Friday, June 3, 2011

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

This is one of my husbands favorite recipes.  I love it because it's healthy, easy, and so dang delicious!  If you like regular cabbage rolls or stuffed green peppers, you will love this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 Head of Cabbage
3 Cups Tomato Juice
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 egg
1/2 C. uncooked brown or white rice
1 envelope Onion soup mix
1 lb. Ground Turkey or Extra Lean Ground Beef
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Peel 8-12 big Leaves off the Cabbage head and place in a microwave safe dish.  Cover in about an inch of water and microwave on high for 2 min. 

In a mixing bowl combine tomato sauce, egg, turkey or beef, rice, onion soup, and cheese, and mix with fingers until well combined.

Grease your crock pot with some Pam cooking spray.

Carefully place a ball of the meat mixture into the middle of each cabbage leaf and roll up into a ball, and place on the bottom of your crock pot seam side down.  Do this until all your meat mixture is gone.

After you have all your cabbage rolls in the crock pot, pour the 3 cups of Tomato Juice on top. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

77 comments:

  1. Hi Jill, I just found your blog thru Dave's FB page. Anyways, it is so awesome that you've posted this recipe. My hubby LOVES cabbage rolls and this recipe seems like it will be a big hit in our house. Also, he just recently asked me to find a rice pudding recipe. Thanks for being in tune to our families needs!

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  2. I try! :) I'm so glad you found some recipes. You have to make sure to tell me how they turn out. This is Dave's favorite cabbage roll recipe that I make. I just went to the store today and bought stuff to make them for dinner tonight. Thanks for commenting!

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    1. Jill I just put them on & I'm worried. The leaves torn all to pieces I had to boil them for 3 min. could not get them off core. What do you do when you have to piece them together? The head was so tight I could not get them off. The husband brought the head for me to do him some rolls. His picking was awful. Help I really need to know what to do! I followed the recipe to the tee, I hope they will be good to eat.

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    2. I PAR BOIL THE WHOLE HEAD OF CABBAGE WITH BOTTOM DOWN. LET BOIL SHORT TIME AND THEN CUT FROM CORE EACH LEAF. SHOULDN'T FALL APART.

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    3. I put a tea towel in the pot down one side and up the other, put the cabbage in the center of it and fold each side over it. It's easy to pull it out without tearing or falling apart. I love this meal and it's been while so I'll make it. Thanks for posting this reminder.

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    4. Oh, and I use V-8 juice instead of tomato. Just adds another layer of flavor.

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  3. Dang it woman. This looks very appetizing and sounds very delicious. Just gotta prepare them now. And how!

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  4. I just put these in the crock pot, hope they turn out good! They look delicious!

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  5. I will be making these soon and sharing with my mom and dad. I grew up on these and have been wanting to make them. I want to surprise my mom and dad. From what I understand this is a German recipe and I know my mom made them from my Grandmother who was German but I don't know if that is true or not. Anyway thanks for the recipe just what I have been looking for. Ranae

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  6. I'm sitting here eating my second helping of these cabbage rolls. Very good! Served with some corn bread. :-) I added a can of diced tomatoes about four hours in because things looked a little dry in there. I might have a turbo crock pot. Anyway, very good! Thanks so much for the recipe.
    -Shelley

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    1. Hey Shelley,
      How did they turn out with the extra can?! I am dying to know because I think that's a brilliant trick!

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    2. I added the extra can and it was just wonderful. Amazingly delicious!!

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    3. I like extra sauce because when you break open a roll, if it's dry you solve the problem. If not use it in your stuffed peppers.

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  7. Been wanting to make cabbage rolls for long time..never found a recipe as easy as this..making it tomorrow..can't wait for family reaction..Thanks for sharing. Jonana

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    1. Hey Jonana,
      How did they turn out?? My favorite part is how easy they are. If you get a chance I would love your feeback!

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  8. Just prepared the eggrolls they are in the crockpot. so excited bout this recipe.. I love cooked cabbage, so Iam sure I will love this recipe.. thanks.

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  9. I'm so glad you all like this so much! It's a great recipe! Julianne, I'm sure you will love them. Make sure to let me know how they turn out. Thanks to all of you for checking out my blog!

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    1. Thank you for this fabulous and simple recipe. It is perfect for me since the leftovers freeze so well. Kudos!

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  10. This makes a lot for two people....do they freeze well??

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    1. They freeze WONDERFULLY!! I use my food saver to package and save them and they will be good up to 6 months. If you don't have a food save you can store them in a plastic container and then just heat them in the microwave, or freeze in Ziploc bags and then place in a baking dish with a little tomato juice and bake at 275 for about 20 minutes. I always make frozen meals so I have food on hand, and these are my best recipe for freezing. :) I hope that helped!

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  11. I am confused. I mixed the tomato sauce with the hamburger and other ingredients, to find out that I needed the tomato sauce to pour over the top!!! Where did I go wrong???

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  12. Hi, just curious, do you cook the beef beforehand? Trying these tonight! :)

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  13. You mix every ingredient except the tomato juice together in a mixing bowl just like you would if you were making meatloaf. Then you put some water into a bowl (just about 4 TBS.) and heat the cabbage leaves in the microwave. Then with your meat mixture take handfuls and wrap them into balls. Tuck the cabbage around the meat and then place open side down in the crock pot. Then you take the Tomato Juice and pour over the top of everything. Turn your crock pot on and walk away. Let me know if that helps! :) Thanks for checking out the blog!

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  14. Tomato JUICE and Tomato SAUCE are 2 different things. The tomato SAUCE goes into the meat mixture. The tomato JUICE goes over the entire dish. :)

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  15. No you do not cook the meat beforehand.

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  16. Can you cook them without a crockpot...how and how long :-)

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  17. Anything you can cook in the crockpot you can cook in the oven. I normally nake at 350 if I am baking in the oven and cook for an hour and 30 minutes, and then continue to check every 30 minutes until they are done.
    I hope that helps, and good luck! Let me know how it turns out for you!

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  18. Excellent recipe!! Realized after the fact that I had forgotten the tomato juice. UGH!! Modified to what I had on hand which was spicy Bloody Mary mix cut with some water. Hubby gave it two thumbs up and yapped about it for hours. LOL! Will be making frequently from now on. Thanks for sharing!!

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  19. I love the cabbage rolls. I found a helpful hint in making them. Instead of peeling the leaves off the cabbage head, remove the core, and place empty core side down in a saucepan with about 2 inches of water, bring to a boil, then take off the stove and cover with a lid. When it's cooled down the cabbage leaves will easily come off the head, making it really easy to roll!

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  20. Put them in the crockpot for dinner, we have never had cabbage rolls so super excited!

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  21. I just made stuffed cabbage last night (a different recipe). I was upset that the sauce did not soak into the meat like the ones my mom used to make. Maybe the trick is to mix the sauce into the meat mixture! Thanks for the tip, these look easy. Also, since cabbage leaves can tear easily, you can freeze the whole head for an hour, and after a quick thaw the leaves come right off as if steamed.

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  22. Thank you for the great recipe! I was skeptical because the cabbage leaf removal process was a little iffy (though the steam-in-a-pot suggestion by another user was super helpful!) and I wasn't sure if the cabbage would stay rolled, but it was delicious! The husband, who is VERY picky, yum-yummed through the whole thing and deemed it a success. :) Next time I might add some fresh garlic and some red pepper flakes to the meat mixture, and definitely will serve with french bread.

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  23. I made this tonight for dinner and I may have to fight my husband for leftovers. It was very easy to make and was delicious. I add two cloves of minced garlic to the meat mixture and then added another garlic clove to the crockpot. Super yummy!

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  24. Have you ever used spanish rice in them? I also
    use spaghetti sauce sometimes!!!

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  25. I am super excited to try these! Just to make sure...you put the rice in the roll uncooked? Thanks!

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  26. Making these tomorrow for dinner.... can't wait to try them :)

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  27. I have never used spanish rice, or spaghetti sauce. Thanks for the tip! And yes you put the rice into the meat uncooked. I hope you all enjoy them!!

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  28. It's even better with some brown sugar mixed into the juice. That's how my mom has always made them. And I think she adds a tiny bit of vinegar too.

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  29. Do you use regular long-cooking rice or a quick cook or instant?

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  30. Made these today for dinner....they were fabulous!!! I did add a can of diced tomatoes as someone suggested as well as steam the entire head of cabbage to make separating the leaves easier....So So easy!!! I didn't think it would make a lot, but it made plenty for 3 and for lots of leftovers.

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  31. SERBIEN DELICIOUS,from my country <3

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  32. Just put these in the crock pot. I added a can of garlic and herb seasoned diced tomatoes for extra flavor. I only added about one and a half cups of tomato juice. I've had cabbage rolls before but I've never made them. Hope they turn out delicious!!!

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  33. I just put this in the crock pot... I am not a very good cook at all! I had a really hard time with peeling the cabbage, i barely ended up with maybe 6-8 leafs that i could use. I also had about half the meat left over I saved it for tomorrow to try again, next time I will buy two cabbage heads to make sure i have enough.. I'm super nervous hope it turns out good. Thank you for the idea!

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  34. We love cabbage rolls. I also add brown sugar and vinigar to the tomato juice... Sweetens them up and helps to soften the leaves quicker. I soften the leaves in the micro wave by cutting out the core and heating in about an inch of water. Before rolling the leaves I trim off the core of each leaf.

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  35. This recipe was delicious! The only step I had a "problem" with was microwaving the cabbage leaves...I misunderstood the recipe and put them in a great big bowl and filled it until they were an inch underwater. Needless to say, 2 minutes is not much time to even begin to heat up that much water, let alone boil the cabbage leaves. After I figured out that the idea was to steam the leaves and then put then in a shallow dish with just an inch of water, they turned out much better! Thanks for the great recipe!

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  36. I was super excited to try this out, the only problem is I am not a huge tomato fan. I kept the sauce in the meat, but used beef broth and onions instead of tomato juice. It was soooo good (my 2 year old even loved it!). THANKS!

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  37. I can't wait to try this recipe. So many great reviews. If you use crock pot liners, is there any need to spray the liner with cooking spray, or do you just use the cooking spray if you don't use a liner?

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  38. I've made Cabbage Rolls lot's of time but never in a crock pot. This recipe looks so easy that I must try it.

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  39. I found instructions for removing the leaves that works wonderful. Remove the core of the cabbage carefully with a knife. Get a large non-metal bowl and put some water in the bottom (an inch or two will be fine). Put the head of cabbage in the bowl with the core side down in the water. Microwave for 5 minutes. Remove outer leaves carefully, may be hot. If need be, put the head in again after removing leaves for another few minutes.
    One thing I also do is put a tablespoon or two of tomato juice inside the leaves with the meat, makes the meat moister. Then add plenty of tomato juice over everything and cook.

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  40. I didn't plan far enough ahead to use the crockpot. Do you have a temp and cooking time recommendation if I were to do them in the oven?

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  41. My grandmother made her cabbage rolls with saurkraut, so I added some with the rolls. They were fabulous! Great recipe. Better yet, I'm the only one in my family who likes cabbage rolls, so I get to freeze them all for myself! :)

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  42. This recipe is called "Stuffed Cabbage" and all Slovak and Polish people make them a lot. I learned them from Slovak In Laws . This is the first time I have heard that it is a German Recipe. Anyway they are delicious I have been making them for a long time. The only difference is the onion mix which sounds like a good idea. Next time I make them I will try that.
    Also your can cook them on the stove for 1 1/2 hrs. Than you for all the tips.

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  43. Wow! This sounds like my recipe, except that I use 1 can of tomato paste, instead of the sauce and mix it with the juice and I also use Asiago grated cheese.
    But, I put all af the ingredients in a heavy cast iron pot and cook it over the burner with the lid on, for about 2 hours. I simmer it for the last hour.
    My husband and grown kids love this and is impatient when using the crock pot.:-(

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  44. Made this a few times and LOVE it. I do add a can of tomatoes with green chiles with the tomato juice. Very tasty and moist.

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  45. I'm gonna have to make this...this week for sure! The picture looks yummy and all the tips...oh my gosh my mouth is salivating already! Thank you to all for your posts!!!

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  46. I believe these are called Halupkies. I say believe 'cause I grew up in S. Texas near McAllen and this isn't a dish you see down there. I friend from PA made these when she live in Texas and I loved 'em. Now I can make them myself. Thanks!

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    1. Yes, Halupkies is what the Ukranians call them. My husband's Ukranian grandmother made the best!!

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  47. Cabbage rolls are done all over eastern Europe, Russia, Sweden and some places in the Middle East. They are stuffed with some type of meat and/or rice except in Ukraine the traditional ones only had rice. A variety of sauces, saukraut, smoked pork are used to cook them in. Many cultures use them for christmas or celebrations. There are Jewish ones which are made and depending on region have differences as well. Try them all they each offer unique taste combinations.

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  48. I make these now at least every other week. I use a cast iron dutch oven and cook for about 2 hours. I also add a can of tomatoes, garlic and onion, as well as diced garlic. My husband loves them. Can't get my little ones to try the cabbage but they like the meat mixture (I use half lean hamburger and half turkey). I am so glad I found this recipe!

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  49. I live in australia and what would be the alternitive to using a can of tomato sauce we dont have cans of that here would tomato soup be an alternative?

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  50. would tomato puree or tomato soup be used as an alternative to tomato sauce we don't have tomato sauce in a can here in australia

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  51. Lynette, tomato puree would be best and add a bit of salt. I would use about 8 to 10 oz. Of tomato puree. Thanks for your question!!

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  52. Anyone make the "lazy" way? Without rolling up the cabbage? Sort of like a cabbage roll casserole?

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  53. I just made and enjoyed the recipe exact. Thanks! May try "lazy" method next!

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  54. I just had my first one and it is delicious. I'm trying to determine a serving size.

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  55. My Father in law used to make these every new year for visitors at midnight! We always did them in the oven with sauerkraut over the top, will try in the slow cooker next time.

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  56. If you use Savoy cabbage and freeze it and then thaw, the leave will come off. Also easier to roll the Savoy cabbage and no gas afterwards.

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  57. Ive made these many times. Planning on making them for dinner tomorrow, but i wake very early in the morning, so i will do all the rolling tonight and place everything in the crock pot to it over night. IN the am before i go to work i will put juice over them and turn on crock pot. Hope everything goes ok making ahead of time.

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  58. I made this tonight. it was awesome . I used Ragu chunky garden sauce on it..kept it moist...

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  59. This sounds like a good recipe using the different sauces. Being Polish, I grew up eating these-couldn't get enough. Yum. With my busy lifestyle I have changed grand mom's old time recipe-miss her cooking. I use Lipton beefy onion soup mix with the meat/rice mixture and pour Campbell's tomato soup over the rolls to cook-you get nice thick sauce. Add some beef boulion granules to the sauce pot if you want to take a little of the bite out of the tomato soup. My family loves this. I will have to try it with the cheese-sounds even better.

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  60. All I can say is OMG !!!!!. Made this dish tonight to roaring reviews. Can't believe such a simple recipe can make the best cabbage rolls ever. Thank you !!!

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  61. I had a big ole head of cabbage I was wondering what to do with and I found your recipe. I am so excited to try this! Looks yummy and easy! Score! I'll be making this in 2 days.

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  62. would sour cabbage work as well?

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  63. Why is there no PRINT with your great recipes?

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  64. is this the same as pig in blanket,i had gone to a potluck and some one brought some cabbage rolls in sauce and they were so good i ask what was it call he said pig in blanket,i been wanting to learn how to make them,i will be trying to makes this today.

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  65. I am planning on making this recipe this week-end for company. My question is, what do you serve with it? Would mash potatoes go well with it??

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  66. I like to lay the cabbage rolls on a bed of sauerkraut. I like to serve with mashed potatoes, spooning some of the sauerkraut & sauce over them. Yummy!

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