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. For a visual demonstration on how to do this, check out the video below.  

@alenakhmil

Cabbage Meat Cups🥬 Ingredients For the base: • 1 small cabbage (6 large leaves) Filling: • Ground beef — 500 g • Rice — 100 g • Onion — 1 medium • Tomato paste — 2 tbsp • Paprika — 1 tsp • Garlic powder — 1/2 tsp • Salt, black pepper • Chili flakes (optional) Sauce: • Tomato paste — 2 tbsp • Water — 250 ml • Paprika — 1 tsp • Olive oil — 1 tbsp • Salt, pepper How to make: 1. Cook rice for 7–8 minutes until half cooked and drain well. 2. Carefully separate cabbage leaves and boil for 3–4 minutes until soft. 3. Finely chop onion and sauté until translucent. 4. Mix ground beef, rice, sautéed onion, tomato paste, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. 5. Place a cabbage leaf inside a small bowl letting the edges hang over. 6. Add 2 tbsp of filling in the center. 7. Fold the edges inward and flip over to create a cabbage cup. 8. Place all cabbage cups into a baking dish. 9. Mix tomato paste, water, paprika, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the top. 10. Cover with parchment paper and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes. 11. Remove parchment and bake another 10 minutes until golden. Cabbage Meat Cups 🥬 Ingredientes Base: • 1 col pequeña (6 hojas grandes) Relleno: • Carne picada de ternera — 500 g • Arroz — 100 g • Cebolla — 1 mediana • Pasta de tomate — 2 cucharadas • Pimentón — 1 cucharadita • Ajo seco — 1/2 cucharadita • Sal, pimienta negra • Chili en hojuelas (opcional) Salsa: • Pasta de tomate — 2 cucharadas • Agua — 250 ml • Pimentón — 1 cucharadita • Aceite de oliva — 1 cucharada • Sal, pimienta Preparación: 1. Cocinar el arroz durante 7–8 minutos y escurrir. 2. Separar las hojas de col y hervir durante 3–4 minutos hasta que estén suaves. 3. Picar la cebolla y cocinar hasta que quede transparente. 4. Mezclar carne picada, arroz, cebolla, pasta de tomate, pimentón, ajo seco, sal y pimienta. 5. Colocar una hoja de col dentro de un bowl pequeño dejando los bordes hacia afuera. 6. Agregar 2 cucharadas de relleno en el centro. 7. Doblar los bordes hacia dentro y girar para formar una taza. 8. Colocar en una fuente o sartén. 9. Mezclar salsa con pasta de tomate, agua, pimentón, aceite, sal y pimienta. Verter por encima. 10. Cubrir con papel vegetal y hornear a 200°C durante 30 minutos. 11. Retirar el papel y hornear 10 minutos más. #comfortfood #easyrecipes #cabbagerecipe #dinnerideas #homecooking

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