Whole Stuffed Cabbage

Submitted by Dee514

"When I discovered you could stuff a whole cabbage instead of the individual leaves, I never made "cabbage rolls" again. I find this to be much easier and quicker than stuffing the leaves. It is my favorite way to make stuffed cabbage, and the flavor of the stuffed cabbage leaves is not lost by stuffing the head. NOTE: Different varieties of cabbage may take less time to cook."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 1 Stuffed Cabbage Head
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• tomato sauce

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, with their liquid
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground allspice

• cabbage

• 1 head green cabbage (about 4 pounds)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 1⁄2 cups water

directions

1. Prepare tomato sauce: In a 3 quart saucepan combine first 6 ingredients.
2. Over high heat, heat to boiling.
3. Reduce heat to low, simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
4. While sauce is cooking, prepare cabbage.
5. Discard any tough outer leaves from cabbage, then carefully remove 2 large leaves and set aside.
6. Cut out the stem and center of the cabbage, leaving a 1 inch thick shell.
7. Dice the cabbage you removed from the center of the head.
8. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 cup diced cabbage until meat is browned and cabbage is tender (about 15 minutes).
9. Stir in rice and 1 cup of tomato sauce, remove from heat.
10. Fill cabbage shell with meat mixture.
11. Cover the opening with reserved cabbage leaves, and tie with clean string.
12. In same dutch oven, stir in water, scraping to loosen brown bits.
13. Add remaining diced cabbage and tomato sauce to pan.
14. Place stuffed cabbage head (stem-end down) in sauce; over high heat, heat to boiling.
15. Reduce heat to low and simmer, basting occasionally, until cabbage is tender (about 1 1/2 hours).
16. When done, remove from Dutch oven and place cabbage in a deep platter, remove string.
17. Spoon sauce over cabbage, slice cabbage head into wedges to serve.

Reviews

[Bobbie Brown]

It tasted great. Getting the hole was alittle hard to do.

 

[Angela Sara]

This was wonderful! I used a white cabbage (can't find green cabbage where I live!) and it was beautiful. The sauce is sooo tasty, I filled the cabbage with the meat mixture and put the leftover mixture in the sauce. The stuffed cabbage cooked quicker than expected about 25 minutes. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Nancy Cromack]

I would definitely make this one again. My husband and I loved it. The hole was a little time consuming, but the end result was worth it. I had enough leftover sauce to make another meal.Much easer than making cabbage rolls....

 

[Trish B.]

"My husband commented "You just can't get a dinner better than this dinner" and that is very high praise from him. He is a traditional home style connoisseur. We had lots of leftovers and this meal just got better and better. Passed it on to my son-in law and daughter and they raved as well and cannot wait until I make it again.

 

[daduk]

I have been making this dish for years now and I finally decided to rate it. I love stuffed cabbage and using the whole cabbage gives you the change to enjoy the full flavor of the cabbage which you do not get when stuffing cabbage leave only. It is a little time consuming but well worth the effort in the end. Will continue using this recipe in the future.