Tonight I took my first stab at Pigs in a Blanket (that's what we call stuffed cabbage up in North East Pennsylvania.) I've been wanting to make them since mom made a batch of hers a few months back. They are a perfect meal idea to jam pack full of healthy veggies.
I'm going to write up how I made them this evening but I may change a few things next time. Not quite sure what yet, this is one of those 'wing it, use what you got on hand' type of meal ideas. 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice (I just used one of these
- 1 lb (16oz) extra lean ground turkey, raw
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ of a large sweet onion diced
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 1-2 cups baby spinach chopped
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried parsley separated
- 2 teaspoon dried basil separated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can of condensed tomato soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the core out of the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. This will help loosen the leaves. After 5 minutes run under cold water.
Combine the brown rice, ground turkey, garlic, onion, zucchini, spinach, celery, 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon basil until well mixed.
Carefully separate a leaf from the cabbage head.
Place about ½ cup of the turkey/rice mixture in the middle.
Fold the sides in like a burrito.
Roll.
Place in a deep baking dish.
Repeat until you run our of filling or cabbage leaves. You should get about 12. I actually ran out of leaves and used the rest of the filling in a pepper I had in the fridge. 🙂
Once the baking dish is filled with "piggies" mix the tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and the rest of the dried spices with a bit of water to thin it. Pour over the piggies, cover and bake for an hour in a preheated 350 degree oven. You may want to baste now and then to help keep everything moist.
Serve with the tomato soup mixture drizzled on top and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
Here's the approximate nutritional info for how I made them above.
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Cabbage AKA Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice (I just used one of these
- 1 lb 16oz extra lean ground turkey, raw
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ of a large sweet onion diced
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 1-2 cups baby spinach chopped
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried parsley separated
- 2 teaspoon dried basil separated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can of condensed tomato soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- Kosher Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the core out of the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. This will help loosen the leaves. After 5 minutes run under cold water.1 large head of cabbage
- Combine the brown rice, ground turkey, garlic, onion, zucchini, spinach, celery, 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon basil until well mixed.2 cups of cooked brown rice (I just used one of these, 1 lb 16oz extra lean ground turkey, raw, 6 cloves of garlic minced, ½ of a large sweet onion diced, 1 small zucchini diced, 1-2 cups baby spinach chopped, 2 stalks of celery diced, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried parsley separated, 2 teaspoon dried basil separated, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Carefully separate a leaf from the cabbage head.
- Place about ½ cup of the turkey/rice mixture in the middle.
- Fold the sides in like a burrito.
- Roll. Place in a deep baking dish.
- Repeat until you run our of filling or cabbage leaves. You should get about 12. I actually ran out of leaves and used the rest of the filling in a pepper I had in the fridge. 🙂Kosher Salt & Pepper
- Once the baking dish is filled with "piggies" mix the tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and the rest of the dried spices with a bit of water to thin it. Pour over the piggies, cover and bake for an hour in a preheated 350 degree oven. You may want to baste now and then to help keep everything moist.1 can of condensed tomato soup, 1 can diced tomatoes
- Serve with the tomato soup mixture drizzled on top and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
Douglas Ravenscraft
First of all I learned this from my mother,she is full blood Italian but my Pops is german.What a mix huh but we called pigs in the blanket what people call stuff cabbage.My Pops was a hot sausage and pork lover but we liked beef so my Mom made both and my friends used to come over all the time when my Mom was making it but they would say that's stuff cabbage but they change the name and started calling it pigs in the blanket and I'm from Pittsburgh, PA but I checked your recipe and there is always 1 mistake my Mom always told me people make when making pigs.You guys use tomato soup and that is a no no.I'm mean it's your preference to use crush tomatoes but you don't have to but what am saying is my Mom would have me go to the corner store and I would get a small can of tomato soup but I would get I do believe 2 cans 32 tomato juice so she would have enough to almost cover them but not fully.The cans were white and red is that cambells but that is the difference from my Mom's and everyone else and believe me it is a game changer because soup is not it.
Wendy Furey
Hey I'm from North East PA lol making a version of this pigs in a blanket recipe. That's what I've always called it growing up too making this dish right now.
Andrew
thanks for the recipe. My mom used to make them whenever I was home. I'll try to follow you guys and make some myself. Thanks Roni:)
SHELBY
I grew up in northeast pa and now live down south and when I mentioned pigs in the blanket to my fiancee he thought they were hotdogs rolled up in a croissant. I miss my granmothers piggies, I can't wait to make these. It will bring back great childhood memories. Thany You very much for posting this recipe!!!!!
MARLY
IN CANADA "PIGS IN A BLANKET" MEANS SAUSAGE IN A BISCUIT DOUGH. LOVE YOUR SITE, FOUND IT FROM "TIPNUT".
Melanie
WOW! Ah a girl after my own heart! This is a must try. Looks amazing!
Katherine
Made this last night - very tasty!
Amy
Just found your site, again. :o)
These look so yummy. I'm saving this off for later use. We call them pigs-in-the-blanket here in Michigan, too, or Golumpki {Polish}.
Daniel
Gołąbki is stuffed cabbage not Frank's or sausage rolled in dough.
Christina
I made this last night... it was soooo good! My bf had 5 rolls, but I stuck with the serving size of 2 rolls. 🙂
Colleen
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight. It was delicious! I froze the cabbage and thawed it but it didn't peel easily for me. Next time I'm going to stick w/ boiling it.
roni
Awesome Shannon! Glad you liked them!
The oven would work but I just nuke them in the microwave. They came out just as good!
Shannon
Thanks for the recipe, Roni!
I made these on Monday and they were excellent 🙂 I had 2 for lunch and froze the rest for lunches later on. I was wondering the best way to reheat them? Should I just out them in the oven @ 350 degrees?
Thanks again!
Diane
I just have to second that freezing the head of cabbage first definitely makes it much easier to make stuffed cabbage. No need to boil a pot of water and handle a hot head of cabbage. 🙂 We just made a batch last night. And I have to say that the stuffed cabbages I grew up with had rice in it. However, DH is 100% polish and they do not use rice. So the batch I made last night is without rice, which means lower points. 🙂 Just thought I'd mention it.
Kristine
I just found your blog and these look very good. Wonder if I can convince the rest of the fam? Hope so because these are on the menu now for this weekend. Thanks!
Shelley
I've been thinking about these all week (or at least since you posted this)! I'm going to have to give in & make them tonight!
Corrie Hatt
My Boyfriend's mom makes something super similar and they call it (stuffed cabbage rolls). I wasn't sure all that went into it but its a lot like yours just not as healthy! lol! Brandon (boyfriend) LOVES these things!!! I am gonna use your recipe since its healthier and I like the freezing tip from the others! I'm gonna use it and I can't wait! yummy!
Dominic
Those cabbage rolls look /so/ good! It reminds me so much of my mom. I must make these! We also call them pigs-in-a-blanket in Northwestern Pennsylvania as well. Must be a PA thing! 😛
Kristina
We were SO on the same page that day! I made lettuce wraps with my daughter
http://pickytots.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-new-year.html
I'll have to try this recipe, looks really good!
Colleen
I love piggies! My husband doesn't like cabbage either; what is wrong w/ these men??? lol
I can't wait to try this recipe.
Pam
I love cabbage rolls (as my family calls them) and like what you've added to make them more interesting...thanks for the "renewed" recipe!!
Christie
I've only tried stuffed cabbage from a Lean Cuisine meal (pretty sad, right?) but this recipe looks pretty good. It has to be better than a frozen dinner, right!?
Bridget
Thanks Roni...Such a comfort food from my childhood! My mom gave us a pan of them recently, and I remembered how much I like them. Now I have your directions to make it easier!
Rachel
Looks yummy! Can't wait to try it.
Where do you get all of these ideas for recipes? Pigs in a blanket in the south are hot dogs in biscuits, hahaha. Not quite the same thing.
tj
I think Im more excited that you gave me the idea to use those packs of rice instead of cooking up rice before I make stuffed anything! lol 🙂 Great tip! Oh and dinner looks tasty but my boyfriends family makes what they call sweet dolma and its kinda the same idea. 🙂
Teresa
These are a comfort food for me. I love them. Hubby doesn't care for cabbage too much so I haven't made them in a while.
I cook them in the crockpot.
I will also try to freeze the cabbage next time. It was always a pain to boil it.
Andrea
Thanks Roni! I'm going to try these tonight!!! Can't believe how particular my hubby can be about cabbage!! We had a royal Christmas Day fight once about brussel sprouts!!! LoL!!
roni
Totally! I just separated out servings and froze them for me since my hubby doesn't really like them either!
Andrea
I tried something like this once and I loved them, but the hubby hated the combination of cabbage and tomato. (He's Irish so **shrug**)
When I did them they were fried as well as having a good amount of bacon and cheese crumbled on top. It was so unhealthy. I think I'll try your way now!
Do you think they can be frozen after cooking, for meals later on if I make a batch and the hubby still doesn't like them??
roni
Thanks guys! I will totally try that next time!
CZ
Renee has a great point...I always freeze the entire cabbage head and upon defrosting, the cabbage leaves are pliable and ready for filling. Try it, Roni, it is a no fail procedure. Happy New Year!
Renee
Hey Roni, did you know you can freeze the cabbage head instead of having to boil it. From Mennonite Girls can cook blog:
'In the bag that you brought your cabbage home. . .place the cabbage in the freezer and leave for 12 hours or overnight.. . .remove and leave to thaw at room temperature. .this will take awhile. . so I often take it the night before the day I want to make the cabbage rolls. The leaves will be soft and easy to use without having to boil them'
Just a thought.
Love your blog, your a great inspiration to us!!