A delicious family recipe, Grandma’s cabbage rolls are not only tasty, but also incredibly healthy! Paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Grandma’s cabbage rolls are really healthy!
One of my grandmothers passed away when I was very young, so I don’t have many memories with her. My others grandmother passed away when I was in my early teens, so I was very fortunate to spend more time with her.
I remember celebrating lots of holidays at her apartment, especially on Christmas Eve. It was always so much fun to spend time with her, she was so loving and warm. As she got older, the amount of cooking she did became less and less.
We often brought her Chinese takeout when we came to visit, which became somewhat of a tradition. It wasn’t until recently that I started asking my mom more about the foods she made when my mom was growing up.
These cabbage rolls came up, and were one of only a handful of recipes my mom had written down. And what a blessing it is to have at least one family recipe passed down!
I’m so glad it also happened to be a healthy recipe, being the nutrition nut that I am!
They’re not hard to make either!
Grandma’s cabbage rolls are made using a few simple ingredients:
- Cabbage (of course)
- Ground beef
- Rice or cauliflower rice
- Onion
- Diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce
- Salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning
- Cheese for topping, if desired
First, you will want to blanch the cabbage leaves, so that they become pliable. You will later need to stuff and fold them into a wrap shape. You can do this by gently removing the leaves so they don’t break, and then submerging them into boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or until they soften. You can submerge multiple leaves at a time. Once soft, remove from water and set them aside to cool.
Second, cook the ground beef in a pan with onion and seasoning. Cook the rice according to the directions, or skip this step if using cauliflower rice. Once cooked, add the ground beef mixture to the rice/cauliflower rice and mix.
As you can see, it’s really easy to substitute cauliflower rice for the regular rice, turning it into a Whole30 and low-carb dinner.
Cut up the remaining cabbage into strips and add them to the bottom of a large baking dish.
Once the cabbage leaves have cooled, cut a V-shaped slit at the bottom of the leaves to remove the thick stem. Be sure to only cut out what is needed, so the rest of the leaf stays together. This can sometimes take a little practice.
Fill each cabbage leaf with a spoonful of filling. Roll up the cabbage leaf to form a wrap. Place in the baking dish with the edge facing down. Repeat until all cabbage leaves and filling have been used up.
Top with diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. If cheese is desired, remove cover after 30 minutes and add cheese. Bake until cheese is browned, another 15 minutes or so.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Store covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How do I store the leftovers?
You can store them in the baking dish with a cover, or in a smaller air-tight container. Store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you give Grandma’s cabbage rolls a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!
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Grandma’s Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cabbage
- 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice or 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 chopped medium onion
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice or tomato sauce
- 1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cook rice as you normally would on the stove or in a rice cooker. Skip this step if using cauliflower rice.
- Remove cabbage leaves from head. Cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Cook ground beef with onion and seasoning until ground beef is no longer pink. Add in cooked rice or cauliflower rice.
- Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each leaf, making a V-shaped cut. Place small amount of mixture on a cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides, and roll up. Repeat.
- Slice the remaining cabbage, and place in a baking dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam side down over the sliced cabbage. Pour the canned tomatoes with juice over the cabbage rolls. Cover and bake at 350 degrees until tender, 45 minutes or so. If desired, remove the lid after 30 minutes and top with cheese. Bake uncovered for the remaining 15 minutes.
