No blanching! Venison stuffed cabbage rolls are a filling and comforting meal on a cold day. Allow the oven to heat your home and tastebuds.
Cabbage has been an easy item to grow in the garden. It stores quite well in the cellar! For any heads that don't look so pretty or are quite small, we enjoy Raw Herbal Kraut for a boost all winter long. For more colour try out Sauerkraut with Beets.
Grab your largest cabbage with pretty outer leaves for this one. Most cabbage roll recipes start with blanching the leaves, but that gets pretty messy and time consuming. I've found a trick - freeze the cabbage! The freeze/thaw cycle makes them pliable. Not something you'd enjoy raw but perfect here.
Key Ingredients
Venison - We always have an abundance of wild game around, but you can use beef or any other red meat here. Heck, even go with poultry if that's what ya got.
Cabbage - Select a large head so you can get about 10 large leaves from the outer parts.
Tomato Soup - Yup, a good old can of condensed soup! It's the perfect balance of sweetness to a savoury meal.
Cooked Rice - Make a bit extra or steal a cup away before serving dinner to make these the next night.
How to Make Venison Stuffed Cabbage
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add all filling ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 2: Get in there with your hands and mix well!
Step 3: Place a ball of filling in the centre of a large cabbage leaf.
Step 4: Roll up edges and twist.
Step 5: Place filled rolls in a large baking dish.
Step 6: Cover with tomato soup and bake until meat is cooked through.
FAQs
You know I don't often reach for processed ingredients, but sometimes it's just the right thing I'm looking for. Tomato soup has a touch of sweetness and because it's condensed is somewhat thicker so perfect for layering. You can of course use regular tomato sauce if you prefer or your own favourite tomato soup recipe.
No need to be fussy and mess with blanching cabbage leaves. Just pop the entire head of cabbage in the freezer the night before. Then, an hour before you want to assemble, remove from the freezer to thaw on the counter. So it does require forethought, but you'll also need to collect cooked rice so making a meal plan is key for this meal.
Any ground meat is great here. I like familiar recipes such as cabbage rolls as a way to introduce wild game to folks who are new to the taste. They are more willing to give it a try when it looks familiar! I still tell them what they are eating, no tricks here, but they might be more willing. But if you don't hunt and have ground beef in the freezer, go for it!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
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Venison Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 large cabbage frozen over night
- 2 pounds ground venison
- 1 onion
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 large egg
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place cabbage in freezer at least overnight. Let thaw for an hour or so before using.
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Finely dice onions and add to large mixing bowl. Add remaining filling ingredients. Mix with hands until combined.
- Carefully peel each cabbage leaf, trying not to tear each one and set aside.
- Grab a small handful of the meat/rice mix and make into a ball and place onto a cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over, until the filling is completely covered. Then, keeping the seam side down, place carefully in casserole dish. Do this until all the leaves have been used. If you need to make the last ones with the smaller patches of leaves, this is not a problem…they just won’t look as pretty.
- Open the tomato soup can and spoon over the soup making sure to cover each roll.
- Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes. Make sure to baste each of the rolls a few times while cooking.
- Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
- Use any type of ground meat you have on hand.
- Don't skip the freezing and thawing of the cabbage. This is to replace blanching individual leaves.
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