Description
A comforting and hearty meal that brings the flavors of traditional cabbage rolls without the fuss of stuffing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small head green cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. As it cooks, break it apart with a spoon until it’s mostly browned with just a hint of pink left. This step builds the foundation of flavor, much like the filling in traditional cabbage rolls.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften and everything becomes fragrant. This is the moment when your kitchen starts to smell like a home-cooked meal in the making.
- Transfer the beef mixture to your slow cooker. Add the chopped cabbage, uncooked rice, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, and beef broth. Give everything a good stir so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. As the slow cooker unstuffed cabbage rolls cook, the cabbage softens, the rice absorbs the rich tomato broth, and all the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Before serving, give it a final stir and taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, straight from the slow cooker, with a slice of crusty bread if you like.
Notes
- For added richness, consider using a combination of ground beef and pork.
- This recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 60mg