tomato-broth sauce evenly over them.
- Dot the rolls with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces, cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 50–60 minutes until filling is cooked through and cabbage is tender; uncover for the last 10 minutes to let the tops brown slightly.
- Let the cabbage rolls rest 10 minutes before serving so the sauce settles; garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired and spoon sauce over each serving.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 43
- Saturated Fat
- 12
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 8
- Unsaturated Fat
- 44
- Protein
- 48
- Fat
- 56
- Cholesterol
- 170
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 840
- Sugar
- 8