If You Have A Head Of Cabbage And A Pound Of Ground Beef, Dinner Will Be Ready In 30 Minutes

Getting a delicious dinner on the table typically takes a fair amount of time and effort. If you have a head of cabbage and a pound of ground beef, however, you can make a meal that's as simple as it is tasty. Try a twist on tradition by creating cabbage rolls using whole leaves wrapped around burger-sized portions of ground beef filling.

Sometimes called "cabbage meat cups" on social media, you can clearly see the influence of European cabbage rolls. Start with ½ cup of rice and cook it until it's halfway done, then drain thoroughly. Core your cabbage and remove the leaves to blanch until tender. Saute garlic and onions to mix with your ground beef, rice, and choice of seasonings. Assemble your cabbage cups using roughly two tablespoons of the ground beef filling for each, wrapping them fully.  

Add your cabbage cups seam side down to a baking dish and cover them with a sauce made from diluted tomato paste, olive oil, and spices. Cover your dish with parchment paper and bake for around 30 minutes at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit before carefully removing the parchment paper and finishing it off in the oven for an additional five to 10 minutes until golden. This variation on cabbage-wrapped dumplings is easy and enjoyable, with plenty of possibilities to further customize your ingredients and style of serving.

The sauce for this cabbage and ground beef dish gives it a tomato-forward flavor, reminiscent of Russian golubtsi and similar. If you're already scaling up these wraps, consider a few clever ingredient swaps to mix up the taste too. Try making your own mushroom gravy or grabbing a store-bought version to streamline your mealtime and add more protein.

Additionally, this recipe doesn't need to be limited to ground beef. If you have a pound of ground meat such as pork or turkey, you can always use either one instead. Let this inform the other flavors you choose for your seasonings and sauce topping. For an Asian-inspired version of these cabbage cups, try mixing ground pork with brown rice, broccoli, soy sauce, and sauteed garlic and ginger and covering this with a sauce made from hoisin, soy sauce, and sriracha.

These cabbage meat cups are perfectly portioned to individual servings, but also offer the opportunity for a deconstructed approach. Add a topping of shredded cheese before returning your baking dish to the oven, letting it bubble and brown for a casserole-style version. Similarly, take a cue from a cabbage roll soup recipe and load your ingredients into a large pot on the stove for less than 40 minutes of cooking time. With a little culinary creativity, ground beef or the meat of your choice, and a single head of cabbage, your food can be both fast and fulfilling.