Description
Easy Cabbage Rolls featuring a flavorful blend of ground turkey and Italian sausage wrapped in tender cabbage leaves, baked in a savory tomato sauce with aromatic spices. Perfect for a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 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
Cabbage
- 1 head green cabbage, frozen
Sauce
- 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
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Cabbage: Place the head of cabbage in the freezer for 24 hours to freeze completely. Remove and let thaw for 2 hours until leaves begin to peel off easily. Peel off as many leaves as you can, keeping remaining cabbage frozen to peel later as needed.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and grease or prepare a 9x13 inch casserole dish for baking.
- Make the Sauce: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté 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 mixture to a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine cooked white rice, ground turkey, Italian sausage, egg, Italian bread crumbs, and minced fresh parsley. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Assemble Cabbage Rolls: Lay a cabbage leaf flat on your workspace. Using a medium ice cream scoop or spoon, place the meat filling into the widest part of the leaf. Fold the sides over the filling and roll tightly to encase the filling completely. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
- Layer and Bake: Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down in the dish in a single layer. Pour remaining sauce evenly over the top of the rolls.
- Bake until Tender: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes until the meat is cooked through and tender.
Notes
- Freezing the cabbage helps in peeling leaves easily without tearing them.
- You can substitute ground beef or pork for the turkey and sausage if preferred.
- For a vegetarian version, replace meat with cooked lentils or chopped mushrooms and omit egg and breadcrumbs or use vegan substitutes.
- Leftover cabbage rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat cabbage rolls covered in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
- Use a sharp knife to score the cabbage core if you have trouble with peeling the leaves.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
