Lazy Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Many cooks who know some version of the Cabbage Rolls Recipe will tell you that it is a pretty lengthy process and not always have that time during a typical weekday. On a day when you are in the mood for some nice cabbage rolls, but don’t have the time the process requires, what are you to do? You may still enjoy it! So, here comes the rescue solution – lazy cabbage rolls! 😉

This recipe

… was passed down to me from my mom and it’s very special to me just as the rest of her recipes. A mother’s cooking is like no other, and whoever lost their mom especially at an early age can relate even more. For best results, this recipe does need to be planned ahead a day or so to allow time for marinating the meat. I usually marinate the meat in the morning and then I’m off doing other things. A couple of hours before the kids are home I sauté the meat, throw everything together and off it goes into the oven. Then you are free again to get back to what you were doing.

My kids love it with sour cream also, as it’s commonly enjoyed with cabbage rolls, because it tastes exactly like the classic cabbage rolls. And some even like it for the “already mixed” components of the cabbage rolls, if you can imagine! All that work! So, when you get a craving for those hard to come by cabbage rolls, try out this simple version that will hit the spot with half the effort. Rice with seasoned meat, tomato sauce, and cream, carrots, cabbage all the same ingredients to give you those same tasty results without spending a lot of time on it.

Ingredients:

1 medium – green cabbage (2 lbs. – 900 g shredded)
2 large – carrots (8 oz. – 225 g grated)
1.5 lbs. (680 g) – beef
1 medium – organic yellow onion
2 cups (400 g) – rice (of your choice, I use white rice)

2 tbsp. (30 ml) – olive oil or 2 tbsp. (30 g) unsalted butter
3 oz. (85 g) – organic tomato paste
½ cup (118 ml) – heavy cream
2 cups (500 ml) – cold water

1 tbsp. (15 ml) – parsley
½ tbsp. (7.5 ml) – sea salt + 1 tsp. (5 ml) – sea salt for the meat sauce
1 tsp.(5 ml) – Mrs. Dash seasoning
½ tsp. (2. ml) – garlic salt
¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) – black ground pepper

Preparation Instructions:

1. Measure out and mix together seasoning. Set aside until ready for use.

2. Rinse meat, cut into small pieces. Season the meat, cover the bowl with a lid (Tip: Gallon size Ziploc bag works really good as well.) and place into the fridge to marinate for at least 2 to 8 hours. The longer the meat marinates the softer it will be.

3. Prepare all the vegetables. Rinse then shredding cabbage, grate carrots and chop onion. Set aside until ready for use.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat a medium frying pan on high and brown the meat.

2. Add onion, sauté for a minute. Add grated carrots, and sauté for another minute. Then add tomato paste and heavy cream. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Then add 2 cups cold water and additional 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Stir everything together, and bring to a boil.

4. Rinse the rice well. In a large pot add shredded cabbage, rice and meat/cream mixture. Mix everything together well. Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 20 min at 375 F (190 C).

5. Remove from the oven, mix very carefully (do not mash cooked rice with vegetables) and let it cool for about 15 to 30 min before serving.  Store leftovers in the fridge. It reheats well and is very lunchbox friendly.

6. Serve with sour cream or home canned pickles, tomatoes or any of your favorite salads. Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

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Lazy Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Prep Time

2 hrs 25 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 20 mins

Total Time

3 hrs 45 mins

 

Lazy Cabbage Rolls Recipe is made out of rice with seasoned meat, tomato sauce and cream, carrots, cabbage all the same ingredients to give you those same tasty results without spending a lot of time making the regular version of the Cabbage Rolls Recipe.

Course: Dinner

Servings: 12

Author: Valya at Valya's Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 medium – green cabbage 2 lbs. - 900 g shredded
• 2 large – carrots 8 oz. - 225 g grated
• 1.5 lbs. 680 g – beef
• 1 medium – organic yellow onion
• 2 cups 400 g – rice (of your choice, I use white rice)
• 2 tbsp. 30 ml - olive oil or 2 tbsp. (30 g) unsalted butter
• 3 oz. 85 g – organic tomato paste
• ½ cup 118 ml – heavy cream
• 2 cups 500 ml - cold water
• 1 tbsp. 15 ml – parsley
• ½ tbsp. 7.5 ml – sea salt + 1 tsp. (5 ml) - sea salt for the meat sauce
• 1 tsp. 5 ml – Mrs. Dash seasoning
• ½ tsp. 2. ml – garlic salt
• ¼ tsp. 1.25 ml – black ground pepper

Instructions

1. Measure out and mix together seasoning. Set aside until ready for use.
2. Rinse meat, cut into small pieces. Season the meat, cover the bowl with a lid (Tip: Gallon size Ziploc bag works really good as well.) and place into the fridge to marinate for at least 2 to 8 hours. The longer the meat marinates the softer it will be.
3. Prepare all the vegetables. Rinse then shredding cabbage, grate carrots and chop onion. Set aside until ready for use.
4. Cooking Instructions:
5. Heat a medium frying pan on high and brown the meat.
6. Add onion, sauté for a minute. Add grated carrots, and sauté for another minute. Then add tomato paste and heavy cream. Mix all ingredients together.
7. Then add 2 cups cold water and additional 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Stir everything together, and bring to a boil.
8. Rinse the rice well. In a large pot add shredded cabbage, rice and meat/cream mixture. Mix everything together well. Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 20 min at 375 F (190 C).
9. Remove from the oven, mix very carefully (do not mash cooked rice with vegetables) and let it cool for about 15 to 30 min before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge. It reheats well and is very lunchbox friendly. Serve with sour cream or home canned pickles, tomatoes or any of your favorite salads.
10. Enjoy!

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