Cabbage roll bowls are an easy, delicious, deconstructed cabbage roll recipe loaded with ground beef, sausage, veggies, a seasoned tomato sauce, and rice. It’s a complete, delicious meal.
Cabbage rolls are a delicious main dish that everyone in our family always loves. The thing is, we don’t always want to go to all the trouble of wrapping.
With these cabbage roll bowls, we get all the flavor and texture of the classic without all the work! It’s an easy take on cabbage rolls that’s the perfect main course or potluck dish.
Serve it with some cheesy garlic Texas toast on the side and Cosmic Brownie bites for dessert, for a meal all about that comfort-food coziness.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- Easy: Making these bowls is so much easier than stuffing and wrapping cabbage leaves. You’ll be done in about 40 minutes!
- Classic Flavor: These bowls have all the cabbage roll flavor you love, just with less work.
- Customizable: It’s easy to tweak this recipe to make it your own.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef and Hot Italian Sausage: This blend gives your bowls a meaty texture and flavor with a seasoned, spicy kick.
- Cabbage: Chopped green cabbage gives the bowls classic cabbage roll flavor and texture.
- Seasonings: A blend of Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes adds bold flavor with even more heat.
- Tomatoes: Tomato sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes with some beef broth make a hearty soup base for the bowls.
Variations
- Mild: Use mild Italian sausage and omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Add sliced jalapenos for an extra blast of heat.
- Ground Beef and Italian Sausage: You can use ground chicken or turkey for a low-fat version of this recipe that’s just as tasty.
How to Make Cabbage Roll Bowls
Step 1: Brown the meat and onions in a Dutch oven until the meat is no longer pink.
Step 2: Add the garlic and seasonings and cook until fragrant. Drain and return to the pot.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes, beef broth, rice, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Add the cabbage and simmer until the cabbage is tender. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a heavy-bottomed pot or a large, heavy-duty skillet.
- Add the garlic after the meat is cooked to avoid burning it and making it bitter.
- Refrigerate your onion for about 30 minutes to avoid stinging eyes while you dice it.
Cabbage Roll Bowls FAQs
A cabbage roll bowl is a deconstructed version of cabbage rolls. Rather than stuffed leaves with filling, the cabbage is chopped and cooked in a beefy, seasoned soup.
Svoy cabbage, green cabbage, and flat cabbage are all excellent choices, having a tender texture and slightly sweet flavor.
Refrigerate this dish for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
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Cabbage Roll Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon slap ya mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 15 ounce petite diced tomatoes
- 8 ounce beef broth
- 8 ounce water
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 1 head green cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup rice, uncooked
- ¼ cup sliced green onions, optional, for topping
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large skillet, brown ground beef, Italian sausage, and onions over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the minced garlic and seasonings and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan.
- Pour tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, water, tomato paste, and rice. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes stirring frequently, then add chopped cabbage. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, use a heavy-bottomed pot or a large, heavy-duty skillet.
- Add the garlic after the meat is cooked to avoid burning it and making it bitter.
- Refrigerate your onion for about 30 minutes to avoid stinging eyes while you dice it.
This is a great recipe. I love getting all the cabbage roll flavor without all the extra work.
We loved this. Cabbage rolls are a classic. Love this version with less work.
These cabbage roll bowls are definitely on my list. I like the idea of getting those classic flavors without the effort of rolling, so I’ll be trying this very soon.
All the flavors of cabbage rolls without the work. Really comforting!
These are so comforting for these winter months. It’s a delicious meal and so flavorful. I love how easy it is to make too! If you love cabbage rolls but hate the extra prep work you have to make this!
These cabbage roll bowls are so good! They were easy to make, and the entire family love them, can’t wait to make them again