Aunt Rosie’s Stuffed Cabbage
A Little Back Story
Hello everyone! Welcome back!! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season. I decided to choose this recipe as my first blog post because it holds dear to my heart. Unfortunately, my Aunt Rosie passed away on Thanksgiving this year. A lot of my favorite recipes were passed down to me from her, and I was hoping she would have the chance to see her recipes published in my upcoming book. For the majority of my life, I lived pretty far away from my side of the family so I didn’t have the opportunity to get much time with her. However, it was very comforting hearing everyone talk about how Rosie was so silly, funny, and how she always “brought the fun!” at the funeral. Everyone had such great stories about her –how she met my uncle, to spending time with Elvis (yes, the REAL ELVIS), to being involved in her community, to spending time at the lake with her family, to her dog Harley and being the “Fun” at her retirement community. She truly was the life of the party! She would make sure to dress up for every holiday, including her dog, the door, and her scooter. Even though she was hours away, I would still get to see her weekly activities because she made sure to post ALL of her activities on Facebook. But what I remember most is Aunt Rosie being a great cook and her love of food. I was so excited to see her recipes in my new book Savor the Times that is coming out in the next few weeks. I so hoped she would have been able to see it. I know she will still see it, but not in the same way. So, in honor and in memoriam of my Aunt Rosie, here is her stuffed cabbage recipe. It has been in our family for a long time and I am grateful that my Aunt Rosie took the time to teach me how to make this many years ago. The only difference I made was to simmer the ingredients together for the sauce so that they really meld together. It is SO delicious!
My Step-Mother, Aunt Johann, Aunt Rosie and Daughter at my cousins rehearsal dinner!
What is Stuffed Cabbage?
Now all of you southerners may be wondering what Stuffed Cabbage even is! When I moved to the south many years ago, I was very disappointed to find that it was a rare commodity to find it served down here, which is such a shame because it is so good! I have loved this dish since I was a kid, so when I finally returned to my hometown for my cousin’s wedding, I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were having Stuffed Cabbage at her rehearsal dinner! That is where my daughter, Cierra, who at the time was 4 years old, had her first stuffed cabbage. She ate her entire plate along with the mashed potatoes! While she may not remember, I remember it as an extremely special memory of my daughter having her first Stuffed Cabbage sitting next to her Great Aunt Rosie. Let’s Get Cooking!
Ingredients
Sauce:
2 (28 oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1½ cans (8 oz.) tomato paste
1 (4 oz.) can tomato sauce
½ to ¾ cup chicken broth
½ tsp. jarred garlic or 1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
Dash salt and pepper
Filling:
1 lb. ground beef chuck
¾ lb. ground pork
1½ cups long grain rice, cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or 1½ tsp. jarred garlic
2 eggs
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley (Italian)
Salt and pepper
2 small heads or 1 large head white cabbage
Cooking spray
Versions to Try
While Stuffed Cabbage is most definitely one of my favorites, the filling is just too good to keep to one vegetable! I suggest trying replacing the cabbage leafs with zucchini or stuffed peppers! You can even make a variety of each to serve for dinner and let everyone try a new combination!
Directions
Drain the tomatoes reserving all of the juice.
In a separate bowl, add the drained tomatoes. Using your hands, “squish and mush”, as my Aunt Rosie used to say, the tomatoes until they are crushed.
Add the tomato paste to the reserved juice. Stir until completely blended.
Add the crushed tomatoes.
In a large saucepan add the tomato mixture, the chicken broth, tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, oregano, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper.
Stir until blended.
Cook over low to medium heat while you make the rest of the cabbage.
Cook the rice according to package directions, but cut the cooking time by 2 minutes.
Remove from heat to start to cool.
While that is cooking, core the cabbage.
In a large Dutch oven, bring salted water to a boil. Add one of the cabbages.
Cook for 20 minutes, turning cabbage over after 10 minutes.
Drain, remove cabbage and let cool. Repeat with other small cabbage.
Cook the ground beef and the ground pork over medium heat about 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped onion and garlic.
Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Salt and pepper lightly, again. Drain the grease from the meat mixture.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked meat and cooked rice. When warm, but not still hot, add the eggs and parsley. Using your hands, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Grease a large roasting pan or two large glass-baking pans with cooking spray.
Take one cabbage leaf off the head of cabbage.
Fill with ½ cup to ¾ cup of the beef-rice mixture.
Roll and tuck the cabbage into place, making sure the beef mixture does not fall out. Place seam side down into pan. Repeat. You can put the cabbage rolls on top of one another. Top with the tomato sauce.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Reserve some sauce for serving at dinner.
Tips
With time allowing, I highly recommend making the sauce a day in advance to fully develop the savory flavors! Another benefit of this recipe is being able to make it in advance and freeze it for a later date! All you have to do is follow the directions up to step 21 and then freeze it. When you are ready to enjoy, let it completely defrost and then bake it at 350° for 30 minutes or until completely heated through.
Aunt Rosie's Stuffed Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef chuck
- ¾ lb. ground pork
- 1½ cups long grain rice, cooked
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or 1½ tsp. jarred garlic
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley (Italian)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 small heads or 1 large head white cabbage
- Cooking spray
- 2 (28 oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained
- 1½ cans (8 oz.) tomato paste
- 1 (4 oz.) can tomato sauce
- ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp. jarred garlic or 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- Dash salt and pepper
Instructions
- Drain the tomatoes reserving all of the juice.
- In a separate bowl, add the drained tomatoes. Using your hands, “squish and mush”, as my Aunt Rosie used to say, the tomatoes until they are crushed.
- Add the tomato paste to the reserved juice. Stir until completely blended.
- Add the crushed tomatoes.
- In a large saucepan add the tomato mixture, the chicken broth, tomato sauce, garlic, thyme, oregano, sugar, basil, and salt and pepper.
- Stir until blended.
- Cook over low to medium heat while you make the rest of the cabbage.
- Cook the rice according to package directions, but cut the cooking time by 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat to start to cool.
- While that is cooking, core the cabbage.
- In a large Dutch oven, bring salted water to a boil. Add one of the cabbages.
- Cook for 20 minutes, turning cabbage over after 10 minutes.
- Drain, remove cabbage and let cool. Repeat with other small cabbage.
- Cook the ground beef and the ground pork over medium heat about 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic.
- Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Salt and pepper lightly, again. Drain the grease from the meat mixture.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked meat and cooked rice. When warm, but not still hot, add the eggs and parsley. Using your hands, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
- Grease a large roasting pan or two large glass-baking pans with cooking spray.
- Take one cabbage leaf off the head of cabbage.
- Fill with ½ cup to ¾ cup of the beef-rice mixture.
- Roll and tuck the cabbage into place, making sure the beef mixture does not fall out. Place seam side down into pan. Repeat. You can put the cabbage rolls on top of one another. Top with the tomato sauce.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Reserve some sauce for serving at dinner.