Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ina Garten's stuffed cabbage rolls include a beef filling and tomato sauce over the top. They are perfect for a hearty winter meal with sweet roasted cabbage and zesty tomato sauce.

Here is how to make Ina Garten's stuffed cabbage rolls.

Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Recipe Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and their juice
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large head Savoy or green cabbages, outer leaves included

For the Filling:

• 2 ½ pounds ground chuck
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onions
• ½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• ½ cup uncooked white rice
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Recipe Instructions

1. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan; then, add the onions, and cook them over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper.

3. Bring to a boil; then, lower the heat and simmer it uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it's done, set it aside.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

5. Remove the core from the cabbages with a paring knife. Then, immerse its head in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it becomes flexible. Set the leaves aside.

6. Depending on the size of each leaf, you probably will need at least 14 leaves.

7. For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck with the onions, breadcrumbs, rice, eggs, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

9. Then, remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with the use of a small paring knife.

10. Next, shape ⅓ to ½ cup of the filling into an oval shape and place it near the rib edge of each leaf; roll each leaf up over the meat toward the outer edge, while tucking the sides in as you roll.

11. After that, place half the cabbage rolls in the Dutch oven with the seam sides facing down. Then, add more of the sauce followed by more cabbage rolls until all of the cabbage rolls are in the Dutch oven.

12. If you have any remaining sauce, pour them over the Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

13. Finally, cover the dish with the lid (or foil) and let it bake for about 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot!

What is the Best Way to Cook the Cabbage for Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

The best way to cook the cabbage is in the microwave:

• Simply, place the head of cabbage in a microwave-safe dish with the core side facing down and add ½ cup of water. Then, cover it and let it cook for about 10 minutes on high.
• Then, using a sturdy fork or tongs, turn the cabbage head so the core is facing up and continue cooking it on high for another 10 minutes.

What Vegetable Goes with Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

Radishes, turnips, rutabagas, broccoli, and cauliflower are all delicious vegetables to serve with Ina Garten's stuffed cabbage rolls.

How Can You Make Cabbage More Tender?

To make the cabbage more tender, you can salt it. It will become just a little more tender while being considerably more flavorful. When you salt vegetables that have high water content, the salt will draw some of the water out.

Is Cabbage Healthier Than Lettuce?

Both cabbage and lettuce are really good sources of nutrients, although cabbage contains significantly more vitamins and minerals than lettuce. In fact, cabbage contains vitamins C and K, folate, and potassium. Green cabbage is known to be packed with antioxidants, including polyphenol compounds and vitamin C.

Why are My Cooked Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Bitter?

Glucosinolates are what make cabbage and many other cruciferous vegetables bitter. Cruciferous plants are known for containing these molecules. The more bitter the plant, the more glucosinolates it contains.

Should You Wash the Cabbage?

Even though the inside of cabbage is generally clean as it has outer leaves protect it, you still may want to wash it. Start by removing the thick outer leaves, cutting your cabbage into pieces and rinsing it under running water. For the vitamin C content to be preserved, cut and wash the cabbage right before cooking or eating it.

Why is the Cabbage in My Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Tough?

If the cabbage in your cabbage rolls is too tough, it means they haven't been cooked enough. If the cabbage is still not soft enough after you cooked the cabbage rolls, it means that you need to cook them for longer.

What Color of Cabbage is the Best For You?

Red cabbage is known to be super rich in vitamin C, making it an antioxidant-rich and perfect as an immune booster. When you compare both green and red cabbage, the red one contains 10 times more vitamins than green cabbage.

Can You Cook Red Cabbage the Same Way You Cook Green Cabbage?

Yes, in fact you can just swap red cabbage for green cabbage in most recipes as they are actually very similar in both flavor, shape, and texture. Red cabbage's vibrant hue will add a nice pop of color to many of your dishes, but be careful because this color can seep out and stain other ingredients in your dish.

What Can You Serve with Ina Garten's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

You can serve Ina Garten's stuffed cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes or rice. They both provide creamy starchiness to balance the vegetable flavors of the cabbage. You can serve plain mashed potatoes or brown rice seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter.

Continue to Content

Ina Garten’s Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ina Garten’s stuffed cabbage rolls include a beef filling and tomato sauce over the top. They are perfect for a hearty winter meal with sweet roasted cabbage and zesty tomato sauce.

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Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and their juice
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large head Savoy or green cabbages, outer leaves included

For the Filling:

• 2 ½ pounds ground chuck
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onions
• ½ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• ½ cup uncooked white rice
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan; then, add the onions, and cook them over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent.Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil; then, lower the heat and simmer it uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it’s done, set it aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4. Remove the core from the cabbages with a paring knife. Then, immerse its head in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it becomes flexible. Set the leaves aside.
5. Depending on the size of each leaf, you probably will need at least 14 leaves.
6. For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the ground chuck with the onions, breadcrumbs, rice, eggs, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
8. To assemble the cabbage rolls, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a Dutch oven.
9. Then, remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with the use of a small paring knife.
10. Next, shape ⅓ to ½ cup of the filling into an oval shape and place it near the rib edge of each leaf; roll each leaf up over the meat toward the outer edge, while tucking the sides in as you roll.
11. After that, place half the cabbage rolls in the Dutch oven with the seam sides facing down. Then, add more of the sauce followed by more cabbage rolls until all of the cabbage rolls are in the Dutch oven.
12. If you have any remaining sauce then pour them over the Ina Garten Stuffed Cabbage rolls.
13. Finally, cover the dish with the lid (or foil) and let it bake for about 1 hour or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 884Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 285mgSodium: 1021mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 34gProtein: 60g