Cleveland Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Cabbage leaves wrapped around seasoned ground beef and rice, simmered slowly in sweet-and-sour tomato sauce until tender. Known locally as halupki, this dish shows up at Slovak and Polish family tables across Cleveland.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 130 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot
- •Dutch oven
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 18
- carbs
- 30
- protein
- 24
- calories
- 390
Instructions
- 1
Freeze the whole cabbage head overnight. Thaw it at room temperature until the leaves peel away easily.
- 2
Cut out the cabbage core and separate 12 to 14 large leaves. Trim off the thick stems.
- 3
Mix the ground beef, rice, half the diced onion, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- 4
Place a portion of filling on each leaf. Fold in the sides and roll tightly into a bundle.
- 5
Whisk together the crushed tomatoes, tomato soup, remaining onion, brown sugar, and lemon juice for the sauce.
- 6
Spread a thin layer of sauce in a Dutch oven. Arrange the rolls seam-side down and pour the remaining sauce over top.
- 7
Cover and simmer gently on low heat for about 1.5 hours. Cook until the cabbage is fork-tender.
- 8
Spoon the warm sauce over the rolls before serving.
Chef's tips
Freeze the whole cabbage head overnight and thaw it before peeling. The leaves become flexible and do not need boiling first.
Storage
Refrigerate in the sauce up to 4 days; flavor deepens the next day.
Reheating
Reheat covered in a saucepan over low heat, spooning sauce over the rolls occasionally.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the freeze-and-thaw step, which leaves the cabbage leaves too stiff to roll.
- •Adding too much filling so the rolls burst open during simmering.
Serving suggestions
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