Popular
Latest From the Show
How to Make Cast-Iron Skillet Roast Stuffed Cabbage | Easiest St…
Q&A with Organizational Pro Peter Walsh + Dermatologist Shares A…
Actor Hank Azaria + Freezer Meals + Artichokes 2 Ways with Rach
See Inside Barbara Corcoran's Stunning NY Apartment + It's Steak…
How to Make Chicken and Lobster Piccata | Richard Blais
Donnie Wahlberg Spills Details About NKOTB's First Ever Conventi…
Donnie Wahlberg + Jenny McCarthy Say Rach Is Such a "Joy" + Look…
The Best Moments From 17 Seasons of the Show Will Make You Laugh…
How to Make Crabby Carbonara | Rachael Ray
Rach Chats "Firsts" In Flashback From Our First Episode Ever In …
How to Make Apple-Cider Braised Pork Chop Sandwiches with Onion …
Rach's Chef Pals Say Goodbye to Show in Surprise Video Message
How to Make Sesame Cookies | Buddy Valastro
How to Make Tortilla with Potatoes, Piquillo Peppers and Mancheg…
How to Make Shrimp Burgers | Jacques Pepin
How to Make Spanakopipasta | Rachael Ray
Andrew McCarthy Chokes Up Discussing Emotional Trip to Spain wit…
Celebrity Guests Send Farewell Messages After 17 Seasons of the …
Celebrity Guests Send Farewell Messages After 17 Seasons of the …
Andrew McCarthy Teases Upcoming "Brat Pack" Reunion Special
Michelle Obama Toasts Rach's 17 Years on the Air With a Heartfel…
Each product has been independently selected by our editorial team. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.
When it comes to secret kitchen weapons, Rach puts her giant cast-iron skillet at the top of the list. "It does SO much," she says. One dish she makes in it is this stuffed cabbage, but it turns out the real secret weapon here is actually a new kitchen hack she recently learned: "I read a Polish cooking tip that blew my mind," explains Rach. "Freeze a whole cabbage, then defrost it and trim the larger veins and you can SKIP boiling the cabbage all together. I know. Big one." No more big pots of boiling water, cooking the leaves and draining them. "It makes me so happy, I could do a dance all day long!"
Note that it takes about two days to prep the cabbage this way, so factor that in based on when you want to serve the dish.
For more recipes from our "Secret Kitchen Weapons" episode, check out Melissa Clark's Instant Pot Risotto with Red Wine, Mushrooms and Pancetta and Bob Harper's Air Fryer Frittata Cups.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Salt
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
- One 14-ounce can Italian cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups passata (tomato puree)
- 1 cup beef stock or beef bone broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1 bay leaf, optional
For the Cabbage and Meat Filling:
- 1 large green cabbage
- Fine sea salt
- ¾ cup raw white rice
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, 80%
- ½ pound ground pork
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons each granulated onion and granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed or fennel pollen or a combo
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 ounce each grated pecorino and grated Parm (about ¾ cup each)
- 2 tablespoons EVOO
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Handful of parsley, chopped
For the Cabbage and Meat Filling:
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground pepperoncini
Yield
Serves: 6
Preparation
For the sauce, heat EVOO in cast-iron skillet or pot over medium and melt butter into oil. Add onion, season with salt and soften a few minutes, then add garlic and stir a minute or 2. Add tomatoes, passata, stock, sugar or honey, salt to taste and bay leaf (if using) and bring to boil, then reduce to low and simmer 20 minutes. Take off heat and cool to room temp. Set aside about 1 ½ cups of the sauce.
For the cabbage and meat filling, freeze the whole cabbage wrapped in plastic for a day, then defrost a day in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Core cabbage and stem larger leaves and separate them, drying on kitchen towels or parchment layers; season with a little fine sea salt. From the center of the cabbage, shave off smaller leaves and finely chop about 1 cup. Use the rest in a soup later in the week or for a warm slaw salad.
Place rice in a large bowl, soak with wine and stock and let stand 20 minutes. Add beef and pork, season with salt and pepper and add spices, cheese, EVOO and egg, then combine.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Add a handful of filling to each leaf and wrap and roll, then nest into sauce in concentric circle, making 16 to 18 rolls and nesting in sauce as you go. Dot the tops of the stuffed cabbage with the reserved 1 ½ cups of sauce.
Bake the cabbage rolls 60 to 75 minutes, until rice is tender and rolls are cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve from the pan.