Cabbage Rolls have their roots in the ancient Middle East, 2000 years ago. As people migrated, the concept of stuffed cabbage spread to Europe and then beyond. This is our favourite recipe, a combination of meat and rice with onion, cooked with a tomato sauce.
Cabbage Rolls
A definite sign of fall is the hub of activity, canning and freezing anything from the garden. One of many recipes for easy winter meals is cabbage rolls. They always appear at Thanksgiving and Christmas along with the turkey. Recipe from My Mom, Gramma Gail.
Ingredients
- 5.5 pounds (2495 grams) lean ground beef 0 CHO
- 2 cups (200 grams) dry instant rice 160 CHO
- 1 cup (120 grams) diced red onion 9 CHO
- 1 tsp. salt 0 CHO
- ½ tsp. pepper 0 CHO
TOTAL CHO 169 CHO
- TOTAL WEIGHT HAMBURGER 2823 GRAMS
- 169 CHO DIVIDED BY 2823 GRAMS = .059 CHO/GRAM
- 1/3 CUP = 75 GRAMS (.059 CHO x 75 GRAMS) 4.42 CHO/1/3 CUP/EACH
- COOKED 1/3 CUP MEATBALL = 75 GRAMS 4.42 CHO EACH
*1 -2 small/medium heads of cabbage (1200 gr each) 1 CHO/cabbage leaf
Instructions
- Mix hamburger, onion, salt, pepper and rice with your hands to evenly distribute throughout.
- The girls love the sauce and flavor but aren’t so sure about the cabbage, so we make a combination of both cabbage rolls and meatballs.
- We use 1/3 cup of the meat mixture for the rolls and meatballs. Generally, we make a double batch, so we can have lots of cabbage rolls and meatballs.
- With a sharp knife, cut down as far as you can around the core so that leaves will be easier to pull off. Stick a large serving fork in the center of the core. Place cabbage in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and as leaves cook, pull them from the head of cabbage with tongs. Let them remain in the water until tender if necessary. Gradually remove the leaves as they are done, let cool on a towel.
- Place cabbage on cutting board and add 1/3 cup hamburger mixture to each leaf and roll, folding in sides to make a packet. Place on cooking sheets and freeze individually for 24 hours, before storing in zip lock bags. Do not use parchment or the cabbage rolls will stick to it.
- Single recipe makes about 37 cabbage rolls and/or meatballs.
Recipe Notes
Sour Cabbage Rolls
Replace the fresh steamed cabbage with a purchased head of sour cabbage. Soak the sour cabbage head in cold water for 15 minutes to remove some of the salt. Peel off the leaves and roll as per above.
Freeze and bake with tomato sauce or slowly bake without any sauce so that the cabbage rolls caramelize.
