Italian Cabbage Rolls

Italian Cabbage Rolls are deliciously filled cabbage leaves with Italian Sweet Sausage, lean ground beef, rice,  Parmigiano-Reggiano, shallots, fresh herbs covered with a delightful Italian red sauce. Italian Cabbage Rolls are my favorite, pure comfort food that’s hearty and filling.

These Italian Cabbage rolls are an American-Italian version my grandmother made for years and handed down to me. They are the perfect healthy comfort food and can be eaten all year long. If you are obsessed with cabbage like I am, these are perfect for making dinner when you have a bit of time.

Italian Cabbage Rolls are a delicious take on an Old Comfort Food that contains well-seasoned ground meat, rice, onions with Italian herbs all bundled in a perfectly cooked cabbage leaf and buried in a rich tomato-wine herb sauce with extra cabbage.

The cabbage roll has sometimes been fondly nicknamed “Pigs in the Blanket,” an old comfort food casserole consisting of cooked cabbage leaves wrapped around various fillings. It is common to the ethnic cuisines of Eastern, Central, Northern Europe, The Balkans, Greece, and parts of the Middle East.

DID YOU KNOW

In Europe, the filling traditionally includes meat, often beef, lamb, or pork, and is seasoned with garlic, onion, and spices. Grains may also include rice and barley, eggs, specialty mushrooms, and vegetables. Baked, simmered, or done on the stovetop in a covered pot covered with a sauce. The sauce varies widely by ethnic culture and local ingredients in the area.

Cabbage rolls are simple to make but require a little time and patience. The ingredients can all be found at your local market and are relatively budget-friendly for the most part. The equipment needed to make this recipe is minimal.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE ITALIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

Cutting Board– To dice shallots and remove the thick part of the cabbage leaf.

Sharp Kitchen Knife– To dice shallots and prepare the cabbage leaves.

Large Steamer Pot or Large pot – You will want one large enough to fit a large head of cabbage.

Kitchen Tongs-  To remove the cabbage leaves one by one safely.

Platter or plate – Place the steamed cabbage leaves until ready to fill and roll.

Large Baking Dish– To hold filled cabbage rolls and sauce. The size should be no smaller than 13×9 for this recipe.

Oven mitts– To safely remove the baking dish from the oven.

TIPS FOR ITALIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

• You’ll need to cut the thick vein of the cabbage leaves away before filling them or rolling them up. Use a sharp paring knife and cut a V-like shape out of the bottom of each cabbage leaf.

• Cutaway a portion of the center vein of cabbage, place even amounts of the filling on each cabbage leaf toward the center bottom.

• Roll the leaf around the filling by beginning from the cut end of the leaf, roll each leaf up and over the filling, tucking the leaf underneath itself tightly. Tuck the ends underneath and fold the open ends of each leaf underneath them to prevent unraveling.

• Place the Italian cabbage rolls seam side down in the baking dish to prevent the rolls from loosening while cooking.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

• Lean ground beef- 93/7

• Ground Sweet Italian Sausage

• Organic Quick cook rice

• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• Shallots or small yellow onion

• Organic fresh flat-leaf parsley

• Rosemary dried or fresh

• Fresh garlic

• Organic extra virgin olive oil

• Organic whole tomatoes, DOP stamped 

• Kosher salt

• White pepper

• Organic fresh small tender basil leaves

STORAGE OF TIPS FOR ITALIAN CABBAGE ROLLS

• The Italian Cabbage Rolls can be assembled and stored in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours before baking them. (I usually keep in a large plastic container then transfer to the baking dish)

• Be sure if you have placed the cabbage rolls in a glass baking dish to let the cold baking dish come up to a safe temperature before attempting to put it in a preheated oven, as the baking dish may crack or explode.

• The cabbage rolls will also store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a tightly covered container. Or Frozen for up to 2-3 months in a tightly sealed freezer container.

Suggested Recipes

• Stuffed Pepper Soup is one of those recipes that you will be thrilled with this easy-to-make, flavorful, and hearty soup if you love Stuffed Peppers.
• Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup has all the delightful flavors of Classic Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, without all the work.
• Veggie Meatball Soup has deliciously tender meatballs vegetables, all simmered in a wonderfully rich seasoned tomato broth.

© Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch, 2022- 2013. The unauthorized use and duplication of this material or photos without express and written permission from this blog’s author or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit to Heidy L. McCallum and The McCallum’s Shamrock Patch with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. You may not copy and paste recipes to share on Social Platforms.

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