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Lazy cabbage rolls in a slow cooker with cabbage rice and minced meat

Lazy Cabbage Rolls in a Slow Cooker

Incredibly tasty, simple, and fast—like a little celebration any day of the week! These lazy cabbage rolls, made in the slow cooker with cabbage, rice, and ground meat, turn out easy and hearty. Serve them with a simple vegetable salad and an assortment of pickles on the side. (Lazy cabbage rolls—golubtsi—skip the wrapping: the cabbage is mixed right into the meatballs.)

Julia M.

Recipe author

Lazy cabbage rolls in a slow cooker with cabbage rice and minced meat

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Rice

0.5

Ground meat

500

White cabbage

200

Onion

Carrot

Sour cream

Tomato paste

Egg

Vegetable oil

Water

250

Salt

Dry spices

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 21 % 6 g

Fats 48 % 14 g

Carbohydrates 31 % 9 g

187 kcal

GI: 33 / 67 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make lazy cabbage rolls in a slow cooker with cabbage, rice, and ground meat? Gather the ingredients. You can use any kind of ground meat; I'm using ground pork.
Step 2:

First, cook the rice. Rinse it several times in cold water, add it to boiling water, and cook for 20–25 minutes until soft. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse it with cold water.
Step 3:

Finely shred the cabbage and cover it with hot water. Let it stand for about 10 minutes so it softens. Then drain the cabbage in a colander and let all the water run off.
Step 4:

Use a roomy bowl to mix the meat. Combine the ground meat, cooked rice, and softened cabbage in it.
Step 5:

Then add the egg and a spoonful of sour cream. Season with a little salt and spices to taste.
Step 6:

Mix everything together well until evenly combined.
Step 7:

Peel the onion and carrot and rinse off any dirt. Set the slow cooker to the "Fry/Sauté" setting and pour in a little vegetable oil. Finely chop the onion and grate the carrot. Add the vegetables to the hot pot and sauté for 2–3 minutes.
Step 8:

Meanwhile, heat a separate skillet with some vegetable oil. Shape the meat mixture into balls and sear them over high heat so they're browned and sealed on all sides.
Step 9:

Transfer the seared meatballs to the slow cooker with the vegetables.
Step 10:

In a separate cup, stir together the water, sour cream, and tomato paste. Add salt.
Step 11:

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and set the slow cooker to the "Stew" program for 60 minutes—adjust to your own machine.
Step 12:

When the time is up, the cooker beeps to let you know the dish is done. Carefully open the lid, spoon the lazy cabbage rolls onto plates, and serve. Enjoy!

Keep in mind that the cooking time and setting here are approximate. Every slow cooker behaves a little differently—even identical models from the same maker can have their quirks. Before making a new dish in yours, read the manual, then start with dishes you already know before moving on to new ones, dialing in the setting and time for your own machine.
To make rice dishes reliably delicious, read up on how to choose rice and the secrets of cooking it well.
For tips and tricks, see the article "Cream and sour cream in a cream sauce: how to keep them from curdling."