Lazy Cabbage Rolls Recipe
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Do you love the taste of classic cabbage rolls (oh, yes, me! me! me!), but don’t have time to roll them one by one, by one? This lazy cabbage rolls recipe gives you the same great flavors of stuffed cabbage with very little effort.
These are so so juicy and comforting. Did I mention my kids liked them? Actually, they loved them – it was a very enthusiastic “this is delicious!” from 7-year-old and my toddler quickly cleaned her plate. This recipe was shared with us by my Mom-in-law and it was an instant hit.
These come together in no time and completely satisfy the stuffed cabbage craving. It’s also a really great way to use up leftover rice and cabbage. It’s brilliant!
Ingredients for Lazy Cabbage Rolls:
4 cups cooked white rice (from 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice), cooled to room temp*
1/2 medium cabbage, sliced into 1/4″ wide strips (7 cups sliced)
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
1 large onion, divided (1/2 grated and 1/2 finely diced)
2 large eggs
Original Mrs. Dash, or any salt-free all-purpose seasoning
Salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or dill
For the Sauce:
1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
1 large carrot, julienned or grated
2 cups store-bought marinara or homemade Marinara Sauce
3 cups hot water
*We used Jasmine rice
How To Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls:
Prep: Oil a 9×13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 425˚F.
1. Slice cabbage into 1/4″ thin slices. Place in a heat proof bowl or pot, cover with boiling water and let sit 10 minutes to soften. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your hands.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 lb ground turkey, 1 lb ground pork, drained cabbage and 4 cups cooked rice. Grate 1/2 large onion into meat mixture. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp Mrs Dash, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt, and 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Form into potato-shaped patties with your hands, each with about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture. Arrange in prepared casserole.
P.s. my larger casserole dish was a smaller 9×12 so they didn’t all fit in 1 pan. This is why I baked it in 2 separate dishes. If you use a 9×13, they should all fit :).
3. For the sauce, finely dice remaining 1/2 large onion. Heat a large pot over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil and 3 Tbsp butter. Add diced onion and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occassionally or until softened. Add julienned carrot and cook another 3 minutes or until softened. Add 2 cups marinara and 3 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp Mrs Dash, or season to taste.
4. Pour sauce over patties until they are nearly covered. Cover with foil and bake on medium rack at 425˚F for 40 min.
To serve, plate the lazy stuffed cabbage and spoon the extra juice over the top. Serve with sour cream (my favorite) or plain Greek yogurt.
Lazy Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients
For the Lazy Cabbage Rolls:
- 4 cups cooked white rice, from 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, cooled to room temp
- 1/2 medium cabbage, sliced into 1/4" wide strips (7 cups sliced)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 large onion, divided (1/2 grated and 1/2 finely diced)
- 2 large eggs
- Original Mrs. Dash, or any salt-free all-purpose seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley or dill
For the Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large carrot, julienned or grated
- 2 cups store-bought marinara or homemade
- 3 cups hot water
Instructions
Prep:
-
Oil a 9x13 casserole dish, preheat oven to 425˚F.
How To Make Lazy Cabbage Rolls:
-
Slice cabbage into 1/4" thin slices. Place in a heat proof bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit 10 min to soften. Drain and squeeze out excess water with your hands.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, ground pork, drained cabbage and 4 cups cooked rice. Grate 1/2 large onion into meat mixture. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp Mrs Dash, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt, and 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley. Mix well. Form into potato-shaped patties with your hands (each should be about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture). Arrange in oiled casserole.
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For the sauce, finely dice remaining 1/2 large onion. Heat a large pot over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil and 3 Tbsp butter. Add diced onion and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occassionally or until softened. Add julienned carrot and cook another 3 minutes or until softened. Add 2 cups marinara and 3 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp Mrs Dash, or season to taste.
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Pour sauce over patties until they are nearly covered. Cover with foil and bake on medium rack at 425˚F for 40 min. To serve, plate the lazy stuffed cabbage and spoon the extra juice over the top. Serve with sour cream (my favorite) or plain Greek yogurt.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Check out our original Cabbage Rolls Video Recipe here if you roll old school and really want to impress your peeps :).
Need more leftover cabbage ideas? Check out all of our cabbage recipes here.
Hi Natasha, I know you listed this years ago but I’m just now making. noticed you told others tomato sauce may not work as well as marinara. I have homemade tomato sauce from our garden tomato’s with onions,garlic etc. it’s not thick like marinara but thought it would work if I leave out the water & used more. also wondering if dutch oven would work instead of casserole dish.
Hi Sandy! Yes, marinara works best but that should be fine. The casserole dish is wider, but you can use a dutch oven if the meat patties have enough room to be laid out on one level.
This was so easy to make. Thanks for a great recipe. Just out of curiosity, what do you eat with cabbage rolls? Are there any sides that are served with this?
Hi Chris! You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it. You can serve them with roasted or mashed potatoes. Some cultures serve them with polenta. They can be served with many things or as simple as eating with french bread on the side.
Delicious ! However being a Garlic lover , I added a few dashes of garlic powder . Delicious!!
Sounds good, glad you liked it!
Love your recipes so I’m excited to make this one, but are they freezer friendly like your cabbage rolls are?
Hi Debbie! Yes, you should be able to freeze these uncooked. 🙂
These were awesome. Didn’t have unsalted seasoning so I replaced the salt with a mix of the same amount of Herbamare and Old Bay, and aside from purple cabbage, the recipe was followed exactly. I will be making it often.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Kevan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This is a great recipe! I thought they took as much time to make as regular to make though, so not sure if that is the best name for this dish. I think cabbage roll meatloaf or something like that would be better. I didn’t have Mrs. DASH, so I looked up the ingredients in it and added 1/4 teaspoon of each one I had, which was all but one. They taste amazing and I will definitely make again. I did add cabbage underneath the rolls and so glad I did!! Yum! Yum! Yum!!!
Thank you for the feedback, Katrina! Glad you loved this recipe
Do we have the calorie count on these? These are delicious!
Hi Elizabeth! we are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time-consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient!
Like everything I make of yours, exceptional. I have a steam basket for the microwave so I steamed my cabbage in that. The flavors all worked perfect together.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Cris!
This is my first try at thr recipe and is amazing! Easy to make and tastes sooo good. Thanks for the recipe. I took a picture, but I didn’t see a place to upload.
You’re welcome, Vikki. So glad you enjoyed it!
I am originally from Ukraine and have an awesome cabbage roll recipe. Unfortunately it is very time consuming. Made this one and it’s amazing and easier to make. Here are a few changes I made:
1. We love cabbage, so I used the whole head, shredded it and put half of it on the bottom of the casserole dish under the rolls.
2. I use a different sauce for my recipe, not marinara. It’s onions, carrot and tomato sauce mixed with sour cream.
End result is 5 stars!
Thank you, Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lana!
My father was Polish and my mother is German. Grew up with all kinds of great food like you make. I love your recipes and videos and how easy you make them for us to follow and understand.
Thank you so much.
Manuela
Thank you, Manuela! I’m happy to hear that, I aim to make them simple and easy to follow. 🙂
I’m really looking forward to trying this! My son used to like stuffed cabbage, and I’ve made a “lazy” skillet casserole version of it. But the last time I made it, he decided he didn’t like cabbage! Because I think he still does, this will be perfect, since the cabbage is all chopped up inside and he’ll get the flavor without noticing the texture (he’s on the autism spectrum). Buying cabbage tomorrow!
Sounds like a plan! I hope he loves it.
Love your recipes. My family came from Poland.You make things similar to what I grew up with but I always will try something a little different like the cabbage roll balls … keep up the good work! 😀. Thanks . Adrienne
I love that! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Adrienne!
Very good! Made a big double batch in the afternoon, I was skeptical about not cooking the hamburger first but these are the best version of lazy man rolls I have made.
Thank you for the review, Matt! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Very time consuming meal prep. But oh so worth, every tasty bite! I made a few changes, but basically stuck to the main recipe. Definitely a rainy day project!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So easy to make! We have a bunch of ground pork and I was looking for ways to use it. I didn’t have carrots but my 4 yr old daughter said it was “dee-wishes” anyway.
That is adorable! Thank you for sharing, Betty. I am happy you enjoyed this recipe.
This were a winner at our house tonight! My husband had more than one helping, and it used up a ton of cabbage that I had.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I love your recipes and have made many of these. I would like to know is there a video of this?? Or if not could you make one. I love you in your videos. It makes me feel like I’m there down front watching you make your recipes. Thanks for all of these. My husband thanks you also.
Hi Debbie, I don’t have a video for this recipe, but I included step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe above! Thank you for that wonderful compliment; we are slowly working through making videos for our popular recipes!
I made this tonight they were so delicious. Definitely a favorite now. Will be putting the extras in the freezer for another dinner. Thank you. I Definitely think a video of this would be awesome. 🤫🤗
That’s so awesome, I’m so glad everyone loved them! You are a great cook, keep up the good work!
This is amazing!!!! I’ve made it many times already and everyone loves it. Thanks!
One question, what would be the best way to make this a couple days in advance? Bake it first and then freeze? Or prepare the raw ingredients, shape the patties, freeze them and then thaw when ready to bake??
Hi Yanna, My favorite method of freezing is to cook them then place in freezer safe tupperware or a freezer safe ziploc bag, adding as much of the juice as I can get in to keep them juice when thawed and the liquid protects them more from freezer burn. Remove the excess air from the bag and place in the freezer then thaw and reheat on a skillet.
Natasha: I do a layered like lasagna of this cabbage casserole. I cook rice add to my rice a mixture of ground beef, ground veal & ground pork which is cooked with diced onions & diced garlic. My wet mixture is large can Heinz Tomatoe juice & one can of Campbell’s Tomatoe soup. I also cut my cabbage in strips. I use a deep casserole dish with lid. Save your outside cabbage leaves. Layer 2-3 outer leaves on the bottom then add layer of rice mixture, add some salt & pepper, add layer of sliced cabbage. I mix my liquid together in large container & use my immersion blender to mix. Add large spoonfuls of liquid. Make next layer etc. This rice, meat & liquid is my Ukrainian aunts recipe. I am too lazy to make the rolls therefore my layers. Enjoy.
Wow that sounds really great! Do you use raw cabbage or do you steam it first?
Amazing recipe! I usually made the old fashioned cabbage rolls, but today I decided to try the lazy version, and my husband said they’re even better than the classic golubtsi. What a win for me 🙂
It’s just two of us so I halved the recipe and used 1lb of beef instead of pork and turkey.
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes Natasha!
Hi Angie, thank you so much! I appreciate your great comments and feedback, I’m happy to know that you and your husband loved the recipe.
Cant wait to try this!!!
I hope you love this recipe
Hello I had a question can I use red cabbage instead of the green one ?
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried this with red cabbage so I’m not sure, but the color might be off and it may be a little more bitter.
Incredibly delicious. I never did like cabbage, but I know your food rocks, so when I received a head of cabbage, I decided to check here first. I’m so glad I did!
I’m glad you did too! Thanks for your great review, Kimberly.
So happy I came across this recipe!! I LOVE stuffed cabbage – a childhood favorite! As others have stated the traditional way of making it is labor intensive. I read through all of the comments before making. I took the advice of layering the additional cabbage, but I only put it on the bottom. I covered the dish with olive oil, added the cabbage and out it in the oven while it was preheating. I also used 26 oz of condensed tomato soup and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasonings because that is what I had on hand. This turned out AMAZING!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me.
Love these and make them often. My oldest son asks for them all the time! Just delicious. But do you have nutritional information for your recipes somewhere? It would be really helpful. Thanks
I’m so happy you and your son have enjoyed this recipe, Tricia! We are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutrition info but it is a time-consuming process as they have to be added one at a time. Thank you for being patient but also please scroll to the bottom of the recipe post to find the printable recipe card and nutritional information including serving sizes.
The demo from Cooking Companions brought me here, and this looks pretty neat, I’ll save it for later
Nice! I hope you love this recipe.
I don’t ever have Mrs. Dash on hand, so I just left it out, thinking the salt would be enough seasoning. But, no! Rolls were bland ….and as that’s the only thing I left out, I now assume there was a reason for it. The cabbage needs to be short strips too, otherwise it hangs out of the roll on all sides.
Hi Glenna, yes, we have always made it with Mrs Dash, it makes the flavor amazing here.
An old dog can learn new tricks! I’m a senior, my son is a good cook and always trying new things and shared this recipe with me—awesome! I make them frequently now. Cabbage rolls are so much work, and much as they’re a favourite, I only made them at Christmas. That brings me to my question… I’m looking at hosting a family get-together this Christmas and would really like to make these, but would have to be ahead of time, so freezer friendly. The oven will be unavailable. Could these be warmed in the microwave without compromising texture and flavor? In a 9×13 dish, how long, how high, what power level? I also have a large slow cooker. Could that work? If so, on low or high and for how long? I would love to introduce my extended family to this wonderful Recipe!
Hi, I haven’t tried microwaving an entire casserole so I can’t give you exact timings, but it should be ok to warm it in the microwave after it is baked. I would thaw in the refrigerator overnight so the rolls don’t dry out in the microwave with lengthy microwaving.
Hi Natasha
Today I made your Lazy Cabbage Rolls. They were great! I did have to cook them longer than 45 min and added a 1/2 can of tomato paste because my sauce was thin. Excellent!
I’m glad you liked it, Marianne. Thanks for your good comments and feedback!
Hi Natasha,
I made the Lazy Cabbage Rolls and had to add bread crumps to keep the mixture together. It still turned up very tasty and juicy. I will make it again with less cabbage.
Thanks for a great recipe
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Natasha this was delicious ! As are all your other recipes I’ve made . The family loved it and wanted to let you know . Can’t wait to try your other cabbage recipes. Yes , I do love cabbage. Keep the recipes coming & I’ll keep making them . Your #1 fan in Kansas.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Greg. Thank you for your good feedback and suggestion, I appreciate it!
I am from Australia and the only marinara I know is a seafood combination which I don’t think you mean
Hi Gillian, we have it linked in the recipe we use this homemade marinara here. I hope that helps.
In Aust also, Gillian. I assume marinara is what we’d call nap sauce.
But what on earth is Mrs Dash??!!
🙂
Love the recipe and the way you present this dish! Much easier than regular cabbage rolls but still very delicious! Made it with round brown rice and ground beef/turkey. Came out really great and super tasty. Thank you for your recipes, especially of Ukrainian origin! It’s such a pleasure to follow ideas of an amazing Ukrainian hostess (gospodynia)!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes Oleksandra!
I don’t typically review recipes as I print them out and then rarely get back to the original site, but I intentionally came on tonight to leave this review. These were AMAZING! I made them as directed, except used brown rice. Only my husband likes cabbage so I wasn’t expecting much, but the whole family devoured these and my kids are totally vegetable averse! Next time I will chop the cabbage smaller so they don’t notice the pieces as much, but they sprinkled parmesan on top and ate everything anyway. I’m definitely making this recipe again and again. Thank you!
What an amazing feedback, thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Even lazier cabbage rolls — one can use a bag of already shredded store-bought coleslaw, which was microwaved to soften.
Because I’m a cabbage fan, I then chopped about 1/2 of the cabbage & onion in my Ninja blender and added to the meat mixture.
Rather than letting the other 1/2 of the cabbage spoil in my refrigerator, it was cut into ribbons and put above and below the meat rolls.
A brilliant idea to preheat the sauce to speed up cooking. The reason for the water in the marinara, is that the rolls absorb most of the sauce during cooking.
Absolutely delicious even with beef and turkey and other substitutions of items on hand.
Thank you — you have a wonderful website and recipes (healthy, fast, easy), especially now (during pandemic)
That’s a nice idea, thank you for sharing that with us and I’m glad that worked well!
This is my go to recipe for lazy cabbage rolls, and your “kitchen” for many other recipes. Thank you.
That’s so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Irene!
Wanted to make lazy cabbage roll and stumbled across your recipe. Definitely a keeper and I will be making again.
It is so good! You have to try this recipe! I hope you love it, Ann!
Hi Natasha, these look so yummy, we love cabbage rolls, can I use lean Hamburg instead of turkey, not a fan of it? Love your recipes!
Hi Mary, I like the fat content of ground pork but you can replace it with just all ground turkey or substitute with ground chicken or ground beef.
Hi Natasha, I made these rolls last nite, used hamburg and pork, they were delicious, even my picky 5 yr old granddaughter ate it, been using your recipes alot, they are so good, making spatchcock chicken today, Thankyou for all that you do
You’re welcome, Mary! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes.
My daughter and I made the cabbage rolls last night. We used 90% lean ground beef since my husband has a poultry allergy and there was no ground pork to be found at the store. Per another chef’s suggestion, we used the “riced” cauliflower. Very tasty! We will definitely make this again soon.
That’s so awesome Beth! Thank you for that great feedback. I’m so glad to hear that worked out.
this recipe looks delicious. I am Polish and brought up on this food.. I will add sauerkraut to my canned tomatoes for extra flavor. That too was a staple. Love all your recipes. I am a senior and still love to cook. Our daughters introduced me to your recipes. Thank you
I hope you love it with that change! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Really good recipe and easy..my favorite thing. I did add some garlic and oregano to the sauce, it gave it a nice little flavor boost. Really good. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kate!
Delicious! I tweaked recipe a bit! I steamed cabbage (didn’t have to drain and ensured cabbage was tender). Also for sauce I used 3 cups marinara sauce and water from steamed cabbage (it was about 3/4 cup) topped up to 2 cups with chicken stock. I had leftover sauce after filling casserole dish which was delicious on the cooked rolls.
Tried adding pic but can’t
Oh and I used brown rice too
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rita! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
Tonya, I’ve made this recipe 4 times, always with great success. I cook the cabbage in advance so I’m thinking you should be fine with sautéed cabbage provided it doesn’t have a lot of oil/butter or conflicting spices.
If you try it I’d be interested to hear the results.
Natasha, do you think sautéed cabbage will work in this recipe? My mom gave me a bunch and I’m thinking to use it up in this recipe.
Hi Tonya, I haven’t tested that but I imagine it may work.
I made this with small changes due to what I had on hand and taste preferences. Made for 2 so pretty much halved everything. I only used 1 lb 85/15 ground turkey, no pork. Finely chopped a really small cabbage, about 1 lb. Boiled it for about 10 minutes to make it nice and soft. I didn’t squeeze it, just drained well. Used spaghetti sauce cuz that’s what I had and added some red pepper flakes, oregano and basil. This made 10 big “meatballs”. Removed the foil after 35 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit. It was WONDERFUL! Thank you for posting…saved this Polish person a LOT of work!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Kay!
Im a busy mom of five and nursing student so Im always on the search from easy quick recipes. When the instant pot came I hesitantly jump on the bandwagon but so great full I did. Once that was discovered I tried to search for those recipes but very few russian recipes are written for the instant pot. With that being said I cautiously worked it out in my head and hoped for the best. The results: AMAZING!!!
Heres what I did:
I kept all the quantities of the food the same.
I used 4 cups of quinoa instead of rice.
I DID NOT soak the cabbage, instead I “kneaded” the cabbage after I shredded it.
I sauteed the carrots/sauce in the instant pot on “saute” then I transferred the sauce into a different bowl for a minute while I layered my cabbage rolls in the pot. Then I poured the sauce over the rolls and added the cup of water over the sauce.
I turned the pressure to HIGH for 5 Minutes, let it naturally depressurize and VOILA, delicious! I came home to a house smelling of good ole russian home-cooking! For the future, I would so love to see more traditional recipes translated for instant pot, but I know that would take a lot of time so maybe I will just use my new found ability to trust myself Thanks for this great recipe, so much better than traditional cabbage rolls!
I’m so happy to hear that, Nicole! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Made these rolls last week and this week.They are so good! They remind me my sweet home, when grandma used to make me cabbage rolls!
Thank you so much!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
I’ve made both the lazy and the original versions of cabbage rolls and to be honest, I think I like the lazy version better.
It’s so easy isn’t it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is such an fabulous recipe! I’ve made these several times now and they are quick and delicious. I honestly don’t see myself ever using my baba’s golubsti recipe again—these are just as delicious and so much easier. Thank you so much!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Katrina!
Sherri P.
Wow, what a great recipe! I have always loved cabbage rolls, but only made them occasionally, due to the time involved. This recipe came together quickly, and the flavor is fantastic! I love the seasonings in the meat mixture and the sauce. The shredded carrots in the sauce are a new addition to me, and I loved the texture and slight sweetness they add. I’m a widow with a single person household, so I will be sharing some of the casserole with a friend for her work lunches, and I’ll also freeze some for quick meals for myself. Thanks for another winning recipe!
You’re so welcome Sherri! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
Turned this into a keto version with cauliflower rice and pork instead of turkey. Turned out amazing, and enough to feed an army! Thank you, loving all your recipes so far!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Maya!
My family’s enjoyed every recipe of yours that I’ve tried so far and I’ll be making this one later this week. I know it’ll be good — is much like my Ukrainian mother’s cabbage rolls. One can easily sub ingredients to suit personal tastes and still have a great tasting dish (eg, ground beef instead of turkey, perhaps different spices, plain tomato instead of marinara sauce). I’ll have to add a few bacon slices (diced and mostly pre-cooked) to the meat mixture to please mom who’ll be turning 96 next month. It’s difficult to find anything she wants to eat these days but I’m sure this will please her. Thanks so much for the idea — I would never have thought of adding the cabbage to the meat mixture.
You’re so welcome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi natasha, I’m wondering if you can substitute cabbage for iceberg lettuce? I only have that on hand and was hoping to use it up. Thanks for your reply! 😊
Hi Vika, iceberg lettuce would not work well in this recipe. It would get limp and mushy.
Seems like the carrots is missing from the ingredients list? ♥️
Hi Lilly we have it listed under the sauce section “1 large carrot julienned or grated” I hope that helps!
This looked fabulous and the reviews were so positive so I gave it a try. I halved the recipe so only used turkey mice. I followed the recipe but divided into half. Sadly, it was a flop. I cooked it longer than stated as the cabbage was still very crunchy. The meat was dry and there wasn’t enough sauce. Most went in the bin.
I will try again and next time only use the very soft parts of the cabbage leaves, use pork mince also for the fat content and double the sauce.
Hi Halyna, I definitely recommend keeping the pork along with the turkey, turkey on its own will be very dry. Be sure to do the initial soaking step with boiling hot water for 10 minutes and the thinner you slice the cabbage, the easier it will soften. I hope that helps!
tip: use organic cabbage, it’s softer
very very good. I read previous comments. White rice and quinoa 50/50 worked well. They can be cooked together as cooking time the same. I used chinese (nappa) cabbage and it was perfect. It tends to be milder tasting and more tender than regular cabbage. I was worried they might be dry because I used extra lean sirloin and chicken but they were lovely and moist. I used no salt chicken broth instead of water for the sauce; it adds just another boost of flavour.
By doing the prep of cabbage, rice and sauce the day before I was able to put together, bake and serve at the last minute the next day.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Em! Thank you for sharing that great review with me!
Hi Natasha
Thanks for sharing this freezer friendly recipe. My kids love it! How long can cooked cabbage rolls (the lazy ones) be kept in the freezer?
Hi! Great question! They should last about a one to two max in the freezer. My favorite method of freezing is to cook them then place in freezer safe Tupperware or a freezer safe Ziploc bag, adding as much of the juice as I can get in to keep them juice when thawed and the liquid protects them more from freezer burn. Remove the excess air from the bag and place in the freezer then thaw and reheat on a skillet.
I am going to be “that person” and substituted the marinara sauce for cream of mushroom and made them meatball sized. The whole family tore into it up and we are a picky bunch!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Can you share how you did the cream of mushroom sauce please? A can of the soup?
Absolutely Scrumptious! I couldn’t stop eating them. I may add some minced garlic next time but they’re perfect as is.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Nancy!
I normally don’t write food reviews but I had to for this one. These were absolutely scrumptious! I couldn’t stop eating them. Followed the recipe exactly as shown. I may try adding minced garlic next time but they’re perfect as is.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!!
O M G… so delicious and sooo easy. It’s called the Lazy Cabbage rolls so I even bought the cabbage already shredded 😉 A perfect dish after the holiday season and for the lunchs for back at work in a few days. Thanks Natasha for your wonderful recipes.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
can you make the casserole and freeze – should you freeze before cooking or af ter
Hi Debbie! My favorite method of freezing is to cook them then place in freezer safe tupperware or a freezer safe ziploc bag, adding as much of the juice as I can get in to keep them juice when thawed and the liquid protects them more from freezer burn. Remove the excess air from the bag and place in the freezer then thaw and reheat on a skillet.
Made this tonight, a cold windy fall evening. Oh my gosh, it was wonderful and the husband loved it! I did most of the prep work In the cuisinart. I did cut the cabbage by hand though. I added some garlic, used less onion, salt and only two cups of water. Otherwise made as written. Will definitely make this make again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Oh, my goodness! I mentioned my neighbor in a previous post? She used to make traditional cabbage rolls ALL THE TIME; I could smell them walking home from school (cue that it was the perfect time to pop in and tell her all about my school day! *grin*).
I was short on time so I didn’t form them into rolls. I coursely chopped the cabbage, rather than slicing it, stirred it into the meat/rice mixture, sauteed the entire mixture until the meat was cooked, and topped with sauce to serve (served in a bowl, with sour cream). NO, it looked nothing like a cabbage roll. Close your eyes and just savor a bite? PERFECT! Oh, what a blast to the past! In rural WI? Slavic food? Not so much!!! Can’t wait to make them again, when I have more time, but the quickie method did not disappoint, not by a long shot!!! YUM!!!
Thank you for this wonderful review!!
This recipe is a perfect alternative to traditional cabbage rolls. East to make and it tastes delicious. Thank you Natasha, I enjoyed this food very much!
I’m so happy to hear that Tanya!
These are excellent. I steamed the cabbage in a steamer basket – came out dry enough to eliminate the squeezing step. Keeping this recipe to make again and again.
Thank you for the great review, Jill!
Most of my childhood memory includes getting yelled at by my mother, punampaul.com and eat your veggies; but I used to pay no heed to it. However as time passes, most of us come around to eating vegetables as we are aware of the countless benefits they have for our health.
Cabbage is especially one of the world’s most nutrient dense vegetables readily available for us to enjoy, rich in essential vitamins such as C, B6, K, saturated fat, thiammin, calcium, iron, magnesium phosphorus and a good source of dietary fibers.
But I never liked any cabbage recipe other than in noodles.
This cabbage recipe when I tried at home was not really appreciated by my family but it was really yummy too. Thanks for sharing this delicious preparation. Keep posting wonderful recipes like this.
Thank you for sharing that with us Paul!
Good morning Natasha, On Sundays family and friends gather at my home for dinner. Between 8 to 10 people and 4 furbabies. I want make the lazy cabbage rolls with brown rice and beef. Plus have your Cabbage Casserole as a side dish. Would you add another side dish? And what would be a good desert to go with this dinner? Thank you for this wonderful cooking channel.
Hi Vickie, that sounds delicious! I think a fresh salad (like a cucumber tomato salad) would be nice with the casserole and cabbage rolls. It’s hard to pair cabbage with a dessert, so Im not sure – I guess whatever you are craving! You can explore all of our desserts here.
Good Morning Natasha, Thank you for the reply. I followed your link for deserts. One popped out right away, that I will make for the dinner. I liked the Easy Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Sauce. Have a great day.
You’re so welcome, Vickie!
Made this for my husband tonight….said that it was better than his Polish grandmother’s! We just added a bit of ketchup at service at it was phenomenal!
That’s an awesome compliment Amy! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I made these for dinner today and they were SO yummy!! I used only beef and accidentally put in some spicy pepper instead of Mrs. Dash and it gave it a little kick. The kids loved it and since they added sour cream to it they didn’t mind the spice.
I’m so happy that worked out for you Irina! Thank you for the great review!
Awesome recipe!! So tender, moist, and delicious! Since I always have a habit of reading through the comments to gather any tips and tricks, here is what I did that worked…
First of all, I’ve tried covering cabbage with boiling water before and letting it sit covered but the cabbage would still be a bit too crisp for my taste. I started to just bring the water/ cabbage to a boil on the stove and then turn off heat and cover it for about 20 minutes. Also, I used organic ground beef and organic brown rice…worked very well together. Plus, I used Costco brand organic vodka sauce in place of the marinara since I like the extra creaminess to it. I pour enough sauce to just cover the meatballs to give me some extra sauce to pour over. When reheating the meatballs I pour in some marinara sauce to help soften them a bit and cover them with extra yumminess…Hope this helps someone! 🙂
Hi Anna! Thank you for another great and thoughtful review with tips for all of us! We appreciate your tips and substitutions! 🙂
You’re welcome. 🙂 I truly appreciate your recipes…thank you so much for all your work and effort!
Délicieux ! Merci
You’re welcome! Thank you for the great review!
Made tonight, and oh so delicious! Thank you Natasha for all the amazing recipes!
You’re welcome Tina! I’m glad you love the recipe, thanks for sharing!
I substituted rice with cauliflower riced – and really good .
Great suggestion Cathy, I’ll have to try that! Thanks for sharing your review!
I was going to post, asking about making this a plaeo friendly dish. Good to know about cauli, will be trying soon!
Did you use same portion of riced cauliflower?
Hey Natasha. I have a lot of leftover filling. Can I freeze the meat filling or bake it first then freeze? We have a small family so I didn’t think this would make a big portion.
Hi Angie, I think it would work either way. I would make meatballs out of it and freeze them uncooked 🙂
Hi Natasha,
These were wonderful! Thank you so much for the recipe! I did change a few things, as I know my families taste. Instead of using 2 cups of Marinara and 3 Cups hot water, I used 4 cups Marinara and 1 cup water. Also, instead of regular salt, I used Kosher. And totally by accident, I put the carrots in the cabbage rolls instead of the sauce. They loved it! 🙂 Again, thank you so much! We grow cabbage and now I have a wonderful new recipe that can use our cabbage!
all my best!
Hello Sandra! You’re welcome, I’m glad the recipe is such a hit with your family! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!
I really liked these but at the end the sauce soaked into the rolls and there really wasn’t enough sauce. I am going to make more sauce for the leftovers. Honestly they are great
Hi Janine, I’m so glad you liked them! If you use a large pan and they are more spaced out, the liquid evaporates faster in the oven. They normally aren’t super saucy though once they are baked and I think a little extra sauce would work great if you prefer 😉
Isn’t there a proper recipe made WITHOUT meat, the way my grandmother made it? Why would you all spoil a perfectly good dish??
Hi Pat, we have always made this with meat but I suppose you could try a vegetarian version.
Not very nice comment! Why you did not ask your grandma for recipe instead of assaulting Natasha here? She is sharing her recipe. Even I am ester Europian, and we always put meet in it.
Going to make it tomorrow, for sure it tastes delicious like the rest of Natasha recipes what I have tried so far.
Blessings.
Hi Dana, thank you for sharing your thoughtful review! 🙂
My mom made the traditional way but also for my dad she stuffed the leaves with cooked buckwheat (gryshek) with sauteed onion or bacon bits.
I cant wait to try these…My hubby is borderline diabetic so I might reduce the amount of rice and try subbing cauliflower rice….I haven’t made one of your recipes yet that didn’t turn out great…
I’m glad to hear how much you’ve been enjoying the recipes Teresa! Please let me know what you think of this recipe when you decide to make it!
These were amazing!!! Hubby raved about them. Delicious and easy. Why didn’t anyone ever think to put the cabbage inside before? Keeps them tender and juicy. I’m off to have one for breakfast!! 😉
I’m glad to hear you both enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review Nancy!
Hi Natasha, I would love to try these, but am curious if I can just mix everything together after the prep work, and have it like one big casserole dish? What do you think?
Hi Vita, I haven’t tried it that way but it sounds like a good way to simplify it even further by turning it into a casserole. If you try it, let me know how you like it! I’m so curious now 🙂
I did make this in the casserole style, and it came out perfect! 😋 Also, I substituted buckwheat for rice and it was a perfect alternative for us since we stopped eating rice! But just a note, I did brown my meat a little before adding to the mixture…
I’m happy to hear that Vita! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi Vita, did you change the cooking time or temperature?
Hi Vickie, I kept the cooking time and temperature the same.
Thank you… 🙂
Thank you again for another amazing dinner to bless my now blended Ukranian family members with. I grew up in MN and my mom would make a cabbage casserole. This was so tasty and fit in with my lack of patience and perfection to hand roll.
My pleasure Lisa! I’m glad to hear how much you and your family enjoy the recipe. Thanks for following and sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
This recipe looks great and hopefully my picky eater grandsons will enjoy them.
Could I make the cabbage rolls the day before, just the meat/ rice and then add the sauce the next day before I bake.? Love all your recipes.
Hi Gloria, that should work well to pre-make the rolls then cover and refrigerate and add sauce the following day before baking.
Hi Natasha. I was thinking on making these in the crockpot. Do you think it’s a good idea? How long would I cook them for? Also, you think they would fall apart….
Hi Julie, I honestly have not tried these in a crockpot so I can’t say for sure or give advice on cooking times. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
I don’t have any cabbage in the house and was thinking of making these without cabbage. Any thoughts or suggestions? or just make them the same minus the cabbage.
Hi Elaina, it might be a better idea to make a meat and rice meatball instead (tefteli).
Hi Natasha, do you think I can use long grain and wild rice instead of white rice in this recipe?
Thanks
Hi Inna, I haven’t tried that, but I think it’s worth experimenting! Let me know if you try it. I love your ideas for making it a healthier filling.
OMG, so easy and sooo tasty! Thank you Natasha
You’re welcome Dmitry! I’m glad you love it!
Thank u thank u for the great recipe. I made it today with chicken and beef:)
Merry Christmas
You’re welcome Alina! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
Love this lazy stuffed cabbage receipe. I loved the way it flowed, chop the cabbage while the rice cooks, drain the cabbage while chopping other veggies. I felt like a real pro. also loved the way you could make the meatball mixture in the pan you soaked the cabbage in, same with the sauce and the rice pan. I usually don’t feel so mellow making food that’s this good. thank you Natasha! Betsy
meant 5 star
You’re welcome Betsy! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha:)
I make this recipe quite often and absolutely love how easy and delicious the “cabbage rolls” turn out.
I’m planing to make it again and usually serve it with mashed potatoes but there isn’t much sauce left to top the potatoes with. I’ve tried to simply double the sauce part of it but the “cabbage rolls” turn out too mooshey and not as firm. I wonder if you could suggest a gravy/sauce that would go nicely with this recipe? Thank you so much!
Hi Angelina, I’ve seen some folks add heavy cream to their sauce to make it more creamy but otherwise, you are correct, if you overdo it on the sauce, they can get too soft. If you are serving with mashed potatoes, I would suggest one of our mushroom gravies which are simple and the flavors would go well together 🙂
You are amazing!!! Thank you for replying so soon😊😊😊
I wasn’t sure a mushroom gravy would go well with the marinara, but your word is good enough for me.
Will be making this over the holidays.
Blessings:)
Angelina.
It’s my pleasure Angelina! I hope you love it! Merry Christmas 🙂
Hi, try using tomato soup mixed with about half can milk, heat and pour over potatoes for your sauce… when my Mom makes stuffed cabbage we use it for our “gravy” and it’s good on top the cabbage and so is a sprinkle of Jack cheese 😋
Great suggestion Terrie, thanks for sharing!
Hi, try using tomatoe soup mixed with about half can milk, heat and pour over potatoes for your sauce… when my Mom makes stuffed cabbage we use it for our “gravy” and it’s good on top the cabbage and so is a sprinkle of Jack cheese 😋
Overall the flavor was great! The only downside was that some of the cabbage was still crunchy.
Hi Olya, I’m so glad you liked the flavor! Be sure to do the initial soaking step with boiling hot water for 10 minutes and the thinner you slice the cabbage, the easier it will soften. I hope that helps! 🙂