Easy Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage, frozen
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil for sautéing (estimated 2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. 1

   Freeze and Prepare Cabbage: Place the whole head of green cabbage in the freezer and freeze completely for 24 hours. After freezing, remove cabbage and let thaw for 2 hours or until the leaves start to peel off easily, peeling a few leaves at a time.

2. 2

   Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and grease or prepare a 9x13 inch casserole dish for baking.

3. 3

   Prepare Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced red onion and minced garlic for 6 to 8 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and chicken stock. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. 4

   Make Meat Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked white rice, ground turkey, Italian sausage, egg, Italian bread crumbs, and minced fresh parsley. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.

5. 5

   Assemble Cabbage Rolls: Lay one cabbage leaf flat on a clean surface. Using a medium ice cream scoop or spoon, portion the meat filling into the widest part of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling and then roll it up tightly to enclose the mixture. Repeat this process until all filling and leaves are used.

6. 6

   Layer and Bake: Pour half of the prepared sauce into the bottom of the 9x13 casserole dish. Place the assembled cabbage rolls seam side down in the sauce, layering as needed. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the rolls.

7. 7

   Bake the cabbage rolls in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and tender. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes before serving.