One Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Stuffed cabbage is a delicious traditional dish from eastern Europe. There are lots of ways to make it, but the most familiar way is to mix ground beef with onion, garlic, and cooked rice, wrap this filling in boiled cabbage leaves, cover it with tomato sauce, and bake it in a casserole dish. The juices from the meat ooze out into the rice and blend with the tomato sauce to make a yummy, hearty, savory meal.
Unfortunately, making it this way is a big hassle. You have to cook the cabbage first, and then mix up the filling, and then load it into the cabbage leaves and roll them up and put them in the dish and spoon on the tomato sauce…and then wait 45 minutes for the whole thing to cook.
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So I decided it was time to give this complicated dish a makeover. Just like my Easy Crockpot Lasagna Ravioli and my Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites, these One Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls have all the flavor of the original recipe, but they’re way easier to make. No need to mess with boiling and stuffing and rolling up a bunch of cabbage leaves…just brown the meat, add the rest of the ingredients, and let it all simmer in one pot until it’s done.
Stuffed cabbage that tastes just like Grandma’s…but without all the work.
One Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
(printable recipe at bottom of post)
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground beef
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 small green cabbage head, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, brown ground beef, onions and garlic together. Cook until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
2. Add cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and reduce heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes. Enjoy as is, or serve over rice.
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Corey, Darryl, Big D & Little D
One Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
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Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 small green cabbage head chopped (about 4 cups)
- 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 1 8oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, brown ground beef, onions and garlic together. Cook until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
- Add cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Cover and reduce heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Make sure to share it with me below!
It was ok but I added rice as I’ve never had an authentic cabbage roll that didn’t have rice in it. It was a bit too sweet as well.
Love this dish and make it regularly. It is great for weight loss!
Gotta have the rice and sweet and sour!
I used my original stuffed cabbage recipe and to make these adjustments:
i used 1 and 1/2 boiling water with 2 teaspoons of roast beef flavor Better than Bouillon and 1/2 c raw white rice. Also 2 T brown sugar and 1 T cider vinegar, thyme, parsley and bay leaf.
Simmering in my dutch oven on a snowy day. So much easier and just as YUMMY!
Sounds yummy Jen
It’s a great base recipe. The first time I made it without any alterations, but quickly realized it needed a few things. The second time I made it I added creole seasoning and about a half cup more of the beef broth, because I also added rice to this recipe. I’ve never had cabbage rolls that didn’t have rice in them..
Delicious! Tastes complex, but so easy to make.
I used ground turkey, added soy sauce for extra umami + sriracha for kick.
Served w/nonfat Greek yogurt & brown rice. YUM!