| Prep | 45 minutes active, plus about 20 hours to freeze and thaw the cabbage |
| Bake | 3 to 4 hours |
| Total | about 1 day, mostly hands-off |
| Serves | 12 as a side (about 40 to 50 small rolls) |
| Equipment | deep 9×13-inch or 10×13-inch baking dish, colander, medium skillet, large mixing bowl, aluminum foil, plastic wrap |
In many Ukrainian and Eastern European families, especially those settled in Canada and the American Midwest, a holiday table is not complete without a pan of cabbage rolls. The meat-and-tomato-sauce version is the best known, but there is an older, simpler style that many grandmothers still make: small rolls filled only with rice and onions cooked in plenty of butter, layered with bacon and baked low and slow until the cabbage is silky and almost melting.
These rice cabbage rolls follow that tradition. The filling is mild, buttery and savory, the bacon seasons every layer as it bakes, and a splash of vinegar and water keeps everything moist and adds a faint tang. They make a generous side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and the trick that makes them manageable at home is a freezer, not a pot of boiling water.
Ingredients
- 2 heads green cabbage (about 2 to 3 lb / 1 to 1.4 kg each) – frozen and thawed ahead of time to soften the leaves (see below).
- 2 1/2 cups (about 500 g) uncooked Italian-style rice, such as pearl or arborio – the starchy grains hold together inside the rolls.
- 2/3 cup (150 g) salted butter – the main flavor of the filling.
- 2 yellow onions, finely chopped.
- 6 slices uncooked bacon – laid between the layers; it seasons the rolls as it renders.
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt, divided between the filling and the layers.
- Black pepper, to taste.
- 1 tbsp vinegar and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water – poured over the rolls before baking.
How to Make It
1. Freeze the cabbage – at least 10 hours, 1 to 2 days ahead
Cut out the core of each cabbage with a small knife, keeping the head whole. Wrap each head tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 10 hours or overnight. The cabbage should be frozen solid all the way through.
2. Thaw and drain – at least 10 hours
Unwrap the frozen heads, set them in a colander in the sink and cover the tops loosely with plastic wrap. Let them thaw for about 10 hours or overnight, so the excess water drains away. The leaves should be limp, pliable and easy to peel off without tearing.
3. Cook the rice – 20 minutes
Cook the rice according to the package directions, then spread it out to cool slightly while you prepare the leaves. The rice should be tender but not mushy, as it keeps cooking in the oven.
4. Prepare the leaves – 10 minutes
Peel the leaves off one at a time. With a small knife, cut out the thick triangular rib at the base of each leaf. Cut very large leaves in half. Pat away any excess water with paper towels. Each piece should lie flat and fold without cracking.
5. Cook the onions – low to medium heat, 10 to 12 minutes
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over low to medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring now and then, until very soft and translucent and just starting to turn golden. Season lightly with pepper. The onions should be sweet and soft enough to crush with a spoon, with only a hint of color.
6. Mix the filling – 5 minutes
In a large bowl, combine the rice, the onions with all their butter, about 2 teaspoons of the seasoning salt and a pinch of pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Every grain should be glossy with butter.
7. Roll and layer – 20 to 30 minutes
Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling near the base of a leaf. Fold in both sides, then roll it up firmly so the filling is packed tight. Arrange the rolls seam side down and close together in the baking dish. When a layer is complete, sprinkle it with a little seasoning salt and lay 2 or 3 slices of bacon across it. Repeat until all the leaves and filling are used. The rolls should sit snugly against each other so they keep their shape while baking.
8. Bake covered – 375°F (190°C), 3 to 4 hours
Stir the vinegar into the water and pour it evenly over the rolls. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake. Check after about 3 hours. The cabbage rolls are ready when the leaves are very tender and a fork slides through a roll with no resistance.
Why the Cabbage Goes in the Freezer
Cabbage leaves are stiff and tend to crack when you try to roll them raw. The usual fix is to lower the whole head into a pot of boiling water and peel off the leaves one by one as they soften, which is hot, awkward work. Freezing does the same job with no pot and no burned fingers.
When the cabbage freezes, the water inside its cells turns to ice crystals that break the cell walls. Once thawed, the leaves lose their crunch and become soft and flexible, very much like blanched leaves. Draining them in a colander as they thaw gets rid of the extra water released by those broken cells, so the rolls do not turn soggy.
The only cost is time: you need to start a day or two before you plan to bake. The table below compares the three common ways of softening the leaves.
| Method | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze and thaw | Freeze the cored head overnight, thaw and drain overnight | Easiest and no pot of water, but needs a day’s notice |
| Boil the whole head | Simmer the cored head and peel leaves off as they soften | Same day, but hot and fiddly; leaves can tear |
| Microwave | Heat the cored head in short bursts and peel the outer leaves | Fast for a small batch, uneven for two large heads |
Long, Slow Baking Is the Point
Three to four hours may seem like a long time for a dish without meat in the filling, but that time is what turns the cabbage from chewy to tender and lets the flavors blend. Under tightly sealed foil, the rolls steam in the water, vinegar, butter and bacon fat. The rice absorbs some of that liquid and takes on the smoky flavor of the bacon, and the leaves become soft enough to cut with a fork.
Older family recipes often bake cabbage rolls at a lower temperature for a similar length of time, so if your oven runs hot, you can turn it down to 350°F (175°C) and allow a little longer. Either way, keep the dish covered for the whole bake. If the foil is loose, the top layer will dry out and the leaves on the edges will turn papery.
Make Ahead, Store and Reheat
Cabbage rolls are a natural make-ahead dish, which is a big part of their appeal at the holidays. You can roll and layer them a day early, cover the dish and keep it in the refrigerator, then add the vinegar and water and bake on the day. Add 20 to 30 minutes to the baking time if the dish goes into the oven cold.
Leftovers keep well. According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, cooked food should be refrigerated within 2 hours, eaten within 3 to 4 days, and reheated to 165°F (74°C). It can also be frozen, with the best quality within 3 to 4 months. Reheat cabbage rolls covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven with a splash of water, or in the microwave in individual portions.
Ways to Serve and Adapt Them
- With sour cream: a spoonful on the side is the classic Ukrainian way to serve them.
- With the holiday meal: they sit well next to turkey, ham and mashed potatoes, or alongside a chicken and stuffing casserole for a smaller dinner.
- Meatless: leave out the bacon and add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the onions, plus a little extra salt between the layers.
- Other rice: medium-grain or long-grain white rice works too; the rolls will be a little less sticky.
- Smaller batch: halve every ingredient, use one head of cabbage and an 8×8-inch dish, and start checking for tenderness after about 2 hours.
If you like cabbage dishes, try the lazy golumpki soup, a quick soup with all the flavors of stuffed cabbage, or the creamy cabbage alfredo. For more holiday sides, there are the garlic herb roasted potatoes, and you can browse all the dinner recipes.
Rice Cabbage Rolls With Bacon
Ingredients
Method
- Core the cabbages, keeping them whole. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 10 hours or overnight.
- Unwrap, place in a colander in the sink, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let thaw and drain for about 10 hours, until the leaves are soft and pliable.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions and let it cool slightly.
- Peel off the leaves, cut out the thick rib from each one, halve very large leaves and pat dry.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over low to medium heat and cook the onions for 10 to 12 minutes, until very soft and translucent. Season with pepper.
- Mix the rice, onions with their butter, about 2 teaspoons of the seasoning salt and pepper. Taste and adjust. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on each leaf, fold in the sides and roll tightly. Pack the rolls seam side down in the baking dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with seasoning salt and topping it with 2 or 3 slices of bacon.
- Mix the vinegar and water and pour over the rolls. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 to 4 hours, until the cabbage is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Notes
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