Make These Juicy Rice and Cabbage Meatballs and Watch Everyone Ask for Seconds

Weeknight energy is real, so here is a no-fuss dinner that hits the sweet spot: oven-baked meatballs with cabbage. They come out juicy, full of flavor, and a whole lot lighter than a pan-fry. Think family favorite, minus the stovetop babysitting.

What you need

Ground meat: 500 g (a pork and beef mix works best). White cabbage: 200 g, finely shredded. Long-grain rice: 80 g (about 1/3 cup). One medium onion (around 80 g), one medium carrot (about 100 g). One egg. Tomato paste: 2 tbsp. Sour cream 15%: 2 tbsp. Water or broth: 200 ml. Salt: 1/2 tsp or to taste. A pinch of ground black pepper. Plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil to grease the baking dish.

How to make them

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then parboil it for 7-8 minutes. Drain well.
2. Finely shred the cabbage, sprinkle with a little salt, and gently massage it with your hands until it softens and releases some juice. Coarsely grate the carrot and finely chop the onion.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, parboiled rice, cabbage, onion, and carrot. Add the egg, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands until the mixture feels cohesive and slightly sticky. Shape into balls about the size of a tennis ball; you should get roughly 6-8.
4. Lightly grease a baking dish with the vegetable oil and nestle the meatballs inside.
5. Stir together the tomato paste and sour cream, then thin it with the water or broth. Pour this over the meatballs so they are covered to about three-quarters.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated 180 °C oven for 40-45 minutes.
7. Peel back the foil for the last 10 minutes so the tops take on a little color and turn appetizingly golden.

Serve hot with mashed potatoes, buckwheat, or a pile of fresh vegetables. Simple, hearty, and exactly the kind of dinner everyone actually eats.