Swedish Chef's Cabbage Rolls (Kåldolmar)

The Swedes call them kåldormar.  The Polish call them golabki.  Everyone else refers to them as "pigs in a blanket", "cabbage rolls", or even "Polish hand grenades".  Whatever you call them and whatever recipe you use, they are delicious!

As a child, my father made the Swedish kåldormars.  Rather than cooking it in spaghetti sauce, his were simmered in beef broth.  I prefer to make them the way my wife did, using spaghetti sauce and sauerkraut. (Italian and German influence).


1 large head or 2 small heads of cabbage
2-2½lb. meatloaf mix (beef, veal, pork)
1 small onion, diced
½c. rice
1c. water
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 egg
16oz. jar sauerkraut, drained
24oz. jar spaghetti sauce + 1c. water

In a large pot, add about ½ inch water.  Tear off any damaged or spotted cabbage leaves from the head.  Remove core and place cabbage in pot with cored end up.  Cover and steam to loosen leaves.  Remove and allow to cool on baking sheet.

Using a paring knife, remove the ribs from the cooled leaf.  Try not to cut a hole in the leaf (this will make the leaf easier to roll). 

In a bowl, combine meat, diced onion, allspice, salt, pepper, and egg.



In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup rice and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Remove from heat.  Let stand 5 minutes with lid on, then remove lid and allow to cool.  Rice may be a little firm, but will be cooked further in the cabbage rolls.

Add cooled rice to meat mixture and mix by hand until well incorporated.

Spray a large dutch oven or 2qt. casserole with cooking spray.  Line the bottom of the pan with some of the smaller cooked pieces of cabbage.

Lay cabbage leaf on surface with ribbed end facing you.  Make a football-shaped meatball appropriate to the size of the cabbage leaf.  Fold rib end over meatball, then sides.  Continue to roll until all of the leaf is used and place into baking dish, seam side down.

Continue to roll until you have the first layer completed.

Empty 16oz. jar of sauerkraut in a strainer and rinse with cold water.  Allow to drain.  Cover first layer of cabbage rolls with sauerkraut and continue rolling the second layer just the same as the first, covering with final layer of kraut.

Any meat left over can be made into meatballs and cooked with the casserole (for non-cabbage roll lovers).  Cover with the jar of spaghetti sauce.  Tomato juice can be subtituted.

Pour 1 cup water around the sides of the casserole.  Cover and heat oven to 350º and bake for 1½-2 hours or until sauce is bubbly.

I like to serve these with mashed potatoes.