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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Main Dish Recipes

    Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls (Inspired by Nan)

    Published: October 20, 2019 Updated: February 11, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 66 Comments

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    Old-fashioned cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and dill garnish.

    These easy old-fashioned cabbage rolls are stuffed with a savoury ground beef mixture, coated in tomato sauce and are oh so scrumptious! Inspired by my grandmother, it’ll be the only stuffed cabbage roll recipe you’ll need!

    Old-fashioned cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and dill garnish in a serving dish.

    Hi friends!

    Today I’m sharing another family recipe with you!

    I mentioned a while back that I would share this easy cabbage roll recipe with you guys one day and I couldn’t be more excited to do so!

    These old-fashioned cabbage rolls are inspired by my grandmother or, as I call her, Nan.

    For as long as I can remember, Nan was known in our family for her stuffed cabbage rolls.

    She actually learned to make them from my grandfather (pop) when he was just a young fellow working and living in Toronto with his friend’s family, who were Polish.

    When I attempted to get the recipe from Nan, I had to question some things she was telling me (or wasn’t telling me, LOL). I tease, I tease!

    Did you ever watch Everybody Loves Raymond? There’s an episode where Debra gets her mother-in-law’s recipe for meatballs, but they didn’t quite turn out the same because her mother-in-law secretly replaced a bottle of basil with tarragon by disguising the label.

    Nan laughed when I teased her about it, but I think she’s proud of how these turned out.

    In all seriousness, though, I made a couple of tweaks to put my own spin on them but, at the heart, they’re Nan’s.

    And when I cook them? All I think about is how much the house smells like hers when she makes them. Who would have thought that stuffed cabbage leaves could be so delicious? That smell and taste just makes me happy.

    Cabbage Roll Ingredients

    • Cabbage (I use standard green cabbage, but you could use savoy).
    • Cooked rice
    • Egg
    • Aromatics, like onion and garlic
    • Herbs, like parsley and dill
    • Seasonings, like Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder, red chili flakes (chili flakes are optional)
    • Tomato sauce
    • Water

    How To Make Cabbage Rolls

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    Prepare the meat filling

    1. In a bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, egg, cooked rice, minced onion, parsley, salt, pepper, dill, onion powder, red chili flakes (optional) and tomato sauce.
    2. Next, simply mix to combine everything.
    Collage of steps to make the ground meat filling for a stuffed cabbage roll recipe.

    Prepare the cabbage

    The easiest way to prepare cabbage for stuffed cabbage rolls is to place the full head of clean cabbage in a pot of boiling water, cover with lid ajar and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. You can carefully flip cabbage over partway through.

    Tip: Don’t fill your pot of water to the brim. When you place the head of cabbage in there, it will displace some of the water. To be sure how much water you’ll need, test it out before bringing the water to boil.

    Next, remove cabbage leaves and core:

    1. Once cabbage is cool enough to handle, cut off leaves (one at a time).
    2. Then remove core from each leaf.

    Tip: As you get so far into removing the leaves, you will have to place the head of cabbage back in boiling water to soften those leaves further in the centre of the cabbage.

    Collage of steps to remove the leaves and core from cabbage.

    Stuff the cabbage rolls

    1. Place about ยผ cup of filling in the cabbage leaf (I like to shape into somewhat of a log).
    2. Fold over sides of cabbage.
    3. Roll up.
    Collage of steps to stuff and roll cabbage rolls.

    Assemble stuffed cabbage rolls in baking dish and bake

    1. Place some cabbage leaves in the bottom of a greased baking dish.
    2. Top with stuffed cabbage rolls.
    3. Mix tomato sauce with a little reserved cabbage water and pour over top.
    4. Cover with more cabbage leaves, then tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the cabbage rolls are fully cooked through. That’s it! You’ve made delicious old-fashioned cabbage rolls!
    Collage of steps to assemble cabbage rolls and tomato sauce in a baking dish.

    How To Know When They’re Done

    As Nan says, take one out and test it!

    Ground beef should reach a minimum internal cooking temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To check the internal temperature of the cabbage rolls, use an instant-read meat thermometer. It’s a handy tool to have in the kitchen!

    I typically cook cabbage rolls for 2 hours, 15 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes. Check at the former.

    If they aren’t done, continue cooking.

    Stuffed cabbage rolls in a baking dish with tomato sauce on top.

    Can I Thicken the Cabbage Roll Sauce?

    If you want things a little thicker, place the tomato sauce into a pot over medium heat.

    Allow it to come to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, until it has reduced to the consistency that you like.

    Old-fashioned cabbage rolls piled high with tomato sauce over them.

    How Long They Last

    Properly store leftover cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 to 4 days. Reheat before serving.

    Cabbage roll with tomato sauce and dill, sitting on a spatula.

    How to Reheat Cabbage Rolls

    To reheat cabbage rolls, place them in a pan (over medium heat) with a little tomato sauce and splash of water. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

    Alternatively, you can reheat in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven. Place cabbage rolls in a baking dish (with a some tomato sauce and splash of water). Loosely cover with aluminum foil. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

    Close-up of a homemade cabbage roll with tomato sauce and dill garnish.

    Serving Suggestions

    These old-fashioned cabbage rolls are super hearty all on their own. However, if you want to make things even more substantial with garnish or sides, any of these work:

    • Sauerkraut (and, honestly (though not traditional), I love with kimchi)
    • Sour cream
    • Homemade bread
    • Mashed potatoes
    • Skillet potatoes
    • Simple side salad
    • Splash of vinegar (I love a little touch of vinegar on my cabbage rolls). The little bite just works!
    A stuffed cabbage roll on a plate, showing the meat filling interior.

    Tips for Making These Old Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

    • Use lean or extra lean ground beef. If the beef is too fatty, it will leak out into your tomato sauce and the end result will be too greasy.
    • Roll the cabbage leaves tight and place in the baking dish seam side down.
    • You can add a little brown or white sugar to your tomato sauce if you want less of a tomato bite.
    • If you use no salt added tomato sauce, you may have to add a little salt to the mix. Just add to taste.
    • Alternatively, you can replace some of the tomato sauce with canned tomatoes. Use diced or whole peeled tomatoes (crush whole canned tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher before using). If opting for this, use one (28 ounce) can of tomatoes, along with one (13 to 14 ounce) can of tomato sauce.
    • To add more richness to the tomato sauce, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste into the sauce/water mixture when pouring over the stuffed cabbage rolls.

    Like This Stuffed Cabbage Roll Recipe? You May Enjoy These Too

    • Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup With Ham
    • Traditional Newfoundland Cod au Gratin
    • Newfoundland Salt Cod Fish Cakes

    Hope you love these easy cabbage rolls as much as we do! We think they’re the best cabbage rolls because they’re inspired by Nan.

    If you make this stuffed cabbage roll recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Old-fashioned cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and dill garnish in a serving dish.

    Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls (Inspired by Nan)

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    These easy Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls are stuffed with a savoury ground beef mixture, coated in tomato sauce and are so scrumptious! Inspired by my grandmother, it'll be the only stuffed cabbage roll recipe you'll need!
    5 from 25 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 40 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs 15 mins
    Cooling Time 20 mins
    Total Time 3 hrs 15 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Servings 18 cabbage rolls (approximately)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup COOKED long-grain rice, or similar variety (you'll need about โ…“ cup of uncooked rice to yield 1 cup of cooked rice)
    • 1.5 pounds lean ground beef, or extra lean ground beef
    • 1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 yellow onion, peeled and minced
    • โ…“ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1.5 teaspoons salt
    • ยฝ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ยฝ teaspoon dried dill (dill weed)
    • ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
    • ยฝ to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (crushed red pepper flakes), optional
    • 3 (13.5-ounce) cans tomato sauce, divided (about three (398 millilitre) cans or 5 cups. See point "5" below in recipe "Notes")
    • 1 medium head green cabbage, you'll need about 18 leaves for the rolls and another 8 to 10 or so for the bottom of the dish and over top
    • ยฝ cup water, leftover from boiling cabbage
    • Chopped fresh dill, garnish to taste (optional)

    Instructions

    • Cook rice according to package instructions and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit at this point too.
    • In a large bowl, combine ground beef with Worcestershire sauce, egg, cooked rice, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, dill, onion powder, red chili flakes (if using) and ยฝ cup of tomato sauce. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
    • To a large pot of boiling water, add head of cabbage, cover with lid ajar and boil for 8 to 10 minutes (carefully turn over partway through). Carefully remove. Don't discard water because you will need to re-boil the cabbage as you start to peel off the leaves and you will need some of the water for your sauce.
      Note: Don't fill the pot all the way up because the cabbage will displace some of the water. Before boiling water, test how much the water will displace by placing the head of cabbage in the pot.
    • Once cabbage is cool enough to handle, carefully remove leaves and cut out core from each leaf. Once you start taking leaves off, you'll likely need to add the cabbage back to the boiling water (to soften more leaves). Just boil for another bit, let cool enough to handle and continue removing leaves.
    • Place some cabbage leaves on the bottom of a deep 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish or roasting pan.
    • To assemble the cabbage rolls, taking one leaf at a time, distribute about ยผ cup of ground beef mixture on top and wrap up (fold in sides and roll up, placing in prepared dish, seam side down). Continue with remaining ground beef mixture/leaves.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 4.5 cups of tomato sauce and ยฝ cup of cabbage water. Pour over top of cabbage rolls. Top with more cabbage leaves.
      Note: You could stir in about a tablespoon or so of white or brown sugar into the tomato sauce if you want less of a tomato bite. I like the brightness of tomatoes, so I skip this.
    • Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Cover and bake for 2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes or until cabbage rolls are fully cooked through (the ground beef should be no longer be pink, it should be brown all the way through and the internal temperature of the cabbage rolls reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an instant-read meat thermometer).
    • Once done, be careful removing foil covering as there will be steam. Discard top cabbage leaves. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or so before serving. Garnish, if desired, with fresh dill. Enjoy!
      Note: If you have any leftovers, properly store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 2 to 4 days, reheating before serving.

    Notes

    1. Use lean or extra lean ground beef. If the beef is too fatty, it will leak out into your tomato sauce and the end result will be too greasy.
    2. Roll the cabbage leaves tight and place in the baking dish seam side down.
    3. You can add a little brown or white sugar to your tomato sauce if you want less of a tomato bite.
    4. If you use no salt added tomato sauce, you may have to add a little salt to the mix. Just add to taste.
    5. Alternatively, you can replace some of the tomato sauce with canned tomatoes. Use diced or whole peeled tomatoes (crush whole peel canned tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher to break up before using). If opting for this, use one (28 ounce) can of tomatoes, along with one (13 to 14 ounce) can of tomato sauce.
    6. To add more richness to the tomato sauce, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste into the sauce/water mixture when pouring over the stuffed cabbage rolls.

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword old fashioned cabbage rolls, Sunday supper recipe

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Valentina

      October 22, 2019 at 10:41 pm

      5 stars
      I was so excited to see this post. I also have a recipe for cabbage rolls from my Grandmother. ๐Ÿ™‚ (I have a hand written notebook of her recipes.) Her recipe is very similar but the rice goes in raw and she added sugar to the sauce. You’ve wrapped these so beautifully and I know they are absolutely delicious! Love it! What fun! ๐Ÿ™‚ ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 29, 2019 at 9:05 am

        Yay! So happy to hear that, Valentina! And how cool is that?? Thank you so much!

        Reply
    2. Haylie Abele

      October 22, 2019 at 5:32 am

      Dawn, I totally love that these are inspired by your grandmother. I love love family recipes!! These look SO delicious! Pretty sure I could eat an entire platter of these LOL! Happy Tuesday my friend!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:59 am

        Yay! Thank you Haylie!! I could too ๐Ÿ˜‰ Have an awesome week!

        Reply
    3. Matt - Total Feasts

      October 22, 2019 at 3:07 am

      5 stars
      These take me back, I remember having these growing up! They look so delicious, and great comfort food,

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Happy to hear that! Thank you Matt ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Katherine | Love In My Oven

      October 21, 2019 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      My German Grandma made the BEST cabbage rolls too. My Mom’s are pretty good too, haha. These look lovely, Dawn. You did a wonderful job!! I could eat a ton! Have a great week!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Thank you Katherine! I could too ๐Ÿ˜‰ You as well!

        Reply
    5. Kevin

      October 21, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      Good old fashioned cabbage rolls CAN NOT be beat!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:58 am

        Definitely! Thanks Kevin ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Laura

      October 21, 2019 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      I do love a good cabbage roll, Dawn! Iโ€™ve never made them, though. They seem pretty straightforward, going to have to give these a try sometime. They are beautiful, and I imagine my fam would love them! Pinning!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:57 am

        Definitely ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you Laura…enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Mimi

      October 21, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      These look so good. I just love cabbage rolls, but theyโ€™re sort of a pain in the you know what to make. I created a โ€œdeconstructedโ€ recipe using the same ingredients, layered in a casserole dish, except that I substituted a bechamel for a red sauce. Much easier. But not as fun to eat!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:57 am

        Thanks Mimi! Love cabbage rolls too ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Leanne

      October 21, 2019 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      While I don’t remember my grandmothers making cabbage rolls, I remember my parents making them every fall. They still do! And they usually freeze some and break them out on Boxing Day. I wasn’t a fan when I was super young, but as I grew up, I grew to love them! These look delicious Dawn! Happy Monday!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:55 am

        Thank you Leanne ๐Ÿ™‚ Have an awesome week!

        Reply
    9. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers

      October 21, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      There’s nothing like a treasured family recipe and when that recipe is cabbage rolls, all the better! These look perfect ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:55 am

        I agree! Thank you Jennifer ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    10. [email protected]

      October 21, 2019 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing better than a recipe from Nan! My MIL makes a similar cabbage roll – and it’s always a treat when she does! These look amazing, my friend! YUM! xoxo

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:55 am

        For sure! Thank you Annie! XOXO

        Reply
    11. David @ Spiced

      October 21, 2019 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      What a fun inspiration to this recipe, Dawn! To be honest, I’ve got to give you a high-five for the photos here. Cabbage rolls aren’t easy to photograph, but you nailed it! These sound delicious, and I’m thinking this would be the perfect comfort food for a chilly evening at home.

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:54 am

        Thanks David! Appreciate that!

        Reply
    12. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen

      October 21, 2019 at 9:39 am

      5 stars
      Way to go Nan and you! I grew up enjoying stuffed cabbage. My father was Hungarian and stuffed cabbage was a very popular dish. These look exactly like the ones I used to eat. You’ve done Nan proud Dawn! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:54 am

        Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Your’re so kind ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop

      October 21, 2019 at 9:32 am

      5 stars
      What a lovely tribute to your Nan! The best compliment is asking for a recipe, especially when it’s one your truly love! These cabbage rolls look full of love – and taste!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Thank you Kathy!! They sure are ๐Ÿ˜‰

        Reply
    14. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes

      October 21, 2019 at 6:56 am

      5 stars
      I love traditional family recipes. and this looks so delicious, Dawn! I have never tried making my own cabbage rolls before – I am going to save this to try when I am back home from my trip ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Me too! Thank you Alexandra!! Hope you love them as much as we do ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    15. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

      October 20, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      5 stars
      I haven’t had cabbage rolls in forever and now I’m craving them. These look awesome, Dawn! Grandma-inspired recipes are always the best. Hope you’re having a great weekend!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        October 22, 2019 at 9:53 am

        Totally! Thank you Kelsie ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
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