White Rice Cabbage Rolls

• 1 large head of green cabbage
• 2 cups cooked cahokia white long grain rice
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking olive oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2–3/4 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Sauce ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1.cup diced applewood smoked bacon

Method of prep:

Cook cahokia rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, fill a 16 qt. or larger stock pot 3/4 of the way full of water (it needs to be large enough to completely submerge one head of cabbage), along with salt, and bring that to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat your Dutch oven (or your favorite baking dish) over medium/high heat, drizzle in the olive oil, and sauté the onions with the dried thyme and tarragon for 3 minutes. Next, add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring continuously for a couple of minutes. Tip in the whole peeled tomatoes, a cup of chicken broth, salt, and black pepper. Bring that to a simmer on medium/high heat, then lower heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer until you are ready to assemble your rolls.

By now, the water for the cabbage should be boiling. Carefully place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water, one at a time, and cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the leaf. I use a large strainer to remove the cabbage from the boiling water, drop into an ice water bath to stop the cabbage from cooking.

Heat a small pan with butter and olive oil. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then the fresh garlic for one minute. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, place the ground beef and ground pork in a large mixing bowl (or in your KitchenAid stand mixer). Combine the meats with cooked rice, fresh parsley, thyme, along with the sweet Hungarian paprika, salt, and black pepper.

By now, your cabbage should be cool enough to handle. Take your knife and deeply cut an octagon shape into the core. This will release the cabbage leaves from the core, allowing you to separate each leaf with ease. Cut a V shape into the lowermost part of each cabbage leaf, removing the hard white center (the rib).

Place a quarter cup of the meat filling on a piece of cabbage towards the core. Fold up each side of the V, roll forward, fold the ends up, then roll forward again to seal (you can find a quick video/gif of me rolling them in the post above). Repeat with each piece of cabbage until the meat mixture is gone.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the fresh thyme and bacon. Check to see if the sauce is to your preferred saltiness. Transfer most of the sauce from the stove top to the dutch oven to make room for the cabbage rolls. Spread sauce around the bottom and edges of the dutch oven, create a layer of stuffed cabbage rolls, then a layer of sauce, and repeat (like lasagna). Pour the remaining cup of chicken broth around the edge of the pan.

Why Cahokia Rice?
Charlie Ayers champions food that's not only satisfying but also beneficial for your health. This makes Cahokia Rice, with its naturally higher protein content and lowest glycemic index, a perfect match for his culinary philosophy. Our unique rice variety supports everyone—from the health-conscious individual to the high-performance athlete—with a nutritious, versatile base for any meal.

Join Us on This Culinary Journey
Stay tuned as we unveil Charlie’s signature dishes and share tips on how you can recreate these culinary delights at home. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, discover the myriad of ways to incorporate Cahokia Rice into your daily meals.