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Stuffed Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Make Ahead Meal

March 13, 2019 Amy 68 Comments

I have upped my meal plan with the best slow cooker cabbage rolls.

Are you intimidated by cabbage? I admit cabbage scares me a little. What I loved about these is this meal did not have a strong cabbage flavor like you would expect. We could barely taste it. Only near the end of the roll, the thicker part of the cabbage, tasted like cabbage.

I have been looking for a few new go to meals to add to my meal plan for my family.

I will definitely be adding this to our meal plan on a monthly basis.

The Best Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls in slow cooker Meal Idea

(affiliate links have been used in this post. I may receive a few pennies if you purchase)

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls

1 head of cabbage
1 lbs ground meat
1 medium diced onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
1 29oz can tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

A slow cooker just like this one

Directions on how cook slow cooker cabbage rolls

Cut approx 1/4 inch off the bottom of the cabbage head and place the whole head in boiling water. Then boil about 2 minutes. Peel off the leaves as they soften. This goes pretty quick.

Place remaining head back in the boiling water and repeat until you have at least 8 large cabbage leaves.

(You can freeze cabbage then thaw and skip the boiling part. We just need the leaves soft enough to roll)

In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, uncooked rice, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, minced garlic, pepper, salt, and diced onion.

Stir in egg and combine well.

Whisk together tomato sauce, paprika and Worcestershire sauce in another bowl.

Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in center of leaf and roll up like a burrito.

Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of your slow cooker.

Place cabbage rolls seam side down in slow cooker, in two layers so they are touching but not over crowded either.
Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over rolls.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours in your slow cooker.

If you like this recipe, please consider rating it with the star rating system and leaving a comment below. I love hearing from you and seeing what recipes you make! Find me on Instagram and tag me @mainlyhomemade and #mainlyhomemade, or you can also find me on Facebook, and Pinterest. Thanks for helping me spread the word about homemade delicious food!

4.91 from 11 votes
Print

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Make Ahead Meal Idea

Deliciously easy, this Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll recipe cooks up all day. Make dinner with all of the flavor without any fuss!

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword cabbage rolls, easy, make ahead meal, meal plan, slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Amy

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cabbage
  • 1 lbs ground meat
  • 1 medium diced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 jar tomato sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut approx 1/4 inch off the bottom of the cabbage head and place the whole head in boiling water. Then boil about 2 minutes. Peel off the leaves as they soften. This goes pretty quick.
  2. Place remaining head back in the boiling water and repeat until you have at least 8 large cabbage leaves.
  3. (You can freeze cabbage then thaw and skip the boiling part. We just need the leaves soft enough to roll)
  4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, uncooked rice, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, garlic powder, pepper, salt, onion.
  5. Stir in egg and combine well.
  6. Whisk together tomato sauce, paprika and Worcestershire sauce in another bowl.
  7. Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in center of leaf and roll up like a burrito.
  8. Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of your slow cooker.
  9. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in slow cooker, in two layers so they are touching but not over crowded either.
  10. Mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over rolls.
  11. Cook on high for four hours or low for 8 hours.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Meal Idea. Make ahead meal idea.

Cabbage Roll Meal Ideas

These were so good. They remind me of slow cooker Italian meatloaf or a slow cooker meatballs recipe. Are you brave enough to give these a try? These are perfect since you don’t have to precook the meat or the rice. You can throw them together pretty quickly to create a meal to fix and forget. Make these on a Sunday for a make ahead meal idea and freeze them to have them ready to eat. This is a great scaleable meal for one or a large family. This meal is a terrific meal to cook for a lunch idea for the entire week. Are you looking for more lunch ideas? Visit my lunches for one Pinterest board for more inspiration, or try my slow cooker recipes board for easy slow cooker meals.

Slow cooker stuffed cabbage Rolls Make ahead for an easy lunch idea.

Homemade Recipes, slow cooker cabbage, rice, tomato

About Amy

Amy Greene has a passion for creating items from scratch. She created Mainly Homemade to inspire families to cook homemade meals and create homemade crafts to create lifelong family memories. Receive creative family memories in your inbox.

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Comments

  1. Doreen says

    March 27, 2019 at 10:41 am

    Half the ingredients on the list do not have measurements in front of them. What sz tomato sauce jar? Garlic powder is not even list as well as the Worcester sauce. What are the measurements?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 27, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Thank you so much for pointing that out. I must have missed this in my edits. I have added the correct measurements to make this amazing dish.

      Reply
  2. Rob says

    November 18, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    Hi Amy.
    Quick question.Do you cook the hamburger meat first or just in the crockpot?My gut is telling me in the crock pot…thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      November 18, 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Great question Rob. Yes it is all cooked in the crock pot. My favorite kind of meal.

      Reply
  3. Tiffany says

    December 5, 2019 at 10:26 am

    I have this going in my crockpot right now! I have a feeling my husband is going to love it. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 6, 2019 at 8:11 am

      So glad to hear this Tiffany. I can’t wait to hear how it was. Please rate the recipe it helps me so much!!

      Reply
  4. Nicki says

    January 12, 2020 at 8:40 am

    Call I use uncooked minute rice?

    Reply
  5. Olivia e says

    February 2, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    Do you know how I could do this same recipe in a instapot?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      February 9, 2020 at 8:41 am

      Thanks for asking Olivia. Unfortunately I do not own an Instantpot to test this recipe. My only suggestion would be to use the slow cooker feature on your Instantpot.

      Reply
  6. Ilene says

    March 18, 2020 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    5 star definitely

    Reply
  7. Sarah says

    April 22, 2020 at 11:31 am

    Would this work with uncooked quinoa?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      April 23, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Great question Sarah. I have never done this, but I bet it would. If you try it take a picture and post it to my Facebook page or tag me with @mainlyhomemade or #mainlyhomemade. I would love to see it.

      Reply
  8. Sue says

    June 2, 2020 at 1:41 pm

    I found the meat mixture made far more volume for the 8 cabbage leaves…even when bumping it up to about 1/3 cup, it easily made 12? Did anyone else mention this? Sure looks good in the slow cooker!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 2, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      Great question Sue. Mine made 10 for this recipe. The original recipe I had said 8, so that is what I put on here. As long as they come out and taste good then it is OK to have more.

      Reply
    • Anna says

      October 19, 2020 at 7:55 am

      When you say ground meat, do you use a mixtire of meat or do you simply use ground beef? Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Amy says

        November 5, 2020 at 5:39 pm

        Great question Anna. Ground meat can be ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or ground pork. It would depend on any dietary restrictions you may have as to what type of meat you want to use.

        Reply
  9. Priscilla Kennedy says

    June 7, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    An alternative to using cabbage, I use collard greens. Just boil them for a shot while, and trim off the end of the stem and the trim the thick part of the stem. They taste the same, and hold up well.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 18, 2020 at 11:59 am

      Great tip Priscilla. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  10. Laila says

    August 16, 2020 at 10:48 pm

    Hello! Does the rice need to be uncooked or cooked when making the filling? Or does it just cook while in the crock pot?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 18, 2020 at 9:31 am

      Great question Laila. I use uncooked rice and it turns out just fine. There should be enough moisture in the dish to cook the rice.

      Reply
  11. Margie says

    September 29, 2020 at 8:47 am

    Can I ask what you do with the cabbage that’s left from the head?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      September 29, 2020 at 11:56 am

      We usually just cook it and eat it. I like to cut it up and use it in Asian dishes we like to eat.

      Reply
    • Thomas says

      January 15, 2021 at 12:14 pm

      4 stars
      Or, cut it up and put it in the crock pot with everything else that is in there. It really adds to the sauce you have in it.

      Reply
  12. Barbara says

    September 30, 2020 at 7:42 am

    5 stars
    I have this cooking right now. It was so quick and easy to put together and I definitely will make this again. One tip that I use for the cabbage, is after you cut off a quarter inch of the top, you wrap the cabbage completely in very damp paper towels and place it in the microwave for between 12 and 18 minutes depending on the size of your head of cabbage. It’s steams beautifully it comes right off the head. Much easier than boiling water.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      September 30, 2020 at 11:28 am

      That is an excellent tip Barbara. Thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
  13. Sue says

    October 22, 2020 at 10:05 am

    5 stars
    If wanted to freeze these, can I put them all together and then freeze them, uncooked?
    Any freezing tips?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      October 22, 2020 at 10:19 am

      Great question Sue. I have not done this. I would suggest cooking them on low at the 6-8 hour time if you are taking them from the freezer to the slow cooker. If you thaw them, before you cook them, you could use the shorter time of four hours. I don’t see why this wouldn’t work. Please let me know if you try.

      Thanks,

      Reply
  14. Sue says

    October 22, 2020 at 10:10 am

    5 stars
    Any freezing tips?

    Reply
  15. Mary says

    November 5, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    CN you use minute rice?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      November 6, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Great question Mary. I have not tried minute rice, but I would think it might be a little more sticky and mushy if you did. If you try this please let me know. Using regular rice allows the rice to soak up the flavors as it cooks and stays firm.

      Reply
  16. Susan says

    February 9, 2021 at 12:29 am

    My mother is Polish and has made these “piggies” my whole life. Similar to yours. Doesn’t mix sauce into the raw meat mixture. The meat will be moist and delicious from the sauce in the pot. To answer a couple questions for you: minute rice works very well and does not get mushy.
    The cooked cabbage rolls do not freeze well. The cabbage turns to mush when thawed. We’ve always done them in a 6-8 qt pot on the stove. But I look forward to your idea of using the crock pot.

    Reply
  17. Brea says

    March 2, 2021 at 7:30 am

    5 stars
    This was so good! I have 4 young kids and they all loved it too! I am putting it into my regular meal rotation.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 2, 2021 at 4:45 pm

      Yay!! I am so glad you like this meal Brea. It is so good. Please share with all your friends.

      Reply
  18. Katrina says

    March 3, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! This recipe just took me back 40 years to my grandma’s table. I miss her so much. I have thought about her and this dish countless times over the years… I wish you could have seen my face when this came across my phone! 🥰 I will definitely be trying it. I’m certain it won’t be as good as Mamaw’s (only because she’s not making it) but I can’t wait to eat this again! Thank you for sharing. You just never know when something you say or do (even a simple recipe) will impact someone’s life. 😊

    Reply
  19. Collins Family says

    March 12, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    Just stumbled onto this and it’s cooking now! We typically make this without a red sauce and small potatoes (not rice) as one of our March family dinners celebrating our Irish history, but I’ve alway struggled breaking the cabbage. My elders aren’t around and I’ve had to figure out most of my childhood meals by winging it. However this was so simple that my kids cut the cabbage spines while I rolled! We followed this exactly and we are all excited to try it tonight, “Thank you” for posting this and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 23, 2021 at 1:19 pm

      This warms my heart Collins Family! Thank you so much for trying and sharing this recipe. I am sure your potato version is just as good.

      Reply
  20. Anastasia says

    August 8, 2021 at 10:27 pm

    Do you think I could use cauliflower rice?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 15, 2022 at 5:32 pm

      Great question Anastasia! Yes you can. We have used cauliflower rice before and it turned out great.

      Reply
  21. Krista says

    August 26, 2021 at 9:53 am

    So the recipe has garlic cloves in it, but the recipe doesn’t say when to add them. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just wondering if I use them or just use garlic powder?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 15, 2022 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks for your question Krista. You put the garlic in meat mixture. You are more than welcome to use garlic powder if that is what you have.

      Reply
  22. Valerie says

    December 20, 2021 at 12:20 pm

    Hi there! I’ve made your recipe before and it is delicious! Is this able to be cooked in the oven?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 15, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      Great question Valerie. Yes it can be cooked in the oven at 350 degrees covered for one hour.

      Reply
  23. Nicole says

    January 7, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    5 stars
    I made these today for my family and everyone loved them. I used more meat than the recipe calls for so I tweaked everything else and they turned out fantastic. I did 3 layers of cabbage rolls and had no issues with cooking time or doneness. Love when I get to use my slow cooker and this was definitely a winner. Perfect cabbage rolls. 😊 Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 15, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      That sounds Great Nicole. I am so glad you and your family liked them.

      Reply
      • Dottie says

        April 29, 2022 at 12:16 pm

        So how much sauce? I’m ready to try this recipe tomorrow.

        Reply
        • Amy says

          June 3, 2022 at 12:32 pm

          1 – 29oz can tomato sauce

          Reply
  24. Carol says

    January 31, 2022 at 10:15 am

    Which is better. Cooking on Hi or Low

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:46 pm

      Whenever using the slow cooker, I always like to cook on low because it usually has the best flavor.

      Reply
  25. Linda says

    February 21, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    How many ounce of tomato sauce?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:45 pm

      1 29oz can tomato sauce

      Reply
  26. Linda says

    February 21, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    Reading the recipe it said to combine the ground beef and the ground pork. I don’t see the ground pork listed. How much ground pork for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:44 pm

      You may use one pound of ground meat of your choice.

      Reply
  27. Caprice says

    February 25, 2022 at 2:51 pm

    Can I use brown rice? Also, growing up my grandma would make these, we called them “pigs in a blanket”
    I’m doing WW and brown rice is on my free point foods. Wonder how it would work?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:44 pm

      Yes you can use brown rice Caprice. That is a great substitution.

      Reply
  28. Dottie says

    April 27, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    It says ground beef and ground pork in the recipe but at the top it just says 1 lb ground meat. Is that half a pound of each or can I just use one or the other? Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying this tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 3, 2022 at 12:32 pm

      Just use one pound of any ground meat you wish.

      Reply
  29. Dee says

    July 21, 2022 at 11:12 pm

    My rice did not cook and I followed these directions but cooked on High for 4 hours. Do you think it should be Low-8 or some moisture of either the tomato sauce of broth added before rolling in the cabbage?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 31, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      I am so sorry to hear this Dee. When cooking in the slow cooker be sure to never lift the lid until the 4 hours are up. Lifting the lid releases heat as well as steam. Both are needed in order to cook the rice. You could try more liquid, but the most important is to never lift the lid.

      Reply
  30. Daisy says

    July 22, 2022 at 1:51 am

    5 stars
    Amy, I have to thank you for this post and bringing me back to childhood memories in my Mama’s kitchen. I am now in my 70s and it has been more than a few years since I have had Mama’s “cabbage balls”. Your recipe sounds pretty much the same as hers, except she cooked them on top of the stove in a huge stock pot (for a family of 7, maybe 16 or 18 qt(?). The recipe was from her Mama and her Grandma. Most Mondays she would fix them, because this was her “wash” day. She’d get up before daylight and start mixing the meat and rolling the cabbage and placing them in the big pot until it was full. Then she would add water until it was half way up the inside of the pot and cook it covered on low most of the day. (If there were crock pots back then, she was unaware.) Then she’d roll out our wringer washer and hook it up to the kitchen sink and commence to washing. Kids job were to hang the clothes up on the outside clotheslines and when dry, take them down and fold them and put them away or prepare them to be ironed the next day. For the sauce, she cooked it separate (tomato sauce and a stick of margarine). Years later she ‘modernized’ her sauce when Ragu came out with jarred spaghetti sauce (warm it up and spoon it on). Our hard work ended with plates full of cabbage balls, along with saltine crackers and sweet tea. On a really good day we were surprised with a yellow cake frosted with brown sugar fudge frosting. Amy, thanks again for bringing back some really sweet memories.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 31, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      This just warms my heart. Thank you so much for sharing this story. It is wonderful to think of a recipe being able to bring back all these memories.

      Reply

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