Description
Delicious Meat and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls featuring tender ground chicken, aromatic vegetables, and creamy tomato sauce, baked to perfection and served with a dollop of sour cream. This comforting dish combines the heartiness of ground chicken and rice wrapped in softened cabbage leaves, enhanced with fresh dill and a rich, flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cabbage Rolls:
- 1 large cabbage
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 3 small carrots, grated
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
For the Sauce:
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Serving:
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare cabbage: Remove the outer leaves from the cabbage. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the cabbage leaves for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove the leaves carefully and set aside to cool.
- Cook rice: Cook 1 cup of long-grain rice according to package directions. Allow the rice to cool completely to prevent wilting of the filling.
- Make filling: In a skillet, sauté the diced medium onion over medium heat until golden brown. Add the minced garlic and grated carrots, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes until softened. Let this mixture cool completely. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, ground chicken, mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Mix thoroughly to create the filling.
- Stuff cabbage leaves: Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf tightly around the filling, securing with toothpicks if necessary to keep them intact.
- Brown rolls: In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown the stuffed cabbage rolls until slightly golden on all sides. This step adds flavor and helps seal the rolls.
- Make sauce: In the same skillet, sauté the diced small onion until golden brown. Add 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup water. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream to create a creamy, flavorful sauce.
- Bake: Place the browned cabbage rolls into a baking dish. Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the rolls. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill and a pinch of black pepper on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the rolls are heated through and cooked thoroughly.
- Serve: Remove the cabbage rolls from the oven and serve warm with a dollop of sour cream on top for added creaminess and tang.
Notes
- Make sure to let the cooked rice and sautéed vegetables cool completely before mixing with ground chicken to ensure the filling binds well.
- If cabbage leaves are too thick to roll easily, you can gently trim the thick vein at the base of each leaf.
- To prevent the rolls from unravelling during browning, secure them lightly with toothpicks.
- Adjust seasoning in the sauce according to taste preference, especially salt and pepper.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with a lower fat cream or yogurt.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated; they often taste even better the next day.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Eastern European
