Stuffed Cabbage Skillet

Stuffed cabbage roll topped with tomato sauce and sauerkraut on a patterned plate.

This stuffed cabbage skillet recipe features tender cabbage leaves filled with seasoned ground beef and rice, then baked in tomato sauce with sauerkraut and its tangy brine.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Polish

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 188kcal

Author Diane Gail

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves sliced thin
28 oz can crushed tomatoes unseasoned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the Filling:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup cooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 large egg beaten
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Remaining Ingredients:

1 head cabbage
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut
1/2 cup sauerkraut juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the cabbage stem-side down in a large pot with 2–3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove the outer leaves with tongs as they soften and loosen from the head. Set the leaves aside to cool.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Stir the crushed tomatoes and balsamic vinegar into the skillet. Heat the sauce through, then remove it from the heat and set aside.
Combine the ground beef, cooked rice, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, and tomato sauce in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with your hands until evenly combined.
Lay the cabbage leaves flat and trim or make a small slit in the thick center rib of each leaf without cutting through the entire leaf.
Shape a portion of the beef and rice filling into a short, thick log and place it near the base of a cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a cast iron Dutch oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls. Spread the sauerkraut over the top, then pour the sauerkraut juice evenly over the rolls.
Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the cabbage is tender and the center of the filling reaches 160°F (71°C).
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and let the cabbage rolls rest, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make the cabbage rolls ahead and refrigerate them without the tomato sauce, sauerkraut, or sauerkraut juice. Add the sauce, sauerkraut, and juice just before baking.
Store leftover stuffed cabbage rolls with their sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) until heated through.
To freeze before baking, make the tomato sauce and assemble the cabbage rolls, then freeze them separately in tightly covered freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw both overnight in the refrigerator, top the rolls with the sauce, sauerkraut, and sauerkraut juice, and bake as directed.
To freeze after baking, cool the cabbage rolls completely and freeze them with the tomato sauce and sauerkraut in a tightly covered freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) until heated through.

Nutrition