Stuffed Ground Turkey Cabbage Rolls

 

About This Recipe

Servings 4 – 5 

This is adapted from a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook published in 1978. I love researching and testing recipes from old cookbooks. The recipe calls for ground beef or hamburger meat. I am using 97% lean ground turkey for my recipe. The cabbage leaves are prepared by separating the leaves from the cabbage head by removing the core and placing the cabbage in a large bowl of cold water. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then remove the leaves.

Ingredients

-1 medium head of cabbage that will yield about 12 leaves

-1 pound of 97% lead ground turkey

-1/2 cup uncooked instant rice 

-1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup)

-1/2 cup of fresh baby portabella mushrooms diced

-1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon of salt

-1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

-1 ½ cup jar (12 ounces) marinara sauce 

-1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

-1 tablespoon cornstarch

-1 tablespoon of chicken stock or broth

-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley for garnish if desired

Equipment – 9” x 13” Baking Dish

Instructions

Step 1

Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water and let them stand until limp, about 10 minutes. Remove the leaves and drain.

Step 2

Mix ground turkey, rice, garlic powder, onions, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of marinara sauce in a large bowl. Place 1/3 cup of the mixture at the stem end of each cabbage leaf. Roll the leaf around the mixture, tucking in the sides.

Step 3

Mix the remaining cup of marinara sauce with sugar and lemon juice. Then, pour half of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it to cover the bottom. Place cabbage rolls seam-side down into the baking dish and pour the balance of the sauce over the cabbage rolls.

Step 4

Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes.  Then remove cabbage rolls from the oven, drain the liquid from the baking dish, and add to a small saucepan.   Combine cornstarch and chicken stock in a saucepan—heat to boiling, stirring constantly for about one minute. Pour sauce over the rolls and garnish with fresh parsley.