Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls | What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine

It has all the comforting flavors of traditional golumpki without the time-consuming work of boiling cabbage leaves, filling them, and rolling each one individually.

You can make this family-style comfort food in a skillet on the stovetop, bake it as a casserole, or prepare it in the slow cooker.

It’s a thick, hearty meal, not cabbage soup!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• All the flavor, less work: Enjoy the taste of traditional stuffed cabbage rolls without stuffing individual cabbage leaves.
• Simple ingredients: Ground beef, cabbage, rice, and tomato sauce create a satisfying meal.
  Three cooking methods:
• Make it in a skillet, bake it in the oven, or prepare it in the slow cooker.
• Great for leftovers: The flavors blend beautifully, making the leftovers just as delicious the next day.
• Easy to customize: Use ground pork, ground turkey, different seasonings, or your favorite rice
•  Comfort food at its best: This is an old-fashioned, budget-friendly meal that’s perfect for sharing.

What Are Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Golumpki, also written as gołąbki, is the name commonly used for Polish stuffed cabbage rolls.

Traditional versions typically feature cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of ground meat and rice, then cooked in a tomato-based sauce.

Unstuffed cabbage rolls, sometimes called lazy golumpki, have the same basic ingredients but skip the rolling process. Instead, chopped cabbage, seasoned meat, rice, and sauce are cooked together in one pan or casserole dish.

It’s an easier way to enjoy those classic flavors while keeping the recipe practical for everyday cooking.

Tips and Additional Substitutions

1. Use good tomatoes: Quality crushed tomatoes make a noticeable difference in a simple tomato sauce.
2. Cook the tomato paste: Letting it cook briefly with the beef and garlic deepens its flavor.
3. Add fresh herbs: Fresh basil and parsley brighten the finished dish.
4. Use freshly grated Parmesan: It adds a savory, nutty flavor without needing extra sauces.
5. Choose your meat: Ground beef works beautifully, but a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage makes this even more flavorful.
6. Keep it hearty: Use cooked rice and avoid adding unnecessary broth or water so the finished dish remains a thick skillet meal, not soup.
7. Add some white wine: This is optional 10 minutes before it is completed cooking.

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Variations for Making Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

• Ground beef and pork: Replace half the beef with ground pork for traditional. You could also substitute other ground meats: Italian loose sausage,  turkey, venison, or lamb, for cabbage roll fillings.
• Ground turkey: Substitute ground turkey for a lighter alternative. (or another ground meat)
• Sweet-and-sour cabbage rolls: Add a small splash of apple cider vinegar along with the optional brown sugar to create a sweet-and-tangy tomato sauce.
• Cheesy cabbage roll casserole: Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over the top during the final few minutes of baking.
• Extra vegetables: Add chopped carrots, bell peppers, or mushrooms for additional flavor and texture.
• Brown rice: Use fully cooked brown rice instead of white rice.
  Spicy version: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce.

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cabbage recipes, one pan recipes, golumpki recipes, unstuffed vegetable recipes

Italian, American

Yield: 8

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

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Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Lazy golumpki deconstructed cabbage rolls. All-in-one-pan easy meal, easier than stuffing cabbage and less messy. This casserole is full of all those flavors and topped with cheesy goodness!

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, (or loose Italian sausage, ground pork, ground turkey, ground venison, or even ground lamb)
• 1 medium head green cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, if needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, optional
• Fresh basil, optional, for serving
• Optional:1/4 cup dry white wine

Instructions

1. Stovetop Instructions
2. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat until the beef is browned and the onion is softened. Drain excess grease.
3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
5. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender.
6. Stir in the cooked rice and half of the Parmesan cheese.
7. Add the wine if using.
8. Simmer uncovered for another 5–10 minutes until heated through and the sauce thickens.
9. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and optional mozzarella over the top.
10. Cover for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
11. Finish with fresh parsley or chopped basil and serve hot.
12. Oven-Baked Italian Cabbage Roll Casserole
13. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
14. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Drain excess grease, add the garlic, and cook for 30–60 seconds.
15. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings, chopped cabbage, and cooked rice.
16. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
17. Bake for 45–60 minutes, checking at 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the casserole is bubbling.
18. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella, and bake for another 5–10 minutes until the cheese melts.
19. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
20. Slow Cooker Italian Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
21. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Drain excess grease and add the garlic for 30–60 seconds.
22. Transfer the beef mixture to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
23. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.
24. Add the chopped cabbage and stir to coat it in the sauce.
25. Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the cabbage is tender.
26. Stir in the cooked rice during the final 20–30 minutes of cooking.
27. Stir in Parmesan and garnish with fresh parsley or basil before serving.

Notes

Tips and Additional Substitutions

1. Use good tomatoes: Quality crushed tomatoes make a noticeable difference in a simple tomato sauce.
2. Cook the tomato paste: Letting it cook briefly with the beef and garlic deepens its flavor.
3. Add fresh herbs: Fresh basil and parsley brighten the finished dish.
4. Use freshly grated Parmesan: It adds a savory, nutty flavor without needing extra sauces.
5. Choose your meat: Ground beef works beautifully, but a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage makes this even more flavorful.
6. Keep it hearty: Use cooked rice and avoid adding unnecessary broth or water so the finished dish remains a thick skillet meal, not soup.
7. Add some white wine: This is optional 10 minutes before it is completed cooking.

Variations for Making Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

• Ground beef and pork: Replace half the beef with ground pork for traditional You could also substitute other ground meats: turkey, venison, or lamb, for cabbage roll fillings.
• Ground turkey: Substitute ground turkey for a lighter alternative. (or another ground meat)
• Sweet-and-sour cabbage rolls: Add a small splash of apple cider vinegar along with the optional brown sugar to create a sweet-and-tangy tomato sauce.
• Cheesy cabbage roll casserole: Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over the top during the final few minutes of baking.
• Extra vegetables: Add chopped carrots, bell peppers, or mushrooms for additional flavor and texture.
• Brown rice: Use fully cooked brown rice instead of white rice. Spicy version: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Sodium (milligrams)

1074 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

77 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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