Cabbage Roll Hotdish
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 4 to 6
Grandma Clara cooked and baked all sorts of different foods when I was growing up. One of her signatures was cabbage rolls—a dish that reflected her Eastern European heritage. I must confess, I never ate these as a child. The smell was like nothing we ever ate at home, yet somehow inviting, and I gave into my curiosity in my late-teens and discovered how delicious they are!
I got the recipe in my early 20s and made them every few years. Then, I discovered all the star ingredients could be made into a hotdish—one of my more brilliant cooking ideas. I use my grandma’s original recipe as the sauce but swap ground beef for ground turkey and let the rice cook in the rice cooker while the cabbage cooks down in the sauce with the ground meat and onions. You can mix the rice just when you’re ready to eat or mix everything together—just be aware the rice will continue soaking up the sauce in the fridge and it may get quite thick. Loosen the hotdish with a little extra tomato juice if needed.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground turkey (I use 93% lean)1 medium yellow onion, diced1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil1 head of green cabbage, shredded1 can of diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces8 ounces of tomato sauce3 tablespoons of granulated sugar2 tablespoons of white vinegar1/2 cup water1 to 1 1/2 cups steamed riceRed pepper flake, to taste2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Instructions:
1) Heat a Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.2) Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.3) Add the ground turkey. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.4) Break up the turkey as it cooks into a medium to small mince. 5) Add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle with salt. 6) Toss the cabbage with the ground turkey. 7) Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 8) Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender.9) Once the cabbage is tender, add the steamed rice. Stir to combine.10) Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes in the hotdish. Taste and season with additional 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed.
I got the recipe in my early 20s and made them every few years. Then, I discovered all the star ingredients could be made into a hotdish—one of my more brilliant cooking ideas. I use my grandma’s original recipe as the sauce but swap ground beef for ground turkey and let the rice cook in the rice cooker while the cabbage cooks down in the sauce with the ground meat and onions. You can mix the rice just when you’re ready to eat or mix everything together—just be aware the rice will continue soaking up the sauce in the fridge and it may get quite thick. Loosen the hotdish with a little extra tomato juice if needed.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground turkey (I use 93% lean)1 medium yellow onion, diced1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil1 head of green cabbage, shredded1 can of diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces8 ounces of tomato sauce3 tablespoons of granulated sugar2 tablespoons of white vinegar1/2 cup water1 to 1 1/2 cups steamed riceRed pepper flake, to taste2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Instructions:
1) Heat a Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.2) Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.3) Add the ground turkey. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.4) Break up the turkey as it cooks into a medium to small mince. 5) Add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle with salt. 6) Toss the cabbage with the ground turkey. 7) Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 8) Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender.9) Once the cabbage is tender, add the steamed rice. Stir to combine.10) Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes in the hotdish. Taste and season with additional 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed.