These freezer-friendly slow cooker cabbage rolls are a fantastic way of taking some of the hard work away from this classic meal. I like to prepare everything ahead of time and then finish it off when I am ready. This is a great meal for Sunday family dinner, special occasions, or for a simple week night meal.
Make These Freezer-Friendly Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls With No Effort!

For this recipe, you will need a slow cooker, but you can also use a pressure cooker if there is nothing else available.
You will also need ground beef, onions, diced tomatoes, rice, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, a cabbage head, and beef broth.
If you need to, you can substitute some of these ingredients. Try using ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, red onions, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, dry basil, dry dill, Italian mixed herbs, red cabbage, and chicken or vegetable broth.
Before you do anything, I suggest you start by cooking your meat. While some people skip this step, I always do this because it ensures that the meat tastes good and keeps its texture.
After your beef is brown and cooked, you can add the ingredients to your slow cooker. Finish off by placing the cabbage on top, then cover the pot, and cook on high heat. This process usually takes me about 6 to 8 hours, but the time will vary depending on how many ingredients you are using.
Freezing and Unfreezing the Cabbage Rolls
When you need to refrigerate your cabbage rolls, let them cool down entirely. Place them in an airtight container, and then keep them in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, use a saucepan over medium heat.
If you need to freeze this meal instead, cook the beef, but after it cools down, store it in a separate airtight container. You can add the rest of the ingredients with the beef or keep them in a separate freezer container. Thaw everything overnight once you are ready to use it and cook in the slow cooker.
Freezer-Friendly Cabbage Rolls
Course: Freezer MealCuisine: Gluten-Free, Diabetes-Friendly, Heart-Friendly6
servings10
minutes8
hoursIngredients
2 lb (907 g) head cabbage, cored, quartered, and leaves seperated
1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground beef
28 oz (794 g) diced tomatoes with their juice
4 oz (113 g) tomato paste
3/4 cup (177 ml) beef broth
1/2 cup (64 g) onion, diced
1/2 cup (64 g) uncooked rice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions
- Cook ground beef for 10 minutes until browned and fully cooked in a skillet over medium heat.
- Drain and transfer to a slow cooker.
- Mix onion, tomatoes, rice, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.
- Place cabbage on top and pour in beef broth. Mix well.
- Cook for 8 hours on high heat until the cabbage is tender and rice is cooked.
- Serve and enjoy!
Looking to try another easy and amazing freezer-friendly meal recipe? Check out this Freezer-Friendly Squash Pasta Bake recipe!