This simple and delicious unstuffed cabbage roll recipe is high in protein and uses nutrient dense ingredients to help you feel your best.
With fall just around the corner, it’s time to cozy up with warming comfort meals!
AEN Team member Katy developed this delicious high protein recipe while cleaning out her fridge (the best recipes are always made that way, am I right?).
Scroll down for a nutritious, high protein and simple dinner you can make during the week!
Ingredient Highlights
Ground Meat
This recipe provides flexibility with your meat choice. You can opt for any ground meat that you have on hand or prefer. If you’re looking to optimize for both protein content and nutrient density, I recommend choosing ground beef. Ground beef has been rated by researchers to be one of the healthiest and most nutrient dense foods you could eat due to its high iron, vitamin B12, choline and zinc content.
However, ground chicken and turkey are also excellent high protein swaps you can use to boost satiety and prevent hunger. Pork is also surprisingly nutrient dense, especially in choline which is crucial for both liver and brain health.
Tempeh is a great plant-based swap for this recipe. You won’t need to cook it as long for the “browning” step because it’s already pre-cooked. Just a few minutes will do.
Gruyere
As with most cheeses, gruyere adds a significant bump in calcium with nearly 30% of your daily needs with just one ounce. It also helps to scoot the overall protein content up even further.
Cabbage and Swiss Chard
These greens provide a range of benefits ranging from vitamin C, vitamin K1 (different than the animal-based source of vitamin K2) and magnesium.
Beets
Did you know beets have been quite extensively studied as a sports enhancement aid? Specifically the juice from beets is rich in natural sources of nitrates which helps to deliver oxygen to muscles faster.
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll in a Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 ounces gruyère cheese shredded
- 4 cups cabbage chopped
- 2 cups swiss chard chopped
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 beets peeled and diced
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup fresh basil torn
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- heavy pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a skillet, add the oil, celery, onion, cabbage, beet, Swiss chard, and salt. Sauté until all vegetables are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the red wine (or bone broth) and reduce for 2-3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Next add in oregano, black pepper, and ground chicken, and brown until the meat is fully cooked (8-10 minutes).
- Add the tomato sauce, almond milk, and balsamic vinegar to the skillet and stir to combine. Top with cheese.
- Add the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly.
- Remove the skillet from the oven with an oven mitt and top with torn basil leaves.
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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