How to make pigs in the blanket with cabbage stuffed with ground beef or sausage baked in the oven, slow cooker stuffed cabbage rolls or make Instant Pot pressure cooker.
We can’t get enough cabbage recipes in our house. Yes, even my kids will eat it after years of serving it in a number of different forms. Cabbage pigs in a blanket is what we have called this for years, just makes it fun. Delicious is what I call these rolls filled with meat! (affiliate links present)
Cabbage Pigs in Blanket
I will share a few different methods we have made this dish, but in the recipe card below it will explain the oven version. Baked low and slow so the wrap can soak in the tomato sauce just works great. Above using the Crockpot you get the same result, but it takes a lot longer. I like to cover all my basis so you can choose which is right for you on that day.
For quicker you can use our Instant Pot cabbage rolls but you have to use the PIP technique and can’t make a lot at once. If you have a larger family other than about 3 people you wouldn’t to go that direction. The ingredients you need are shown below. The outer leaves of the head of cabbage is all you need, 1 per roll.
Baked Cabbage Rolls in the Oven
Now you will want to quickly boil cabbage so the leaves are soft enough to roll up like a burrito. If you skip this step they will break apart and won’t be able to bend really at all. Just takes a few minutes submerged to get them tender enough. As for the insides there are tons of possibilities but basics are listed here;
- 1 lb ground beef or spicy sausage or half and half
- Brown or white rice measured after being cooked
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Granulated garlic
- Paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6-8 cabbage leaves blanched
- 1 can chopped tomatoes or diced tomatoes works too. If you don’t want chunks at all just use tomato soup instead.
- Small onion diced
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 egg
- Sugar
And then when it is served of course you may want some salt and pepper to taste but I don’t think I really need to specify all of that do I?
Pigs in a Blanket Cabbage Polish
You may have other ingredients your Grandmother used back in the day to make her stuffed cabbage rolls recipe. By all means tweak away, this will just give you a good idea of how to prep the leaves, filling, bake time and temperature too. Some like heavier black pepper let’s say and others want a bit of heat with red pepper flakes.
- Fry half the chopped onion in olive oil for 3 minutes, then add half the chopped garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally over low heat.
- Add tomatoes, sugar, mix and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- At the end, add wine vinegar, stir and turn off the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 360 F. Put cabbage leaves into boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes just until pliable. They should become soft, but at the same time remain whole.
- Transfer soft leaves to a bowl of ice cold water.
- In a large bowl, put the ground beef, cooked rice, salt, spices, remaining garlic, softened onion and egg. Mix everything thoroughly.
- When the cabbage leaves have cooled, cut off the top of the central white strip (if stiff) to soften the leaf. Put 2 tablespoons of minced meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf.
- Gently but tightly wrap the minced meat in cabbage.
- Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling. Put 4-5 tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay stuffed rolls on top with seam side on the bottom so they don’t unroll.
Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and put in the oven for half an hour. After half an hour, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. If for whatever reason your oven doesn’t have a 360 option, just use 350 degrees and it really wouldn’t change much at all.
Easy Pigs in a Blanket Cabbage Recipe
A few questions you might have before you get started are as follows; If you have others feel free to comment below and we will get back to you the same day to help you out. 😉
You will want to blanch the larger leaves for a few minutes in boiling water first. Then remove and set on paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will make a nice wrapping for your cabbage rolls where you can put a dollop of filling into the center and fold the sides in, then roll from the bottom up. Set into your dish with sauce on the bottom with the seam side down so they don’t unroll.
The origin of the cabbage roll is somewhat unclear, as similar dishes have been found in various cultures and regions throughout history. Cabbage rolls are essentially stuffed cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of meat, rice, and other ingredients, cooked in a flavorful sauce. The dish is popular in many parts of the world, and its history likely involves multiple influences.
Want to know How Long to Cook Pigs in a Blanket in other ways, like with hot dogs and crescent rolls? We have information on all of those ways too.
Pigs in the Blanket with Cabbage
Equipment
- 1 9×13 casserole dish
- 1 pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 spatula
- 1 pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, or spicy sausage or half and half
- 1/2 c rice, measured after being cooked
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6-8 cabbage leaves, blanched
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, or diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Fry half the chopped onion in olive oil for 3 minutes, then add half the chopped garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally over low heat. Add tomatoes, sugar, mix and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. At the end, add wine vinegar, stir and turn off the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 360 F. Put cabbage leaves into boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes just until pliable. They should become soft, but at the same time remain whole. Transfer soft leaves to a bowl of ice cold water.
- In a bowl, put the ground beef, cooked rice, salt, spices, remaining garlic, softened onion and egg. Mix everything thoroughly.
- When the cabbage leaves have cooled, cut off the top of the central white strip (if stiff) to soften the leaf. Put 2 tablespoons of minced meat on the edge of the cabbage leaf.
- Gently but tightly wrap the minced meat in cabbage. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling. Put 4-5 tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay stuffed rolls on top with seam side on the bottom so they don't unroll.
- Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil and put in the oven for half an hour. After half an hour, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
