Admittedly, I grew up in a home where there wasn’t a ton of cooking going on. It was the 80s and 90s, both parents worked outside the home, and it was a time to shine for convenience foods. As a result, I have an ongoing soft spot for Shake n’ Bake, Rice-A-Roni, Ragu pasta sauce and a variety of other packaged wonders.
But one thing I do remember my mother making from (almost) scratch, were cabbage rolls.
I would like to give my mom a belated slow clap for making those happen.
I’ve made cabbage rolls myself a number of times over the years. Since having a little one and going back to work full time, though? I’ve made them a total of zero times. It’s no secret these are a time and labour intensive endeavour. Especially for a weeknight. Especially for a weeknight with a hangry child who is having a hard time adjusting to a school routine.
My blogger buddy Jenny Jack posted about ‘lazy’ cabbage rolls on IG a while back and that peaked my short-on-time interest. She was kind enough to send me her perfect recipe, on which this one is based. I won’t lie, I’ve taken liberty with a few shortcuts.
The recipe
You’ll notice, I’ve got a bag of frozen ground beef here. I don’t buy ground beef all that often, but when I do, I’m buying in the 4lb bulk packages, cooking it up all at once (usually with some onion and little salt) and portioning it into 3-4 bags for the freezer, where I lay them flat to freeze. It’s a really great time saver for a weeknight. Heat it up and add to pasta sauce, serve in tacos, make sloppy joes, all in under 15 minutes.
This is a flexible recipe, too. I’ve given you the proportions of liquid vs. other ingredients that I like, but you can add more rice if you prefer, more sauce if you’re a saucy fellow, or go heavy on the cabbage if that’s your deal. Don’t have broth? Sub for water. Only have tomato puree? Cool, that’s fine. Want to sub Campbell’s tomato soup for tomato sauce? yup! that’s what my Mom did!
Just know that in the end, you’ll get the same cabbage roll party in your mouth, without all the work.
This one’s for you weeknight parent who cooks!
Erin
One Pan Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
Print recipe| Serves | 6 |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 35 minutes |
| Website | Inspired by one of our favourite food peeps, Jenny Jack |
Ingredients
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 1 Medium onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 6 cups chopped Savoy cabbage (one very small cabbage or 1/2 a large cabbage)
- 1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
| 1. | In a large pot over medium-heat high, cook ground beef and onions, until ground beef is fully cooked through. Add garlic and cook for another minute. |
| 2. | Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine evenly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is cooked through. |
| 3. | Remove from heat, allow to sit for 10 minutes, and serve. |
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