Make Ahead Cabbage Rolls Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves pull away easily from head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. In a small bowl, combine the beef, pork, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill and cayenne; mix well., Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides. Beginning from the cut end, roll up. Repeat., Slice the remaining cabbage; place in a Dutch oven. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over sliced cabbage. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce; pour over the rolls. Cover and bake at 350° until cabbage rolls are tender, 1-1/2 hours.

CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• Wash rice thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups rice and 4 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.
• In the meantime, remove the core from the cabbages using a thin, long knife. Place 1 cabbage in a microwave proof container with a lid with core side down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the container with the cabbage, cover and microwave on HIGH (full power) for 10 minutes. Carefully turn cabbage over and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes. When cabbage is cooked, let sit until it is cool enough to handle. Separate leaves carefully, removing any tough ribs. Cook the second cabbage in the same manner.
• Divide chopped onions in half. Saute one half of the onions in 3 tablespoons butter; cook just until translucent (do not brown). In a large mixing bowl, mix together both the cooked and uncooked rice, cooked and uncooked onions, ground beef, pork sausage, garlic, dill weed, salt, black pepper and sugar and mix well to blend.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Bring one end of cabbage leaf over mixture, roll and tuck ends in to prevent any filling from falling out.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare two 9x13 inch casserole dishes by placing some left over cabbage leaves in bottom of each. Arrange cabbage rolls in a single layer tight against each other.
• In a food processor or blender, process condensed tomato soup and tomatoes. Pour tomato mixture over the cabbage rolls until just covered. Place 4 bay leaves on top of sauce in each dish. Cover each dish tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 2 hours. Once cooked, remove the dishes from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing aluminum foil. Serve hot.

SLOW COOKER CABBAGE ROLLS MAKE AHEAD MEAL IDEA

Steps:

• Cut approx 1/4 inch off the bottom of the cabbage head and place the whole head in boiling water. Then boil about 2 minutes. Peel off the leaves as they soften. This goes pretty quick.
• Place remaining head back in the boiling water and repeat until you have at least 8 large cabbage leaves.
• (You can freeze cabbage then thaw and skip the boiling part. We just need the leaves soft enough to roll)
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, uncooked rice, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, garlic powder, pepper, salt, onion.
• Stir in egg and combine well.
• Whisk together tomato sauce, paprika and Worcestershire sauce in another bowl.
• Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in center of leaf and roll up like a burrito.
• Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Place cabbage rolls seam side down in slow cooker, in two layers so they are touching but not over crowded either.
• Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over rolls.
• Cook on high for four hours or low for 8 hours.

MAKE-AHEAD CABBAGE ROLLS

Steps:

• In batches, cook cabbage leaves in boiling water until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; cool slightly. Trim the thick vein from the bottom of each cabbage leaf, making a V-shaped cut., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, salt and pepper over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Stir in rice and eggs. , In another skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in water, tomato sauce, lemon juice, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 15-20 minutes., Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture onto each cabbage leaf. Pull together cut edges of leaf to overlap; fold over filling. Fold in sides and roll up. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Pour sauce over rolls. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. , Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, covered, until heated through, 50-60 minutes., Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked cabbage rolls. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.