Deconstructed Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Rolls And A Very Small Rant

We really enjoy cabbage rolls, especially when someone else makes them, so when I saw Kevin’s recipe for Deconstructed Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Rolls  on his “Closet Cooking” blog, I knew I wanted to give it a try.  I’m going way out on a limb here to say I actually changed a Kevin recipe a little based upon some other recipes I saw – I added some bacon & sausage and changed the cooking order just a little.  The original recipe and his great how-to pics can be found by clicking on the above link.

Deconstructed Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – Adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:

1¼ pound ground beef (increased by Larry)

4 oz breakfast sausage (added by Larry)

4 slices bacon, chopped (added by Larry)

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ teaspoon thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cups cabbage, chopped/sliced

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (Larry used fire roasted)

2 cups beef broth

1 cup long grained rice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional) (gluten-free for gluten-free)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Add a little oil to a 12” saute pan and cook the ground beef and sausage until browned then remove the meat to a bowl and pour out the liquid.

2. In the same pan, cook the chopped bacon until nearly crispy.

3. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan with the bacon, season with S&P, and cook until softened using the veggies to deglaze the pan.

4. Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and paprika, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

5. Return the hamburger to the pan, season with S&P, and stir well.

I made it to this point earlier in the day so getting it finished for supper would be pretty quick.

6. Stir in the cabbage, diced tomatoes, broth, rice, oregano, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce, S&P, mix, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.

7. Mix in the Parmesan, let it melt and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Since this dish contains meats, vegetables, and a starch, we didn’t add a side dish.

My cousin makes very good cabbage rolls in a pot submerged in tomato sauce to which she adds some sauerkraut. So, for a taste test, I plated my serving in three piles and I mixed some kraut in one of them and some shredded cheddar in another (a Kevin option), and left one as made.

 

The Verdict:

I enjoyed all of the taste test versions and couldn't decide which one I preferred.  While the dish didn't really taste a lot like cabbage rolls, it was very good in it's own right.  We did decide we like it more tomatoey so I added another can of diced tomatoes and cooked it a little more.  A really appealing aspect of the dish was that it only requires one pan.

I guess I'll have to head to my cousins in WV for some cabbage rolls as you don't find them often on restaurant menus in these parts and we're unlikely to make our own.

Absolutely Unbelievable To Me 

With all of the serious issues in the country and the world today, the lead story on the Monday Evening News was whether or not a picture of Great Britain's Princess Kate and her kids is real.  Unbelievable was all I could say - well this is the clean version.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

3/11/24 meal date