Place one of the oven racks in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Combine the rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered on low, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, until the rice is partially cooked (it will keep baking in the oven). Strain the rice through a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water to remove any excess liquid and starch. Place in a large bowl and set aside. Keep the pot handy (no need to clean it).
Meanwhile, core the cabbage: Peel off any dirty leaves from the cabbage head. Sit the cabbage on your cutting board so the stem side is facing directly upwards. Using a paring knife, make 4 cuts that are each 1/2-inch away from the core so that the cuts form a square. Make each cut at an angle so that your knife is pointing down towards the core as you slice. Shimmy the knife through each corner of the square shape to help loosen the core. Then, pull on the cabbage stem area to remove the core. You may need to wiggle your paring knife around the square again to help loosen it. Discard the core.
Simmer the cabbage: Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium-low heat such that the water simmers. Carefully lower the cabbage (with its core side facing the bottom of the pot and the top of the head facing up) into the pot and cover it. Let simmer for 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon or handheld medium sieve, carefully lift the cabbage out of the water. Let cool until you can handle it safely, 10-15 minutes.
To the now-empty pot you used to cook the rice, add 2 tablespoons of oil and the onion. Sauté over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the onion-garlic mixture to the bowl of rice.
Add the ground beef, egg, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. With a fork or your hands, mix to combine, making sure not to overwork the meat. Only mix until just combined. Set aside.
Place the semi-cooled, cooked cabbage on a cutting board. Peel 12 larger in-tact leaves off of the cabbage (peel from the core side for easy removal). Trim any tough, thick ribs from the stem side of the cabbage leaf by using a paring knife to cut a V shape around the rib to remove it. (Don’t cut off too much or it will be hard to roll.) Set aside.
Quarter and chop any remaining cabbage into thin 1/4-inch strips. Scatter evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
Assemble the rolls: Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the beef mixture to the center of a cabbage leaf (it's OK if the leaf is still a little damp).
Fold the sides of the leaf inwards to cover the meat, then begin rolling from the stem side, until you have a cabbage roll.
Place seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining cabbage until you have 12 rolls. If there is any leftover beef mixture, roll it into small (about 1-to 1 1/2-inch) meatballs and arrange them in the pan in between the rolls.
To the now-empty bowl that held the beef mixture, add the tomato sauce. Add 1/2 cup water to one of the empty tomato sauce cans, swish around, and add the water to the bowl. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, bay leaf, vinegar, honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Stir gently to combine.
Carefully pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls. Lift the cabbage rolls a bit to ensure the sauce gets distributed beneath them.
Spray a piece of foil large enough to cover the pan with nonstick spray. Cover the pan tightly with the foil, placing it spray-side down. Place onto a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake until the cabbage is nearly fork tender and easily cuts with a paring knife, about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from the oven and carefully uncover the pan. Use a spoon to ladle the hot sauce from the bottom of the pan over each cabbage roll. Recover the pan securely with foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
FAQs
Why is my cabbage tough on my cabbage rolls? ›
If your cooked cabbage is tough, it's likely because the cabbage is not cooked through yet. Continue to cook the rolls until they're tender. It's also important to make sure you let the rolls rest after they're finished baking.
Why do you freeze cabbage before making cabbage rolls? ›If you want to make stuffed cabbage leaves, you don't have to cook the leaves to make them pliable. It's a lot easier just to freeze the cabbage—an added benefit is it doesn't stink up your house.
How long to reheat cabbage rolls in the oven? ›PREPARATION FOR CABBAGE ROLLS
a/ Fresh: Reheat in covered casserole in preheated oven 45 min 350o F or until heated through is the best. The new take-out-container is microwave safe. b/ Frozen: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove top, in the oven* 375 for 30 minutes or in the microwave.
Preparation: Place frozen cabbage rolls in a shallow baking dish in rows. Pour liquid (suggestion: broth, tomato juice or soup) over the cabbage rolls until almost covered. Cover with foil and bake for two to three hours at 325°F or to an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
Why do you put baking soda in cabbage? ›Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.
What is the best type of cabbage for cabbage rolls? ›Any variety of green cabbage will do for this recipe, but we went with savoy cabbage because the leaves are a bit looser and easier to work with. The leaves are also just the right shape and size for this application.
How long can you leave uncooked cabbage rolls in the fridge? ›Yes, you can make cabbage rolls ahead of time. You can roll cabbage rolls, assemble in a single layer in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Or just use the Dutch oven if you have enough space in your refrigerator. Then bake with tomato sauce mixture as per recipe.
Can you leave cooked cabbage rolls out overnight? ›The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours.
What is cabbage roll sauce made of? ›After all the work of making homemade stuffed cabbage rolls, I find it hard to pour tomato soup on top. For one pound of meat, I mix an 8oz. can of tomato sauce, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce. I mix well and pour over cabbage rolls.
How long are homemade cabbage rolls good for? ›To make ahead: Cool cabbage rolls and refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze in airtight container for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen.
Is it better to freeze or boil cabbage for cabbage rolls? ›
Freezing is a far safer method than blanching. You won't be placing a head of cabbage in a boiling pot of water and removing it every minute or two, which will result in hot water splashes. It also means you can do the entire leaf removal at one time and not in stages.
Do you have to core cabbage for cabbage rolls? ›Method #1: Cut the core out before halving the cabbage. This is how to core cabbage for cabbage rolls, because the whole leave is used for rolling. If the cabbage is halved before coring, then the whole leaf won't be there for stuffing.
Can I freeze raw cabbage? ›You sure can. This leafy vegetable is versatile in the kitchen and adapts well to the freezing process. Families who grow cabbage count on it for year-round nutrition that's easily incorporated into meal-time menus.
What to do with tough cabbage? ›When you salt any vegetable that has high water content, the salt draws out some of the water by simple osmosis. You don't want to salt lettuce in advance — it will wilt — but salting works wonders with cabbage. The shredded leaves become more tender, and their flavor grows more concentrated.
Why is cooked cabbage tough? ›You're not cooking the right kind of cabbage
If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect. The Savoy cabbage can be used as a substitute for green cabbage, just keep in mind that its leaves are a bit more tender than that of other cabbages.
However, the pungent smell is actually the result of overcooking. Boil it just until tender, and you won't have a stinky kitchen.