Beef and Cheese Cabbage Rolls

Here’s a beautiful recipe that reminds me of my grandma and our fall meals. This recipe is an adaptation of what I remember of hers. A mix of well-seasoned ground beef with rice and cheese that she loved to serve us. Easy to make and above all, easy to adapt! In the fall, the markets are full of fresh produce and we often forget the inexpensive green cabbage. My grandma jumped on the occasion! This is a recipe that you will want to repeat regularly. Thank you for your inspiration, Grandma, I miss our time cooking together!
Yield 4 Servings Prep. Time 20 min Cooking Time 145 min Total Time 165 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 1 Savoy cabbage
  • 12 oz (375 g) bacon
  • 1 jar (648 mL) marinara sauce
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (250 mL) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup (125 mL) uncooked basmati rice
  • 1½ tsp (7 mL) herbes de Provence
  • 1¼ lb (625 g) Lean Ground Beef
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Directions

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Cut off the base of the cabbage and carefully remove 9 large leaves (reserve remaining cabbage for another use). Blanch cabbage leaves, a few at a time, in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Remove from water with tongs, drain and set aside. Repeat with remaining leaves.
  2. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on a large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off fat. Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl. Reduce oven to 350°F.
  3. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce over medium heat in a saucepan just until bubbling. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
  4. Add onion, garlic, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, uncooked rice and herbes de Provence to bowl and stir to combine. Gently mix in ground beef with a fork (careful not to over-mix).  Generously season with salt and pepper to your taste.
  5. Place one cabbage leaf on a work surface with the stem side down. Scoop ⅓ to ½ cup (75 to 125 mL) of the meat mixture and form a small sausage. Place at the base of the leaf and roll up tightly, folding in the sides and enclosing the filling. Continue with remaining leaves and filling.

Spread marinara sauce into a large baking dish. Place the cabbage rolls on the sauce, seam side down, and cover the dish with foil. Cook in 350°F oven for 2 hours or until sauce is bubbling and a digital instant-ready thermometer inserted in the centre of several rolls reads 160°F (71°C) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.