# Stuffed Cabbage Rolls > For our Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, canned tomato sauce had a smooth texture tasters liked and was thin enough to properly coat the rolls without becoming pasty. Sautéed onions and garlic provided a savory foundation, and ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg added the requisite warm spice flavor to the sauce. A panade (paste) of milk and bread helped keep the filling soft and moist. **Prep time:** 1 hour 15 minutes **Cook time:** 1 hour **Total time:** 1 hour 45 minutes (1¾ hours) **Servings:** 4 --- ## Ingredients ### For the Cabbage Rolls - 1 medium head green cabbage, cored - 1 tbsp vegetable oil - 1 onion, chopped fine - 3 garlic cloves, minced - 1 tsp ground ginger - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg - 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar - 3 tbsp red wine vinegar - Salt and pepper - 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces - 1/2 cup milk - 3/4 lb (85% lean) ground beef - 3/4 lb bratwurst, uncooked, casings removed --- ## Shopping List ### 🥬 Produce - [ ] 1 medium head green cabbage - [ ] 1 onion - [ ] 3 garlic cloves ### 🥩 Meat - [ ] 3/4 lb ground beef (85% lean) - [ ] 3/4 lb bratwurst, uncooked ### 🥫 Canned Goods - [ ] 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce ### 🥛 Dairy & Bread - [ ] 1/2 cup milk - [ ] 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread ### 🧂 Pantry & Spices - [ ] Vegetable oil (need 1 tbsp) - [ ] Ground ginger (need 1 tsp) - [ ] Ground cinnamon (need 1/2 tsp) - [ ] Ground nutmeg (need 1/4 tsp) - [ ] Light brown sugar (need 1/4 cup packed) - [ ] Red wine vinegar (need 3 tbsp) - [ ] Salt and pepper --- ## Instructions 1. **Prepare the cabbage.** Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place cabbage in large bowl, wrap tightly with plastic, and microwave until outer leaves of cabbage are pliable and translucent, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully remove wilted outer leaves; set aside. Replace plastic and repeat until you have 15 to 17 large, intact leaves. 2. **Make the sauce.** Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to small bowl and reserve. Off heat, stir tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper into pot with remaining onion mixture until sugar dissolves. 3. **Prepare the filling.** Pulse bread and milk in food processor to smooth paste. Add reserved onion mixture, beef, bratwurst, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse until well combined, about ten 1-second pulses. 4. **Assemble and bake.** Trim tough ribs from cabbage leaves (see related Step by Step), roll 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture into each leaf, and arrange rolls, seam-side down, in 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over cabbage rolls, cover with foil, and bake until sauce is bubbling and rolls are heated through, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, until sauce is slightly thickened and cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve. --- ## Notes **Before You Begin:** If the tops of the cabbage rolls appear dry after the foil is removed in step 4, spoon some of the sauce over them before returning to the oven.