Meatball Cabbage Rolls

Name: Meatball Cabbage Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 1 large head cabbage; 1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce; 1 small onion, chopped; 1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean); 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

My mother would often have these cabbage rolls simmering in her slow cooker when my family and I arrived at her house for weekend visits. The mouthwatering meatballs tucked inside made these stand out from any other cabbage rolls I've tried. —Betty Buckmaster, Muskogee, Oklahoma

Ingredients

1 large head cabbage
1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook cabbage in boiling water just until leaves fall off head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls. (Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.) Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each reserved leaf, making a V-shaped cut.
In a large bowl, combine no-salt-added tomato sauce, onion, rice, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well. Shape into 12 balls. Place one meatball on each cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides, beginning from the cut end. Roll up completely to enclose meatball. Secure with toothpicks.
Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Pour remaining tomato sauce over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is no longer pink and cabbage is tender. Discard toothpicks.

Nutrition Facts

3 rolls: 323 calories, 11g fat (4g saturated fat), 71mg cholesterol, 762mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 7g fiber), 28g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

Originally published as Meatball Cabbage Rolls in Taste of Home Ground Beef Cookbook-Book

Reviews

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recyclefraulein

Mar 15, 2018

Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I stocked up on free meatballs when Kroger had them on sale (after coupons and sale) so I have about 10 bags to use up. Love it.
gramcayo

Feb 2, 2017

Thanks for a great recipe and all the great reviewers suggestions. I LOVE stuffed cabbage and Love sauerkraut but never would have thought to use it. Also, I love the idea of paprika. I have always used tomato soup also. Thanks so much for this yummy recipe. I had forgotten about stuffed cabbage but won't again!
writermarie

Jan 24, 2016

I am Croatian and we use a mixture of beef and pork and some kind of chopped double smoked bacon or ham. We put sauerkraut between the layers of cabbage rolls in the roaster and substitute paprika for the chili powder. It is always better to use fresh.minced garlic rather than the powder. I will use a slow cooker next time.
JCV4

Dec 24, 2015

This was a really easy recipe to make and tasted great! I did add some minced garlic in with the beef mixture.
kramerstacey15

Jul 31, 2015

The filling was mealy.
LadyfromAZ

Feb 19, 2015

My family is Slovak and while this recipe is close, we never used Chili peppers, one secret my aunt always said was to use 15 oz can of finely chopped tomatoes in meat mixture . When all are rolled and ready for pan take a can of Campbell's tomato soup, dilute with half can of water, spread some on bottom layer rolls then pour remainder over rolls, bake / and or cook in crock pot.Season with salt and pepper to enhance flavor.
LadyfromAZ

Feb 19, 2015

My family is Slovak and while this recipe is close, we never used Chili peppers, one secret my aunt always said was to use 15 oz can of finely chopped tomatoes in meat mixture . When all are rolled and ready for pan take a can of Campbell's tomatoe soup, dilute with half can of water, spread some on bottom layer rolls then pour remainder over rolls, bake / and or cook in crock pot.Season with salt and pepper to enhance flavor.
NancyPiotrowski

Feb 19, 2015

Traditional Polish style would not use chili powder or garlic, but WOULD include about a pound of sauerkraut between the layers of cabbage rolls. If doing so, increase the tomato sauce to two full cans. I usually make mine in the oven, but will definitely try in slow cooker after seeing this!
bigmamacooks

Jan 11, 2013

The recipe says to use 14-16 leaves of cabbage for 4-6 servings but the Nutritional Facts indicate that one serving is "1 each". Do the Nutritional Facts need to be corrected?