by HollyCabbage Roll Casserole is a super easy meal that you can prepare any day of the week.
Cabbage Rolls are delicious! I grew up on cabbage rolls made by my mom and grandma!
Recently, I’ve been making a cabbage roll casserole… so much quicker than rolling up the rolls themselves and equally delicious!
Here is one of my favorite things about recipes! You start with one thing and along the way the recipe gets tried and modified and shared and passed on. Finally, you may end up with something else that was just as wonderful or sometimes even better!
Last week, a reader had asked me if my Cabbage Roll Casserole recipe would work in the slow cooker… I hadn’t tried it! Well, Sue tested it out and I knew I had to try it out right away! I had a couple of different items in my pantry so I modified it a tiny bit further but let me tell you, the results were AMAZING!! This is my favorite cabbage roll dish yet! So a special thank you to Sue for inspiring this yummy recipe, you won’t be disappointed!
If you’re looking for another hearty dinner idea, be sure to check out my Cabbage Roll Soup recipe!
Crock Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Course Casserole
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or pork (or a mixture of the two)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce, divided
- 1 cup Water
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 3/4 cup long grain white rice , uncooked
- 1 head cabbage
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese (optional).
Instructions
- Brown beef or pork, onion, garlic and seasonings over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain.
- Add 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup water and 1/2 can of tomato soup and diced tomatoes to the beef.
- Stir in rice, and mix well until heated through. Remove from heat.
- Chop cabbage into 4 wedges and remove core. Chop into chunks (mine were about 3/4"x1.5").
- Layer 1/2 of the meat mixture and 1/2 of the cabbage in the slow cooker. Repeat layers.Place half the meat and then half the cabbage in cooker.
- Combine the remaining tomato soup, remaining tomato sauce and 1/3 cup water. Pour over top of cabbage.
- Cook on low 4-6 hours or just until rice is cooked. Once done, turn slow cooker off, sprinkle cheese on top and let sit 10 minutes to set and melt cheese.
Nutrition Information
Super easy & super yummy!
It took 4 hours in my crockpot and was delicious! Will definitely make again. Followed recipe exactly.
Tried the cabbage casserole and did it exactly as printed..the rice never cooked it was crunchy and I didn’t like that if I make it again I will cool the rice first
I am not sure what went wrong Bridget, we have never had that problem with this casserole. Did you use long-grain white rice?
Excited to try
Will try cabbage casserole. Looks delicious!
Haven’t tried yet…will let you know.
Please do Jacquiline! Can’t wait to hear what you think :)
After 6 hours the cabbage was still not cooked through. Otherwise, it was a bland, gloopy mush. No taste, and weird pasty texture. Not enough rice, as well. We ate it so not to waste all that food, but didn’t enjoy. Not sure what happened….followed recipe to a T. Maybe my crockpot is off…..
So sorry that this recipe didn’t turn out for you Twigany. We have made this recipe many times with great succes. You can test your crockpot following this method here.
Love your recipes!!
Many thanks Beverly!
I would like to know what I can sub for the tomato soup, please and thank you?
I have only made this as written with the soup. You can try leaving it out if you prefer although it may change the flavor slightly.
Just use a can of tomato sauce
I make this often but I never put rice in it. Instead, I make double the sauce for the top and I make rice on the side and serve it over rice! We easily get two dinners for four people and two lunches for my husband out of it that way!
Great idea Erin! Definitely a good way to stretch this recipe out. Love it!
I work out of the house. How bad would it be if it cooks 8 hours on low?
That shouldn’t be a problem Diane. Just set your crockpot to switch to the warm setting after 4-6 hours so it will be ready for when you come home.
This look so delicious
So happy you think so Pehhy!
What is your last green topping
We garnished it with some fresh parsley at the end Thelma :)
years ago I had a recipe for cabbage rolls that were the best I’ve ever had. I think the recipe came from Rival crock pot cook book, unfortunately it went garage sale in a fit of clean out. Does anyone have that book and recipe.? Please share.
Hopefully another reader has the book. This is the cabbage roll recipe I have.
I was so excited to find this recipe and was anxious to try it. My only issue with it is that as a novice cook, I am not familiar with all of the flavors of the spices. In this recipe the 1 t of thyme was way too much and it overpowered the entire dish. It was essentially a really good meal but when making next time I will either be omitting or drastically reducing the amount of thyme used. Lesson learned.
.Ty
Thanks for your feedback C! We totally get it, experimenting with spices is a challenge in the beginning. If you found it too strong, you can definitely reduce it to under a teaspoon! Maybe add a little at a time, checking the flavor as you go. Hope that helps!
You probably used ground thyme instead of leaves .Just use 1/2 or1/3 next time
I made this today, without cheese, and it is incredible. I used 1 lb. Pork and 1 beef. Just crushed tomatoes and chicken stock instead of tomato soup.
Yummmmm!
Those sound like delicious additions Erika!!
Love these recipes, never stop
Thank you Emma!
Can this be frozen?
Yes, this recipe freezes well.
Awesome recipe. I would cut back on the thyme a little but other than that it is a great recipe. My husband even went back for seconds!
I am so glad your family enjoyed the recipe Michelle!
Amazing!
Thanks Heather!
I made this yesterday and it was super easy and tasty. I would make it again!
Glad you loved it Monica!
Can you cook it on high for a shorter amount of time?
This would need approximately 4 hours on high Jeannie.
Well, I am not sure what I did wrong, but it seemed extremely tomato’y, and flat. Am hoping it tastes better in a couple of days. I just double checked the recipe and the instruction, cannot thing of what I may have missed. Maybe more seasoning, like Worcestershire, or bay leaves?
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this Michael.
I got my stuffed cabbage recipe from a lovely Polish woman I met while camping one year. Her secret was a half teaspoon of cinnamon mixed in with the meat mixture. I use a full teaspoon. It makes for a really good flavor! Seems weird to add cinnamon to meat, but the flavor is unique and wonderful. Try it, it really is delicious!
Sounds interesting Sue! Thank you for sharing!
I made your this today, and it tastes amazing! So simple to make too. I added a pinch of cayenne pepper because I love spicy cabbage rolls. Aside from that, I followed your recipe exactly. Thanks for sharing it!
So glad you loved it, I love the idea of adding a little bit of heat!
I too, would like to know how you would cook this in an Instant Pot!
I haven’t tried is as of yet… but I’ve added it to my list to test out. :) I’ll keep you posted.
Has anyone cooked this in the insta pot????
What is something good to serve with this? Maybe a salad?
We often serve it with salad and crusty bread.
Can I use purple cabbage?
Sure you can. It will change the appearance as purple cabbage can turn kind of blue-ish when cooked. The flavor will be similar, green cabbage is a bit sweeter.
Do NOT use basmati rice! It cooks too fast. Flavor is great other than i didnt have the thyme, but we loved it without it!
Hi Staci, so glad you loved it!
I love this recipe and have made it multiple times. I follow the recipe exactly, but I add a pinch of allspice to the mix.
Delicious addition, thank you for sharing!
What if you don’t have a crock pot
You can try our other favorites, Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole and
Cabbage Roll Casserole! Enjoy, Aurora!
I’m making this now. Came back from the store and gave the sauce a quick taste, it was a bit sour. Should I add a bit of sugar?
Also it filled the crock pot to the top, so it’s almost overflowing . Is this due to the rice expanding?
Also all my cabbage didn’t fit. I’ll use the leftover cabbage for something else I guess.
Cabbage has a natural sweetness to it and should sweeten the soup to perfection!
Leftover cabbage is perfect for salads, soups, stir frys or even fried with a bit of bacon. Enjoy!
I just made this. Followed the recipe exactly.
It’s finished. I added additional salt and pepper after I tasted it .
Cheese is now on top.
The last 10 min is going to take forever .
My house smells wonderful !
Thank you for sharing Judy! We love it too!
I added a little brown sugar, curry and half and half. Much better
Yummy additions Cade, thanks for sharing!
Holly – Thank You for sharing this recipe!! I followed directions to the letter and IT WAS WONDERFUL! I fed some hungry guys for dinner and they were full of praises ~ Sue Schmoker
I’m so glad you and your crew loved this recipe Sue!
P.S. To those who stated some ingredients didn’t seem to cook long enough: Every time you open your crockpot Iid to PEAK, YOU LOSE 15 MINUTES OF COOKING TIME – always be aware of that!
Can you leave the rice out???????? Have to watch my carbs..Diabetic
Sure you can, you can also use cauliflower rice.
Stupid question, do I cook the rice first and add, or let it cook in the sauce?
The rice will cook in the sauce.
Does it ever take longer for the cabbage to get done? I feel like the rice got done way before the cabbage but not sure exactly how the cabbage is supposed to be as this is the first time I have made cabbage anything..
I haven’t had any problems with the rice cooking too fast. Did you use uncooked regular long grain rice?
I’m so excited to try this but my family is starving and the rice isnt cooked yet! It’s been in for 4 hours and I turned it up to high 2 hours ago. Just wanted to comment because I wish I would have known this before. Dinner will be really really late….
I’m sorry to hear that, it’s frustrating when that happens Jennifer! I haven’t had problems with the cook time so I can’t say for sure why yours didn’t cook in time. I hope once it was ready you enjoyed it!
That recipe was so delicious, I have all guy roommates and they loved it. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe ♡♡
Yay!! So glad everyone loved it Brittany!
My family would like to try to make this sometime soon, we are a cabbage family but my dad wanted to know if we can substitute the cabbage with anything else?
I have only made the recipe as written. Maybe some other readers have some ideas for you Dana!
Green peppers
Yes you could go with Green peppers too .Thinking the same. That would be my second option. stuffed peppers.
This can be made with bell peppers in place of cabbage as a stuffed peppers alternative. How little or much is dependent upon how much you like peppers.
Can I prep this in the crockpot the night before and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to cook?
I haven’t prepped it the night before so can’t say for sure. It may take longer to cook if you start it from the fridge. Let us know how it works if you try it Jen!
I made this but the rice is not cooked! I then cooked it on high for another hour and it’s still not cooked! I just added two cups of water, and I’m cooking it on high for another hour. Any tips on what happened with my rice?
I can’t say for sure what happened to your rice, it should definitely cook in 4-6 hours and especially if you’ve added 2 extra hours. Perhaps you might like to test the temperature of your slow cooker and see if that’s a factor.
Delicious recipe that I’ve usually baked in the oven. I looked to your crock pot guidance and the timing worked well! I throw this together in the morning and my husband can turn it on in the afternoon. Quick tip – I use pre chopped coleslaw mix when my time is pinched.
Great tip Amy, I am so glad you loved it!
Been making nearly the same recipe for years, I use Organic Farro instead of rice. Farro is a traditional grain of the Mediterranean, just insure you rinse the Farro thoroughly before use it.
Sounds great Wayne!
Cooked 4 hours on high. Stirred halfway through. Added another can of tomato soup near the end to make it more tomato-y. Very good.
Happy to hear you loved it Cindy!
Mine took four hours on high in my Hamilton Beach 6 quart slow cooker. Added in another can of tomato soup (undiluted) near the end to make it more tomato-y. Yummy.
Thank for this recipe!
I made a couple humorous mistakes that I might’ve avoided if I read these comments first!
1) I used while grain brown rice, and expected it to be cooked in the usual time. Nope….
Crunchy rice! I’ll try cooking it longer with more liquid.
2) I discovered that my crock pot is only 3.5 qts! It overflowed the pot…luckily I had pan under it. Next time I’ll halve the recipe.
Tasty, though!
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, despite the hiccups!
Hi! I came across this little gem and made it today. I used ground chicken. I’m not sure what happened to my rice though. It dissolved almost. Was I not supposed to Stir it? I did stir a lot so probably pulverized it. Still yummy. Thanks!
I can’t say for sure why that happened. We stir the rice in at step 3, then no more stirring. So glad you loved this recipe!
This was very tasty I just made it I did not have any tomato juice on hand so I ended up just using about 60 g of catch-up and it was very very good I also did not use any cheese just because I forgot LOL And I added kielbasa / sausage to it because I needed to use it up
I made the crockpot version of cabbage roll casserole for s unday dinner with my family. Only one person could eat it. The thyme absolutely ruined the entire dish. That was all you could taste and I didnt even use the whole amount the recipe called for.
Sorry this didn’t work out for you, we love it exactly as written. Was your thyme dried or fresh?
I’m still cooking this recipe at 5 hours on high. The cabbage is still not to a tinder state. So 4-6 hours on low isn’t holding true for me.
I am cooking this today. 9 hours on low and my rice is still not cooked! I used the rice specified. If I ever make this recipe again I will have to pre-cook the rice.
Hey Holly!! First off, I’m not a big fan, but a HUGE fan! I follow of your recipes! For the new year, I really need to loose weight and look for low carb recipes. Any ideas how I can modify this recipe besides the rice?
Aww, thanks so much Christi! In addition to modifying the rice, I might suggest double checking that your tomato products don’t contain sugars
Christi, you can check out Holly’s Easy Low Carb website for more low carb recipes!
just like stuffed cabbage without all the fuss of boiling cabbage & rolling.great fall & winter dish.never make enough
I am so glad you liked this recipe Mikki!
I did make this and sent a review but can’t find it. This is an amazing dish and i can’t wait to fix it when company comes. It was easy to do and the crock pot version is handy to have.
NO Cheese!! Just as delicious as my homemade cabbage rolls but less work. This is what I will do from now on.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
Why do all the recipes call for 1 1/2 # of hamburger? Hamburger comes 1# or 2#?????
To accommodate serving sizes.
Made this today as written – very good and easy – will maybe use a dash of hot sauce too. Will use again soon.
Found this receipe amazing. My family loved it an went for seconds.. I cooked for 6hrs an came out perfect. I did tho change/added some stuff… I did half an half on the meat (1/2 Italian ground sausage/ 1/2 ground beef-pork) and added green chilies. Also instead if 3/4 of long grain rice, I did 1cup… Will be making this again but will add a little more cabbage (I had a small head if cabbage). Thanks for posting this receipe…
YOUR RECIPE SOUNDS GREAT, JUST AS WRITTEN. JUST WONDERING IF IT MAKES YOU NUTS FOR PEOPLE TO REWRITE IT SO IT DOES NOT EVEN RESEMBLE THE ORIGINAL AT ALL AND SEND IT BACK TO YOU?
While I only try and test recipes exactly as written, I love hearing different ideas and seeing how people adapt the recipe to their tastes. It helps inspire future recipes and also helps readers who may be sensitive to certain ingredients. :)
What if everything is thrown in raw all at once into crock?
I have only tried this as written. If you try it that way, please let us know how it works out for you!
I made it and was great, then I actually froze the remainder to have later. I need to know can I freeze the leftover casserole?
Yes, you can freeze and reheat the leftovers!
I also add a drained can of whole kernel corn. I serve it with fluffy mashed potatoes, yummy
This looks delicious. Love stuff cabbage and this gets you the taste without all the prep!
Can’t wait to make Friday!! Looks great, love crock cooking.
I loved this dish
Do you have nutrition info on this?
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your information.
Can I use red cabbage?
I haven’t tried it that way but I’m sure that would work just fine. Please let us know how it works for you if you do try it!
I have not made this recipe YET. I did make you unstuffed cabbage casserole last evening for dinner. It was great. I am not a fan of cabbage rolls. perhaps its all that work and my kids used to unwrap them. Now that we are empty nesters – I can make what I want. My husband RAVED over this. I was telling my friend at lunch today and she asked could this be made in the crockpot. Can’t tell you how happy that I found you modified your recipe for the crockpot. Will try it in a couple weeks.
I am glad that you liked the recipe Adele! I hope when you try the crockpot version you love it too!
Made this tonight and it wass excellent! Cabbage rolls without all the fuss and mess. 2 men complimented. I love not having to find a big cabbage to get the leaves large enough. This can be done easily with a small cabbage in no time.
I am so glad that this was a hit with your guys!
What do you do with the 28 oz can of diced tomatoes? The recipe calls for 15 oz of tomato sauce, a 28 ounce can of undrained diced tomatoes and a can of tomato soup. The instructions outline what to do with the tomato sauce and tomato soup, but nothing is said about when to use the diced tomatoes. Please clarify? thank you :)
Oops, I found the answer in the recipe! Sorry for the oversight
Enjoy Jean!!
I have made this for years the only thing I do differently is I’ll use tomato juice and or v8 juice and Motts Clamato juice!! It gives this recipe the best flavour and everyone loves them and ask how I get them to taste so fantastic and they also ask me for the recipe
What is the nutriton values, calorie, carbs
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your information.
If you are going to use instant rice, dont put it in until there is around an hour left.
I put it in at the start, and the liquid broke down the rice down in to mush.
Can’t wait to try. Love crockpot meals and cooked cabbage
When you get a chance to try the recipe I hope your family loves it!
Excellent recipe! Easy to make, inexpensive, and filling. I only had instant brown rice and it worked fine without adjusting anything else. I will definitely make this again. I think I’ll add some dived potatoes nqext time.
Potatoes would be great in this recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! I made this yesterday and would like to share few notes: Be sure your slow cooker is at least 4.5 to 5 quart capacity. Mine is a 4 quart and the juices kept overflowing onto the countertop. Also, since I used dried thyme (fresh vs dried is not mentioned in the recipe and I only had dried) I reduced the amount from a full teaspoon to just a pinch and the flavor was still very pronounced. The next day it was less prominent, but for the stuffed cabbage flavor I grew up with I’ll probably eliminate it completely next time. To make this gluten-free, I subbed tomato paste thinned with a bit of water for the condensed soup. Cheers from the beautiful mountains of Western NC!
Thank you for sharing this! How wonderful!
Why does it look like rice sprinkled on top of the casserole
That’s rice! And cilantro leaves.
The one change I’d make to this recipe is to at least double the amount of rice. We found when we tried this that the rice mostly ‘disappeared’ in the recipe. Mixed in some extra rice the day after with one of the containers we were using for leftovers, and it was much more ‘balanced’. Just our thoughts.
Thanks for sharing!
i just made this …. didn’t have tomato soup but i used cream of celery …. it taste so good thank you for this recipe…. oh and we use cheddar cheese…..yummie
Those sound like amazing substitutes!
Your recipes look great, but. One perdo in our household absolutely hates rice, if there is anything that can be used instead of the rice, ? Thank you!
You could use riced cauliflower in place of the rice. I’ve made it that way with great results.
Can you use chicken and/or turkey instead of beef and pork?
Yes, that should work just fine.
I have never had this without sauerkraut. I also use whole tomatoes with juice in large can, no tomato sauce or soup, with the sauerkraut and juice in large size as well. Never thought to try in a crock pot. Always made the rolls but it sounds easy so must try this.
I have never had cabbage rolls without adding sauerkraut to the recipe. I also use whole
tomatoes and cut them up and do not use tomato sauce, just the juice in the big can of
tomatoes and the sauerkraut with the juice as well. This is also one of my favorite dishes.
Never thought of doing it in the crockpot but great idea.
Sounds delicious, thank you for sharing!
Great looking recipe! I planning on making it vegan with Quorn instead of meat and throwing in some shredded Brussels sprouts that need using up. Thank you!
Loved it! Shared with my son in England. Thank you!
My husband is diabetic and we have found even with rice in this recipe it doesn’t impact his glucose levels. I’ve been going to try it using cauliflower rice but haven’t had the opportunity yet
I love cauliflower rice in this dish! :) Enjoy!
Do you happen to have the nutrition information for this recipe? (ie. Calories, fat, total carbs?).
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your calories.
# servings?
Nutrition info?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your calories.
Just love those Cabbage recipes for Soup, Cabbage rolls, and casserole will try and print them out Tks.
Recipes look delicious. Can’t wait to try them.
I made this last night. So delicious! I used ground beef and and just a few extra spices and worchestershire sauce, and because we love garlic, used 5 cloves, otherwise, followed the recipe! Yum! Will make again. Thank You Holly!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Brenda!
Omg I’ve got this in the crock pot now and it smells delicious. I can’t wait to dig in!!!
Made this today and my family thoroughly enjoyed it! The only thing I did different was in mixed Xtra sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella and let everyone put as much or as little on their serving. Made biscuits and iced tea and we are full as ticks!
I love the idea of adding the cheese on the side for those that want less (or more :) )! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello
I am making this tonight and as I am on a diet, I need to record the nutrition value in my journal for my dietician….do you have that information?
Thanks very much!
I’m sorry I am unable to provide nutritional information. You can enter your ingredients here to calculate your nuttritional information.
I had such great hopes for this recipe. The pictures looked wonderful. I followed the recipe but it turned out to be a big mushy mess. I’m not sure what I did wrong. The taste was okay but a little bland. Sorry, I don’t think I’ll make this again.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this. We’ve made it so many times and it’s always great! It is possible your slow cooker cooks on the hotter side which would over cook the cabbage.
If I substitute the ground beef with ground turkey and eliminate the rice, do I need to make any changes to the measurements of the other ingredients? And would I need to cook it as long?
I have only made the recipe as written. If you eliminate the rice you may not need to cook it quite as long however the rice does absorb some of the liquid so your soup may not be quite as thick.
I make something very similar, but since we are vegetarian, I replace the meat with either crumbles or TVP. I also replace the tomato sauce, water, and ketchup with my favorite spicy version of spaghetti sauce. It is soooo good.
YES … I’ve used this recipe before and it can be frozen. Use a freezer to oven dish for storage …
I always double the batch and freeze one. It’s nice to have one around in case of unexpected company. Take it from the freezer and pop it right into the oven. Be sure to give it enough time to heat through.
I am so happy I stumbled upon this recipe! I pretty well stuck to the recipe as posted, except I added a little hot sauce, we like spicy! :)
Put the slow cooker on high for 3.5hrs, and when I got home from work, an incredibly delicious meal was waiting!
I can’t wait for hubby to try it later! :)
Perfect recipe – thank you so much for sharing it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marg!
Hi, made this casserole in the crockpot last night and put in fridge. This morning I took it out of fridge and let it set for an hour before turning on to low. It cooked on low for 7 hours and on high for 2 hours. The rice is still crunchy. Other than the rice being crunchy the dish is great, any ideas as to what went wrong?
Thank you : )
Hi Lynda,
I’m not sure why your rice wasn’t cooked through, 7 hours on low should’ve been plenty of time to cook the rice through. Did you use regular white rice (brown may take longer to cook)?
Yes Holly, I used regular white long grain rice. The only reason I cooked it for so long was because of the rice tasting crunchy. I’ve never had a problem with cooking rice before so I’m totally puzzled!
I agree, it’s really unusual and I’m a little baffled because I’ve made this many times. I hope someone else has some advice as well.
Did you add the water and undrained tomatoes? I’m trying to think of all of the things that could cause that (especially with white rice). I did some searching and all I could find was that not enough liquid can cause this issue. I’ll keep peeking and let you know what I find.
Just put this all together, put in fridge and will turn on tomorrow before work! Looks delish!
I would like to make these for tomorrow and would like to know how to modify this recipe. I need to make this without the rice. Can you suggest how to modify this recipe. Thank you. Your follower from Canada’s nation capital.
If you would like to make this without rice you could add “cauliflower rice” or even quinoa in its place. To make cauliflower rice I chop it to the size of rice in my food processor and then fry it with a little bit of oil to remove the water.
You may need to keep an eye on the liquid level to avoid having a watery casserole as the rice won’t soak any of the liquid up.
Tomato soup has wheat in it so how would you adjust to make gluten free?
Because I don’t follow a gluten free diet I’m not exactly sure what products can be substituted.
I added small can of diced to tomato to replace the tomato soup . My son and grand son have to eat gluten free . I triesD that and seemed to work good.
You can take the total oz required in fresh tomatoes and put them in the blender to make your own puree! I use Romas and I don’t even peel them, I just cut them in half and throw them in and the blender chops everything up. Just add more seasonings to compensate for what isn’t in the canned goods, because this also eliminates a lot of salt and any in-house herbs or spices they’d put in at the factory. The tomatoes will cook in the slow-cooker so you don’t have raw tomato flavor at the end. It’s a great way to have a little more control over what goes into your food! :)
I (joyfully) found a head of cabbage in the bottom of my fridge yesterday that I didn’t even realize I had. Luckily, it was still fresh, so I told my husband we’d be having some form of cabbage rolls today. I stumbled upon this recipe after I googled for recipes, and worked on assembling it while my daughters ate lunch today. YUM. I did take about a half hour of prepwork, but it was so worth it (and so easy). I just taste-tested a small amount of it to see how much longer it needs to cook, and it’s delicious!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I am making this recipe right now!! I am so excited because I’ve never had a cabbage roll ever in Texas!! They sound amazing! I did add some frozen spinich into the meat and sauce mix and added chicken broth instead of water for more flavor!! Smells so good can’t wait till dinner! This filled my large crock pot to the brim! Thanks for a great recipe.
I made this last night and it is delicious. I had to make a few minor changes to use what I had in the kitchen. I used sharp cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella. and minute rice instead of regular rice. I should have used regular rice because the rice was overdone when the cabbage was done. I’ll definitely be making this again. I have loved cabbage rolls since I was a kid and my mom made them. yummmmm.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Rhonda!
Can you please adjust the print page so that the pictures will not show? It takes up quite a bit of ink.
Thank you!!!
Thank you for letting me know Kate! I’ve updated the page!
I have made this 2 times now and it is awesome! I use maple sausage, the purple cabbage, and add mushrooms. I could eat it for days. Ty so much for this amazing recipe. =)
Excellent recipe, surprised at how easy and well it tastes. Used suggestions above (dark stout beer, and 1lb ground turkey, and 1/2lb lean beef, also used diced tomato’s with green chili’s).
Thanks!
I’m making this recipe right now since I have a craving for cabbage rolls! Recipe looks great! I’m just wondering about the cooking time when you combine the rice with the meat and sauce over medium heat. What exactly is the cooking time prior to assembling all of the ingredients in the slow cooker?
Hi Mike, great question, I’m gong to update the post to make it more clear!
It’s just a couple of minutes to heat the mixture. The rice fully cooks in the slow cooker!
This was a hit with my family. Easy to make and super tasty. I followed the recipe, substituting ground turkey only for the meat. I used Minute Rice (whole wheat). I topped the recipe off with a few shakes of Franks Hot Sauce for some kick and real Parmesan cheese flakes. I cooked for 6 hours on low and done to perfection. My family of 4 loved it and had seconds. Thank you. A favorite in my recipe box now.
:) So glad you and your family loved it Kim!
can this be made in the new crock pot casserole slow cooker and if so, are there any adjustments in the cooking time. Thanks.
I am not familiar with the New Crock Pot Casserole Slow cooker but hopefully there is some information in the manual that can help you.
This was great! Only changes were to not cook the pork beforehand, just saute the garlic and onions and seasoning. Added cumin to the crock. Very good!
Could I use arborio rice?
I haven’t tried it with arborio rice. I’m sure it would work, you just may need to adjust the liquid amount to get the desired consistency.
I just threw this together. I’m excited as I have never made cabbage rolls or otherwise…lol Always waited for my mom to make it.
I can’t have rice, so I used Quinoa instead. Hope it works. Wish me luck. lol :-)
Can I use Minute Rice It’s all I have available right now and its snowing I do not want to go out
I haven’t tried it with minute rice so I don’t know for sure how it would hold up. You might like to try slightly pre-cooking the cabbage for a few minutes to slightly soften it and then decreasing the cooking time a little bit so the minute rice doesn’t get too mushy.
Why put cheese on it?? I have never heard of cabbage rolls having cheese. That really makes it fattening–don’t you think. ?? Some people are trying to regain their waistlines. lol
The cheese is optional but we like it. If you are watching your waistline you can definitely skip it.
Trying this exact recipe i have had it on low for 4 hours and the cabbage is still hard.
It may still need another hour or two to completely soften.
Delicious!!!! Made this with grd pork, since that’s what I had. Used brown rice. Omitted the cheese. DH and I stirred some sauerkraut into our bowls with the cabbage. I will make this again and again.
So glad you enjoyed it Heidi! (I love brown rice!)
This recipe is wonderful. I made it as posted. Taste just like grandmas stuffed cabbage but so much easier. I did the prep last night and put it all together in the crockpot this morning. Came home to a delicious hearty meal.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this as much as we did Chris!
Using bottled spaghetti sauce instead of can tomatoes . I also substituted a 1/2 pound of turkey sausage for ground beef. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I love my cabbage rolls, But I have never had them without sauerkraut. It would work here,just add it in layers, with one on the bottom
I am so going to try this! Always make stuffed cabbage rolls, and sometimes you just don’t feel like boiling and rolling! I also add cooked crumbled bacon in my rolls, so I will add to this dish as well!! Adds a wonderful flavor to the meat..
Thank you for a crock-pot recipe!!
tTHIS LOOKS SO GOOD, CAN I SUBSTITUTE 2 CANS OF TOMATO SOUP AND ELIMINATE THE TOMATO SAUCE, AS THAT REALLY BOTHERS MY STOMACH? ALSO CAN I USE PEPPER JACK CHEESE INSTEAD OF MOZZERELLA?
Any cheese would work in this recipe. I have not tried substituting the tomato sauce, if you do try it, let us know how it works for you!
Making this in my crock pot right now! My 6quart bowl is stuffed full! No way me & hubby and one child can eat it all tonight… Since its already started cooking I dont want to take any out to freeze but wondering if I can freeze it after its cooked?? I do that with chili and homemade soups quite often but unsure if I can do that with this?? :)
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe but I have frozen regular cabbage rolls before and it worked perfectly… so I think it would work!
Why pre cook the meat? It will cook in the slow cooker, save a step.
I agree with you however it may take a little longer to cook. This is how I am doing mine right now as I missed the cook first step.
I cooked my ground beef beforehand, mainly because I wanted to drain the grease.
Thank you for sharing this sounds delicious. I wonder pasta work the same as I’m not a rice fan? Maybe some bowties or rotini?
I haven’t tried it with pasta, I’ve only used riced cauliflower before! I’d love to hear how it works for you!
I don’t eat rice soI am going to substitute orzo pasta.
I love cabbage rolls and this is a great recipe. Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Your post has been pinned with the party!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I am making with a Spanish twist…(because I made Spanish rice last night and a homemade black bean and corn salsa) ….so all that is going in the pot, and the meat is a round steak I had marintated and grilled for the burittos….sounds good in theory! We shall see! :)
I think it sounds delicious!!! :)
Thank you for this recipe I made it meatless using MorningStar crumbles and I used two thirds of the head of cabbage, there was just too much to go in the crockpot.
It was absolutely delicious I really enjoyed it!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Melanie!
I’ve been seeing cabbage roll recipes popping up lately, and I love that yours is a casserole…and in the slow cooker! Definitely giving this a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Joy! We really love this recipe too!
Looks so easy that I am making it for dinner!
Enjoy Tracy!! :)
Do you think an extra can of tomato sauce could be substituted for the tomato soup? I am not a fan of tomato soup.
Yes, I think it would work but I do find tomato soup has some sweetness to it so it may need a touch of sugar added. I’d love to hear how it works for you!
Thanks! I am going to try it next week. It looks so good! I can’t wait.
Both of these recipes (crock and non-crock) sound really good! Thought I’d give this one a try first, as I like crock recipes in the (hot) summer. I did notice you changed the cheese type for this one vs. the original recipe. Wondering why? Does Mozzarella lend better in the crock than the Gruyere or Jack from the original recipe? Thanks for posting this. I’m anxious to try it!
To be honest JoAnne, I think either would work equally well. I personally changed it in the second recipe because it happened to be what I had on hand and I thought the mozzarella would have a milder flavor than Gruyere. (I do love Gruyere however in this case I wanted to try something milder.)
Hi! I love the sound of this recipe but was wondering what size crock pot you used…if smaller than a 7 quart, could you double the recipe? Thanks!
Mine was a 6 qt and it was pretty full. If yours is small I might suggest 1 1/2x at the most.
About how many servings does this make and can it be frozen for another meal?
This recipe makes about 8 servings.
I have not frozen this before but I do think it would work! I would actually prepare it exactly as directed up to the baking part ensuring that the pan you choose isn’t too deep. Freeze it covered and well sealed.
To bake it, I would try cooking right from frozen and add an additional 45min onto the cooking time. Double check that the center is hot before adding the cheese mixture.
Please let us know how it works for you!
Hey holly?
I am making this right now, I am just wondering how long it usually takes for the cabbage to cook in the slow cooker
I usually cook this recipe 4-6 hours in the slow cooker (because you also need to cook the rice).
I use this recipe but I do change it up a little. I use all of the items but I drain the diced tomato and add 6oz of a stout beer. The beer really adds an extra layer of flavor to this dish. DO NOT use a light beer or an IPA. Use only a stout, dark ale or a black beer.
That sounds delicious!
I am so anxious to make this one. I make the Un-stuffed Cabbage Roll which is great. We love any dish with cabbage. Thanks for sharing.
Can it be made in a casserole dish and frozen? (Instead of crock pot). Probably an obvious answer but I don’t know. Learning. Thanks
While I haven’t tried freezing it I do think that would work. However, I have made it as a casserole and it is wonderful! You can get the Cabbage Roll Casserole Recipe here!
I have frozen and it was delish!!!!
I was wondering if you did freeze it and how it turned out! I think it would be fabulous and not take as long to cook. When cabbage is frozen it breaks down somewhat so it’s “cooked” more when it thaws.
I learned this when making the rolled cabbage rolls. Instead of boiling the cabbage head and pulling off the partially cooked leaves you freeze the head and when it’s thawed the softened leaves come off easily.
I’m making this recipe today as is except for the thyme and paprika (we never used these seasonings in our rolls also, I don’t have thyme). I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic!
Oh, and why would you put mozzarella cheese on it? My Polish mother would be rolling in her grave! It truly Isn’t necessary.
You don’t have to put it on there. I’m sure your Polish mother would be gracious…I know my grandmother would. It’s something lost on people today.
Hi,
I’m about to make this but I’m unsure of one of the ingredients. The recipe says 1 can of tomato sauce. What exactly is that??? I’m in Australia and a can of tomato sauce is not something we’re familiar with. A can of tomato paste (concentrated tomato) maybe but not tomato sauce.
Tomato sauce is a mixture of crushed tomatoes and seasonings. You can make your own using this recipe here if you can’t find it.
Making tgis as we speak. What size crockpot do you recommend?
I use a 6qt slow cooker for this recipe.
Do you have tomato puree? We have both where I live. I use either of them when making spaghetti.
Also a thick tomato juice can be used instead of canned tomato sauce. We always used our canned tomato juice for our cabbage rolls.
Please review this recipe and make the correct changes. Can not follow recipe as written.
Which part are you having trouble with Sue?
I think it might be that step #3 doesn’t specify that it’s talking about the cabbage… that confused me for a minute.
I have it all in the crockpot now, can’t wait to try it tonight!
Thanks Naomi! I added that in! :)
what if I dont have long grain rice can I use instant
You can however the cooking time (and water ratio) may be different.
Do you think I could use brown rice? (trying to use up items in my cupboard).
Yes, that should work just fine. You may need to adjust the cooking time slightly to ensure the brown rice is cooked.