Cabbage Rolls are tender leaves of cabbage filled and rolled with a mix of Italian sausage, ground beef, rice, onion, and garlic, baked in a flavorful tomato sauce. It is a hearty dish that is perfect for family dinners and sharing with friends! I also have Cabbage Roll Soup with the same great flavors all made in one pot!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cabbage: Look for a head of cabbage for this recipe; it should not have any brown leaves and should feel heavy and compact. You will cook it to soften the leaves enough to remove and roll up to hold the delicious filling. Green cabbage or savoy cabbage are good choices.
Tomato-Based Sauce: For the sauce, you will need a can of tomato sauce and a can of condensed tomato soup. Season with paprika, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For just a slight kick to the sauce, I added crushed red pepper, also known as red pepper flakes. You could leave those out if preferred. Or, add more for a bit more heat to the sauce.
Meat: I added both mild Italian sausage and ground beef to the filling. You could use all ground beef or all Italian sausage if that is what you have on hand. No need to cook the meat in advance; it will be cooked in the cabbage rolls.
Rice: I used long-grained white rice for the filling. You will need about a cup of rice, cooked, to mix with the other filling ingredients.
Make Ahead Cabbage Rolls {Freezer-Friendly}
Cabbage Rolls are a great dish to get assembled and freeze for later! To freeze the cabbage rolls:
- First, get each cabbage roll assembled. (Do not make the sauce until you are ready to bake the cabbage rolls.)
- Once assembled, place them on a baking sheet and into the freezer for about an hour, or until solid.
- Once solid, store the rolls in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, prepare the sauce as instructed, pouring some into the bottom of a baking dish. Then, top with the cabbage rolls and more tomato sauce.
- Bake from frozen, but add 20-30 minutes to the original baking time, or until cooked through.
What To Do With Leftover Cabbage
No matter what recipe we make, an entire head of cabbage is hard to use all at once! In this case, you may have quite a bit of cabbage leftover, depending on the size of the head of cabbage you used. But, don’t let the leftover cabbage go to waste. To store it, first, let it cool completely. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Here are some ways to use it up:
- Use the large leaves as a wrap (in place of a tortilla) to hold your favorite fillings from meats to vegetables to cheese and more!
- Try it instead of lettuce in my Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
- Chop it up to add to your lettuce salad like my Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad. Or, make a cabbage salad!
- Incorporate it into a stir-fry.
- Use it in my Cheesy Sausage Cabbage and Broccoli Bake.
- Make a delicious side dish by using it in my Baked Cabbage recipe.
- Add it to pasta.
- Use shredded cabbage as a pizza topping.
How To Store Cabbage Rolls
To store cabbage rolls, first, let them cool completely. Next, store the cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in a skillet on the stovetop, in the oven, covered, until heated through, or in the microwave. You can also freeze the cabbage rolls after they have been cooked. Once cooled, store them (with the sauce) in a freezer-safe container. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage
Sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (10.25 ounces) condensed tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Filling
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup (186 g) cooked long-grain white rice
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Cabbage
- Fill a large pot about halfway full of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, carefully add the whole head of cabbage. (I like to use tongs.) Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened.
- Drain. Then, using tongs, carefully remove the cabbage from the pot. Let it cool slightly before removing the outer leaves.
- When cool enough, gently remove the outer leaves from the cabbage, cutting out the rough center vein near the base of each leaf. You will need a total of 12 large leaves for this recipe. (If you are using a smaller cabbage, you may need to put smaller leaves together to make one larger one.) Set aside.
Sauce
- To a large bowl, add the tomato sauce, tomato soup, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Filling
- To a separate bowl, add Italian sausage, ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, egg, and ½ cup of the sauce mixture. Mix well and set aside.
Assembly
- Spread 1⁄2 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.
- Place one softened cabbage leaf on a clean work surface. Top with ½ cup of the meat mixture. Then, fold the sides in towards the center and tightly roll until you have no loose edges. Place into the baking dish, seam side down, nestling it into the sauce. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling.
- Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the cabbage rolls.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the cabbage rolls reads 145°F on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the foil and baste the cabbage rolls with the sauce. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I've never tried cabbage rolls before so I wasn't sure what to expect. They were delicious! The tomato sauce complemented the meat filling perfectly!
Elizabeth
These cabbage rolls are great! I love the combination of both Italian sausage and ground beef with the rice. Classic, but delicious.
Rachael
Very nostalgic taste to me, classic cabbage roll comfort food. The filling is so flavorful with the Italian sausage and ground beef!
Annabelle
These are a great option for a comforting meal. As well as being great for feeding a bigger family, or having leftovers!
Bella
This is a fulfilling meal! Lots of flavor and very meaty!
Question – I have leftover filling from stuffed bell peppers that I would like to use up. If the filling is already cooked, does that change the cooking time or temp for these cabbage rolls? I’m not sure how long it takes for the cabbage itself to cook?
I grew up with. The stuff cabbage really love this thanks been making this since I was 8 years old now im 80 years old I hanks again
I love cabbage rolls. This is what I do with the leaves. Please stop cutting the V in the leaf. All you have to do is shave the stem. It’s not necessary to cut the V. I’m Slovak and that’s they way we do it. Put your meat in the middle., Fold over the left or right side, roll up, then tuck the right/or left side in towards the meat to hold it. So easy.
I didn’t “cut a V”. I removed the rough center vein of the cabbage leaf. I don’t recommend not cutting it and a lot more is wasted if you shave the stem. But if that is what you prefer, please do feel free to continue.
Instruction #3
When cool enough, gently remove the outer leaves from the cabbage, cutting out the rough center vein near the base of each leaf. You will need a total of 12 large leaves for this recipe. (If you are using a smaller cabbage, you may need to put smaller leaves together to make one larger one.) Set aside.
Great recipe, I grew up on these! We coarsely chop up leftover cabbage and nestle it in between the rolls and all around. Mashed potatoes and corn and done. Love this recipe!
love that!