Cabbage with ground beef or sausage, or a combination of them, cooked rice, tomato sauce and a little sweet and sour element - the flavors of classic stuffed cabbage rolls in a quicker shortcut, one-pot version.
Cabbage Roll in a Bowl
I love cabbage rolls, but the prep always seems overwhelming!
It's really not that bad though, it just seems so, because every time I go ahead and start them, I realize the dread of the "work" was mostly just in my head. It just seems so daunting to think about it all, but really, some of the prep can even be done ahead of time.
This dish is a bit of a shortcut on that classic stuffed cabbage flavor, but without that anticipated dread.
Sometimes called Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls, Lazy Cabbage Rolls or Lazy Golabki, to name a few, it's got similar flavor to those cabbage rolls, but in a much easier, one-pot meal.
The Cajun is not a fan of cabbage, so anytime I make cabbage centric dishes like this, well... it's all mine. For days. Seriously, I don't know how to cook cabbage for one, and frankly I love the leftovers anyway.
My husband is pretty much the definition of a meat and potatoes kind of guy and mostly anti-vegetable. I'm the polar opposite because I absolutely love vegetables, of all kinds. If I only cooked the things he likes, I'd be depriving myself of a lot of my favorite meals and I'm just not gonna do that.
Is that mean?
I don't think so!
I cook all the time, so there are always other leftovers available in the fridge for him. Right now in our fridge there is leftover chicken gumbo, instant pot ribs, beef stew, chicken and noodles and boiled eggs.
And, of course, there are always cold cuts in there too for a sandwich! Just sayin'... so no worries y'all. He's well covered.
There is a great deal of versatility with this recipe, so feel free to use this as a base and make it your own.
- I sometimes use only ground beef, or breakfast sausage, though I also love a combination of the two.
- I have made this dish with both the pre-shredded coleslaw mix and a smaller whole head cabbage. Both are good, though I actually prefer this recipe with the coleslaw mix.
- If you like it juicier, add in additional tomato sauce, use a can of chopped tomatoes, or both. I like to do that when I use my own cut cabbage from a whole head instead of the preshredded coleslaw mix.
- I've included a little bit of light brown sugar and lemon juice as I do with my classic stuffed cabbage, just for that little element of sweet and sour.
- I'm also using already cooked, leftover rice, because rice is a staple in my house - we use it for beans, stews and gumbos, so there's usually some hanging in the fridge.
Cabbage Roll in a Bowl!
Here's how to make it.
As always, full recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, are a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll past the step-by-step pictures below.
Melt bacon drippings or butter in a large pot. Add onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add ground beef and/or raw sausage and cook until no longer pink. Drain off excess fat if needed.
Mash it up good. I love this tool!
Add tomato sauce.
Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the cabbage, stir, cover and cook over medium until wilted down, about 5 minutes.
Add lemon juice and brown sugar.
Add the rice.
Add salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer another 10 minutes, or to desired consistency, stirring a few times. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed and add hot sauce if desired.
This is how it looks when made with a small head of whole cut up cabbage and double the tomato sauce.
Unable to see the printable below on your device? Click here.
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