Cabbage is a polarizing vegetable. Many people either love it or hate it. As a fan of cabbage, both stuffed and unstuffed, I couldn’t resist picking up a package of Trader Joe’s Beef Cabbage Rolls during a visit to the store, which is kind of like Aldi’s cousin.
Trader Joe’s Beef Cabbage Rolls cost $4.99 at the time of publication for a 12-oz. package containing four rolls, which amounts to about $1.25 per roll. They’re sold frozen, and the package describes them as “simmered cabbage filled with seasoned beef, rice and vegetables.”
The ingredients are easily identifiable: cabbage, ground beef, yellow onion, carrots, rice, tomato paste, grapeseed oil, sea salt, garlic, paprika, black pepper, chili powder (chili pepper, salt, cumin, oregano, and garlic).
Trader Joe’s Beef Cabbage Rolls nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One package contains four servings, or four cabbage rolls. The servings are on the small side at just 110 calories, so you might want to serve two rolls per person, or serve some hearty side dishes with this meal.
One serving also contains 7 grams of total fat (9% of your daily value), 2 grams of saturated fat (10% DV), 15 mg of cholesterol (5% DV), 220 mg of sodium (10% DV), 7 grams of total carbohydrates (3% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 2 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of added sugars, and 5 grams of protein.
The cabbage rolls are to be cooked from frozen. To prepare them, cut a one-inch slit in the film on top of the package and microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let stand one minute before serving.
I cooked my cabbage rolls for 4 and a half minutes, but there was a cool spot on the bottom of the tray and the rolls didn’t read quite up to temperature, so I microwaved them for one additional minute. Even with the extra microwave time, these heat quickly and therefore would make a convenient and easy lunch or dinner when you’re short on time.
I thought these rolls tasted just okay. I realized I’m not a fan of cabbage that’s been frozen and thawed, as most of the cabbage dishes I make at home like corned beef and cabbage or unstuffed cabbage rolls use fresh cabbage that has never been frozen. My family didn’t really like the consistency of the cabbage leaves, and the stuffing seemed like it was mostly seasoned ground beef with little rice. We also noticed the stuffing has a bit of spiciness and kick to it, which is not bad because it counterbalances the mild-flavored cabbage. Overall, though, we were not all that impressed with these cabbage rolls and won’t be buying them again.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Beef Cabbage Rolls heat quickly in the microwave for a convenient meal, but my family didn’t like the texture of cabbage that was once frozen. If you really like cabbage rolls, you might enjoy these, but I’ll be sticking with fresh homemade cabbage dinners rather than this store-bought option.
