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White baking dish of baked rice cabbage rolls with soft pale green leaves and crisp bacon on top, a spoon lifting a roll cut open to show the buttery rice filling

Rice Cabbage Rolls With Bacon

Old-fashioned cabbage rolls filled with rice and buttery onions, layered with bacon and baked low and slow until the leaves are silky and tender.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Freeze and Thaw Cabbage 20 hours
Total Time 1 day 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Eastern European
Calories: 310
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 heads green cabbage about 2 to 3 lb each, cored, frozen and thawed
  • 2 1/2 cups Italian-style rice pearl or arborio, uncooked
  • 2/3 cup salted butter about 150 g
  • 2 yellow onions finely chopped
  • 6 slices bacon uncooked
  • 1 tbsp seasoning salt divided
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water

Method
 

  1. Core the cabbages, keeping them whole. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 10 hours or overnight.
  2. 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.
  3. Cook the rice according to the package directions and let it cool slightly.
  4. Peel off the leaves, cut out the thick rib from each one, halve very large leaves and pat dry.
  5. 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.
  6. 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).
  7. 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.
  8. 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

Storage: refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheated to 165°F (74°C). Freeze for best quality within 3 to 4 months.
Make ahead: assemble the dish a day early and refrigerate; add the vinegar and water and bake, adding 20 to 30 minutes if it goes in cold.
No time to freeze: simmer the cored heads in boiling water and peel off the leaves as they soften.
Substitutions: medium- or long-grain white rice instead of arborio; leave out the bacon and add 2 tbsp more butter for a meatless version.
Nutrition is an estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.