Cabbage Roll Meatballs

I grew up eating cabbage rolls. It was one of the things my mom would make often. As an adult, I still love them but if you’re anything like me, I don’t make them often because they’re a bit tedious to blanch the cabbage leaves and then fill them and then cook them low and slow. I don’t always have that kind of time, but since they do remind me of my childhood and I do miss the taste every now and then, I decided to give them the meatball treatment. As you all know by now, I love a meatball mash-up recipe. Like these Orange Chicken Meatballs or these Arroz con Pollo Meatballs. These Cabbage Roll Meatballs bring all of those classic flavors but without any of the tedious work. It’s a one-pot recipe wonder that is ready in a 1/4 of the time of the original. Perfect for a weeknight meal.

In a large bowl, add the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the onions, 1/2 of the garlic, rice, half of the parsley and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Gently mix together until evenly combined. Form the mixture into small meatballs, you’ll get about 12 to 14.

**Note: You can also do this with ground turkey, chicken or pork, depending on your taste preferences.**

Set a large dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid, over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the oil and add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook until browned on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. You’re not looking to cook them all the way at this stage, just add color.

**Note: Do not over-crowd the pan. Fry in batches if need be. Drizzle in more oil and fry the remaining meatballs if needed.**

Transfer the meatballs onto a plate and then add the remaining onion and garlic to the skillet. Stir in the bay leaf and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until softened. Add the cabbage and cook until starting to wilt down, about 5 minutes longer.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

**Note: Keep in mind that tomatoes need a lot of seasoning sometimes, so don’t be shy with the seasoning here. Give it a taste and adjust as needed.**

Bring the mixture up to a simmer and then add in the meatballs in a single layer. Cover, lower the flame and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs have cooked all the way through, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley and serve with rice (I know there’s rice in the meatballs but they’re so good with rice) but you can also serve them with crusty bread for sopping up all that delicious sauce.

These are even better the next day, so you can totally make them ahead of time or make the full batch and have leftovers throughout the week.

This dish also freezers really well. Once cooled, you can transfer to freezer-safe containers or freezer-storage bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Just thaw out in the fridge the night before and reheat as needed. It’s a great meal to have on hand.

I love this dish because it utilizes leftover rice for the meatballs. If you don’t have any leftover rice, you can just cook up a batch and use some for the meatballs and some for serving as a side dish. It’ll work double duty.

Give these a try and be sure to let me know what you think below. As always, thank you so much for reading and following along.