Stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato cranberry sauce

This is a dish my mom has made for as long as I can remember. Her original recipe calls for canned, pre-made cranberry sauce, but this is a healthy alternative. Make a double batch and freeze them for later.

PREP TIME

30 minutes

COOKING TIME

45 minutes

YIELD

12-15 cabbage rolls
(serves 4-6 people)

1 head Savoy cabbage, leaves carefully separated to remain intact

1 cup grated or shredded
cauliflower

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 lb ground beef

1-2 cloves garlic, grated
or finely diced

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 32-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 cup Simple Cranberry Sauce (recipe here)

SIDE NOTE

It’s a good idea to make the Simple Cranberry Sauce ahead of time.

NIGHTSHADE FREE?

Replace the tomatoes with Bone Broth (recipe here).

HELPFUL TIPS

Savoy cabbage is different from regular green cabbage, as it is softer and has curly edges. If you can’t find it, regular green cabbage works fine.

You may need to steam the cabbage leaves in batches since they’re very large. Allow time for this process.

NUTS

EGGS

NIGHTSHADES

FODMAPS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water (use a steamer basket if you have one), and steam the whole cabbage leaves until they are soft. Set aside to cool.

While the cabbage is steaming, sauté the cauliflower in a large skillet over medium heat for just a few minutes until it is slightly softened. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the cabbage from the heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked cauliflower, garlic, onion, rosemary, and more sea salt and pepper until well incorporated.

Fill the end of one leaf of the cabbage at a time with approximately 1/4-1/3 cup of the mixture, and roll it like a burrito by rolling the bottom up, followed by the sides, and tucking the end underneath. Lay the cabbage rolls in a deep oven-safe dish with the tucked side down.

Combine the tomatoes and Simple Cranberry Sauce in the skillet that previously contained the cauliflower. Pour over the cabbage rolls.

Place the entire dish in the oven and cover with foil or a lid. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked all the way through