Ground Beef Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuff You’ll Need

• 1 medium green cabbage, cored
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 slices sturdy white bread, torn into small pieces
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• ½ pound bratwurst, casings removed

Stuff to Know Before Cooking

If the tops of the cabbage rolls look dry after removing the foil, spoon some sauce over them before returning the dish to the oven.

Soften the Cabbage

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Place cabbage in a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave until outer leaves become pliable and translucent, 3 to 6 minutes.

Using tongs, remove softened outer leaves and set aside. Re-cover and repeat until you have 15 to 17 large, intact leaves.

Make the Sauce Base

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Transfer half the onion mixture to a bowl and set aside. Off heat, stir tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper into the pot until sugar dissolves.

Prepare the Filling

In a food processor, pulse bread and milk into a smooth paste. Add reserved onion mixture, beef, bratwurst, salt, and pepper. Pulse until well combined, about ten 1-second pulses.

Assemble the Rolls

Trim tough ribs from cabbage leaves. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on each leaf, roll tightly, and arrange seam-side down in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

Bake and Serve

Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are heated through, about 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake until the sauce thickens slightly and the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Ground Beef Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

These stuffed beef cabbage rolls are tender and savory, with a warmly spiced filling of beef and bratwurst wrapped in soft cabbage leaves. Simmered in a sweet-and-tangy tomato sauce, each bite is rich, comforting, and full of flavor.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium green cabbage cored
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 can 28 ounces tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 slices sturdy white bread torn into small pieces
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• ½ pound bratwurst casings removed

Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Place cabbage in a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave until the outer leaves become pliable and translucent, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove the softened outer leaves and set aside. Re-cover the bowl and repeat until you have 15 to 17 large, intact leaves.
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of the onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Off heat, stir tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into the pot with the remaining onion mixture until the sugar dissolves.
• In a food processor, pulse bread and milk into a smooth paste. Add the reserved onion mixture, beef, bratwurst, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then pulse until well combined, about ten 1-second pulses.
• Trim the tough ribs from the cabbage leaves. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture in each leaf, roll tightly, and arrange seam-side down in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls, cover with foil, and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are heated through, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly and the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve.