Easy and healthier cabbage rolls

I think I may have mentioned that I have a difficult time maintaining my diet goals. It’s true. I am a sucker for comfort foods and sweets. The last few days I have been craving the cabbage rolls that my mother in law makes. The cabbage is packed with nutrients and fiber but the rest of the dish is not quite healthy.

I don’t believe in completely depriving myself of food I enjoy. In my experience, that only leads to binging and making terrible choices. (I am looking at you, Hot Now sign at Krispy Kreme.)

So this year I am making adjustments to food I love in order.

It is much easier to make little dietary changes with “healthy” being your ultimate goal.

I took a traditional cabbage rolls recipe and made a couple of substitutions to make it healthier but still yummy!

Healthier Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 head of cabbage
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 cans of lower sodium tomato soup
• 1 jar of Ragu Old World Sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Boil head of cabbage for approximately 5 minutes until leaves are limp and pliable.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Carefully peel and cut out the leaves from the core.

In a skillet, sautee onion and garlic in a splash of olive oil until onion is transparent. Add ground beef and brown. Add salt, pepper, oregano.

When hamburger is browned, add rice, egg, and milk. Stir together.

Remove from heat.

Mix soup, jar of Ragu, and water together in a bowl. Set aside.

Scoop one generous serving of the meat mixture onto a cabbage leaf.

Fold in each side and roll. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Continue until all the mixture or the leaves are used up.

Cover the rolls with the tomato sauce mixture.

Bake for aproximately an hour, until cabbage leaves are soft.

Enjoy your healthier cabbage rolls!

I used organic, grassfed beef and brown rice in this recipe to add a little bit of healthy to an already yummy meal. Sadly, I couldn’t get the kids to eat much of the cabbage but Pork Chop tore up the stuffing and sauce. He ate three servings! (Since, I normally have to plead with him to eat all his food I was ecstatic about how much of this he ate!)

It was fun introducing my husband’s childhood favorite to the kids. We had a wonderful dinner filled with warmth and laughter and simmered in tradition. Visit Ragu to explore other recipes and learn about Assunta Cantisano, who shared her family’s traditional tomato sauce with America.

Do you want some healthier dessert ideas too? Enter in your email and name to get a free copy of my Guilt Free Desserts recipe book!