Some recipes immediately take me back to my Nana’s kitchen and cabbage rolls are one of them. I can still picture her cooking them for dinner, filling the kitchen with that unmistakable smell of cabbage, tomatoes and something warm simmering away. It was the kind of meal that felt like it had been cooking all day even before you sat down at the table.

These stuffed cabbage rolls are filled with seasoned ground beef and rice, then slowly baked in a rich tomato sauce until the cabbage is tender and the filling is full of flavor. They’re old-fashioned comfort food at its best, especially with buttery mashed potatoes, warm cornbread or a thick slice of bread for soaking up the extra sauce.

Ingredients

For the Cabbage Rolls

• 1 large green cabbage
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

For the Sauce

• 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup beef broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the cabbage core and place the whole cabbage in the water. As the leaves soften, carefully peel them off with tongs until you have 12–14 large leaves.
3. Trim the thick rib from the bottom of each cabbage leaf so it will roll easily.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix just until combined.
5. Spoon about ½ cup of filling onto each cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides and roll tightly.
6. In a large Dutch oven or baking dish, stir together all of the sauce ingredients.
7. Spread a little sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down.
8. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with foil or a lid.
9. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is very tender and the filling is cooked through.
10. Let the cabbage rolls rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Nana’s Tip

These are even better the next day! Serve them with buttery mashed potatoes, warm cornbread or thick slices of bread to soak up every bit of that tomato sauce.