Unstuffed Cabbage

The thought of making stuffed cabbage stresses me out! I was originally planning on making it for you with a beautiful cabbage I got from my crop share (see below), but over the last few days it simply wasn’t happening! Between work and my busy little home and family I’ve been running from one thing to the next and somewhere along the way I’ve lost patience with the idea of perfection and have given in to pragmatism.

In the case of my cabbage, I think that my change in mindset has worked out for the best! Pragmatic stuffed cabbage = Unstuffed Cabbage! A labor-intensive meal turned into a delicious, healthy, 30-minute meal! In the end, I think this remake of the traditional dish made it more approachable for my family. After all, food mixed with macaroni is often worth consideration for kids!

Enjoy this hearty, yet healthy dinner!

Unstuffed Cabbage

Serves: 4

Serving Size: 1 Cup Elbow Macaroni Pasta, plus 1 1/2 C Unstuffed Cabbage

Prep Time: 10 minutes            Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat macaroni pasta*
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
• 6 C roughly chopped cabbage (roughly 1 medium cabbage)
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, largely diced
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 14.5 oz can of unseasoned tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 cup grated mozzerella
• parsley or basil for garnish

* For a gluten sensitivity, I recommend quinoa pasta

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef on medium heat, about 5 minutes, until it is cooked through, and then drain off excess fat and set aside in a dish.

2. While the meat is browning, chop the onions and cabbage. Sauté in a large pan, by adding 2 Tbsp of water at a time to the pan, as needed, to prevent from sticking. Cook the cabbage until it becomes soft and tender.

3. While the cabbage is cooking, cook elbow macaroni per the package instructions and then drain when finished.

4. Add the  beef, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to the cooked cabbage and sauté for an additional 2 minutes, until the meat is heated through and the spices are releasing their aroma.

5. In a small sauce pan, combine the canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Bring your sauce to a simmer and then remove from the burner. While your sauce is heating, grate 1 C of mozzarella cheese.

6. For the final step, ladle your sauce on top of your cabbage and meat sauté and then sprinkle with cheese and fresh herbs. To serve, top 1 C of cooked macaroni with unstuffed cabbage.