Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls, a little labour intensive, but well worth it.

Served here with Garlic Bread.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Next, from a head of Green Cabbage, remove 12 individual whole leaves. Try not to rip them (any that you rip you can chop up for cole slaw later). 

Put the whole lettuce leaves into the boiling water. I blanched 2 at a time for about 3 minutes (just to soften) then remov the leaves from the boiling water and plunge them into ice water. This will stop the cooking process and cool the leaves so they are easier to handle.

The meat filling includes:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked instant rice

1/2 cup tomato sauce (removed from one 15 oz can - you need the rest for the sauce)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)

1 tsp minced garlic (or 1-2 cloves crushed)

1 can mushrooms finely chopped (do not drain - add liquid)

Mix together until well blended

The assembly process: 1.  Place one cabbage leaf on a flat surface.

2. Place a generous 1/3 cup onto thicker end of leaf.

3. Carefully roll cabbage leaf around meat mixture. Tuck in the sides as you roll

4. Place the filled cabbage rolls into a baking pan.

Mix the remaining tomato sauce (remember, you removed 1/2 cup tomato sauce from a 15 oz can you just opened - use the rest) add 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce (or 1/2 tsp lemon juice). 

Then pour this mixture over the cabbage rolls in the baking pan. Place pan into a 350 oven for about 40 minutes or until the meat mixture is cooked with a temp of 170 or higher.

Here is the Cabbage Rolls out of the oven....don't get too excited, you are not finished yet.

Now, either carefully drain off the liquid, or remove the cabbage rolls from the baking pan and place into a casserole dish and pour the liquid into a sauce pan. 

Mix:  1Tbsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of cold water, stir this mixture into the liquid. Heat this mixture while stirring until it boils, then after a minute remove from heat.  Pour thickened liquid over the cabbage rolls and serve.

Now you are probably wondering what is next.  I doubled the ingredients when making the meat mixture. I  put about 1/2 cup of mixture into each cabbage roll but still had left over meat mixtue. I then formed it into a meat-loaf shape and placed it into a baking dish.

I was debating whether to pour Catelina Salad Dressing or Russian Salad Dressing (I didn't feel like using ketchup) over the meat mixture, I went with the Russian. 

I baked this at 350 for about 30-40 minutes (I'm not exactly sure as I overbaked it a bit).  I let it cool (I guess you could eat it as meat-loaf at another meal) and then sliced it and used it in sandwiches.  It was very good, so now you need to go and

ENJOY!