Making cabbage rolls, how to dress them up for my boyfriend?

Question

I am making cabbage rolls (cabbage wrapped around hamburger & rice boiled in water) I want to keep some plain for me because I love them that way, but what can I do with his to add a little more flavor? He usually puts ketchup on them, and I have heard of a tomato sauce to put on them, are there any other things besides this?

Also any additional recipes for cabbage rolls would be great, thanks!

Answer 1

Love cabbage rolls. I like to simmer mine in tomato juice with onions layered on top. I also add ketchup or tomato sauce to the hamburger meat for flavor. Your boyfriend is a lucky guy!

Answer 2

I like them with some onions and peppers, fried down until tender and then add a can of tomato sauce,,,,pour this over...some people add some grated cheese on top too....

I'm sure you will get plenty of recipes for them but here is one that is for when you are busy and want a quick version....it turns out really good and is so easy...

Busy Day Cabbage Rolls

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pound ground beef
parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 cup rice (cooked 10 minutes and drained)
3 pounds cabbage, chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 can water


Directions:

Cook onion, seasonings and meat until browned. Meanwhile, prepare rice.Combine with meat mixture. Spread in oiled 9X13 pan. Top with chopped cabbage. Combine tomato soup and water and pour over mixture in pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.

Answer 3

Get a small can (14 to 16 ounces) of whole peeled tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce, a carrot or two, and an onion. Take the tomatoes and cut them in half. Squeeze them to remove the seeds, and coarse chop them. Peel and chop the carrots and onion. Take some of the tomato juice left in the whole tomatoes can and strain it to remove the seeds. Instead of water, boil the rolls in a liquid consisting of the tomatoes and their juice, the carrots and onions, and the tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. You will have a nice tomato gravy to serve over the rolls.

Answer 4

this is the best u can find its a little long with a tomato sauce and everything
Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 1/2 quarts crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cabbage Rolls:
11/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Splash dry red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each


To make the sauce:
Coat a 3-quart saucepan with the oil and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar; simmer, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Place a skillet over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the tomato paste, a splash of wine, parsley, and 1/2 cup of the prepared sweet and sour tomato sauce, mix to incorporate and then take it off the heat. Combine the ground meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, the cooked rice, and the sauteed onion mixture. Toss the filling together with your hands to combine, season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the large, damaged outer leaves from the cabbages and set aside. Cut out the cores of the cabbages with a sharp knife and carefully pull off all the rest of the leaves, keeping them whole and as undamaged as possible, (get rid of all the small leaves and use them for coleslaw or whatever.) Blanch the cabbage leaves in the pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, or until pliable. Run the leaves under cool water then lay them out so you can assess just how many blankets you have to wrap up the filling. Next, carefully cut out the center vein from the leaves so they will be easier to roll up. Take the reserved big outer leaves and lay them on the bottom of a casserole pan, let part of the leaves hang out the sides of the pan. This insulation will prevent the cabbage rolls from burning on the bottom when baked. Use all the good looking leaves to make the cabbage rolls. Put about 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center of the cabbage and starting at what was the stem-end, fold the sides in and roll up the cabbage to enclose the filling. Place the cabbage rolls side by side in rows, seam-side down, in a casserole pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the remaining sweet and sour tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls. Fold the hanging leaves over the top to enclose and keep the moisture in. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 1 hour until the meat is cooked.

Answer 5

I think going for fish such as salmon or tilapia is a safe bet. It's very simple to make with endless recipes and goes great with rice, which makes a simple yet delicious meal. If you really want to go all out, do it on dessert. Something easy. Try yellow cake, strawberries, vanilla pudding mix and whipped cream. Just take a glass cup and layer the ingredients. I've made it so many times and people love it.

Answer 6

The way we always make them:
put in casserole for baking
put a can of tomato sauce over the top and spread over the rolls...bake until cooked through...gives them great flavor

Answer 7

I add seasonings to the meat.. onions, green peppers, rice... onion ,and garlic powder.. pepper... then i wrap the meat around the cabbage.. and i put spaghetti sauce on top... bake in oven.. until tender.. VERY GOOD

Answer 8

There is lots of ribbons out there now for Christmas wrapping, why not wrap your cabbage rolls in this way?

Answer 9

I use garlic salt or powder, onion salt, celery salt, onions, V-8 juice, then wrap them and pour V-8 juice over the top and also some homemade canned tomatoes.

Answer 10

I layer mine in a casserole dish, cover with tomato juice, sprinkle liberaly with salt and pepper, cover and bake for 1 couple of hours (as they are uncooked at this point). He might like them with sour cream as the Ukranian and Polish people do.