Lazy Cabbage Rolls (Ukrainian Prairie Casserole, Freezer-Friendly)

Name: Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Cup Uncle Bens Converted Rice; 2 Cups Water; ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder; ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder; ½ Teaspoon Salt; ¼ Teaspoon Pepper; 375 grams Bacon; 8 Cups Green Cabbage (Julienned ); 1 Medium Onion (Diced); 3 Garlic Cloves (Minced); 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter; 1 Teaspoon Salt (or more to taste); ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper (or more to taste); Sour Cream

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I crave cabbage rolls often, I never ever feel like making them though - Hello Lazy Cabbage Rolls with fresh Cabbage! This recipe is different from others I've seen online as it doesn't use sauerkraut - it uses FRESH cabbage! This is also meant to imitate the Ukrainian style cabbage rolls that I grew up with, so the only meat in the dish is crispy bacon and there is no tomato sauce.

Ingredients

Fresh Green Cabbage
Rice
Bacon
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

If you prefer sour cabbage rolls you can substitute the fresh cabbage in this recipe for a a 700ml/24 oz jar of sauerkraut.

The Gist of it:

Make the rice
Cook the bacon
Cut up the cabbge, garlic and onion.
Cook Cabbage, Garlic and Onion
Add in Rice and Bacon.
Devour

Rice Bowling for Lazy Cabbage Rolls — Make & Season the Rice

Bacon Frying for Lazy Cabbage Rolls — Make & Season the Rice

FAQ about Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Cabbage

Can I Cook the Cabbage in the Bacon Grease

You can do whatever makes you happy. I have done this in the past but I feel it makes the dish unnecessarily greasy. I also find the taste to be more authentic to cabbage rolls when the cabbage is sautéed in butter instead of bacon grease.

I prefer Sour Cabbage Rolls, How do I make them "Lazy"?

Instead of using fresh green cabbage you could use a jar (700ml/ 24oz) of sauerkraut. Drain the liquid out and pat dry but do not rinse. Put it in the pan for about 5 minutes (enough to heat through) Follow the rest of the recipe below, as written.

Is this a side dish? How Do I serve Lazy Cabbage Rolls?

Serve them as a side to baked ham or oven roasted chicken. Or if you are like me, serve them as a main dish at lunch. If you are servings this as a main it makes 4 portions.

lazy cabbage rolls topped with sour cream — Serve

If you're looking for more easy 30 minute meals try some of these ones next:

What Are Lazy Cabbage Rolls?

Across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, cabbage rolls (holubtsi) are on every Ukrainian Christmas Eve table and at every church supper and wedding. They're also a full afternoon of work: blanching leaves, rolling, tucking, layering. Lazy cabbage rolls are the prairie shortcut. You chop the cabbage, crisp the bacon with onion, stir in the rice, and bake it all as one casserole. Same flavour, same comfort, about a quarter of the effort. My version uses fresh cabbage and no tomato sauce, which keeps the cabbage sweet instead of sour.

Make Ahead and Freezing for the Holidays

This is one of my favourite field meals and holiday make-aheads because it reheats beautifully. Assemble the casserole up to two days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake as directed, adding about 15 minutes. To freeze, bake it fully, cool completely, and freeze in a foil pan for up to 3 months. Reheat covered at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes from frozen. For a Ukrainian-style Christmas Eve, serve it alongside perogies, fresh bread and my lamb soup if you want something warm to start.

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