Cabbage Roll up
This is one of my favorite recipes. It takes some time so it's definitely not something you want to make on a night where you need something quick. However, it is a recipe you can make ahead and refrigerate until you're ready to cook it.
You first need to start by removing the leaves from the cabbage head and to do that, cut as much of the core out of the bottom of the cabbage. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil and drop the head of cabbage into the water for about 5 minutes. You will notice the leaves loosening and can come off easily. When your cabbage is at this point using tongs start pulling the leaves off of the cabbage. Set aside 14-16 leaves and pat dry.
Make your sauce and spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x3 pan.
Mix together the meat, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and uncooked rice. Make a little loaf of meat, about 2-3 oz each and place at the bottom of the cabbage to be rolled. Fold both sides over the filling and finish rolling to enclose the filling, like an egg roll.
Place seam side down in the 9x13 pan on top of the sauce. Continue to roll your cabbage rolls and packing it into the pan.
Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover and cook in a 350° oven for 2 hours.
Enjoy this yummy goodness!!
Cabbage Roll up
Ingredients:
Cabbage Rolls
1 large head green cabbage, about 2 to 2 1/4 lbs
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs (not necessary, you can leave them out but they bind and make the meat fluffier)
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
Juice of one lemon or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 to 3/4 cup light brown sugar (depending on the amount of sweetness you prefer)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Cut out as much of the core as you can from the bottom of the cabbage, then drop the whole cored head into the boiling water for 5 minutes. Once the leaves separate/start falling off and are pliable, immediately remove and lay out and pat dry the leaves on a paper towel. Repeat with any leaves still attached to the head until you've gotten all the leaves off the head and they are now all soft and pliable.
Set aside 16 of the largest leaves (these will be your cabbage rolls. If you can only get 14 that's fine) and slice off any thick parts of the vein on each of them, or just cut out the thick vein since that part will be covered once the cabbage leaf is rolled. Chop some of the remaining cabbage leaves to make 1 cup of chopped cabbage, and reserve.
Over medium head, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Saute the second onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes then add the reserved 1 cup chopped cabbage and saute for about 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Add the tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Increase the head until it comes to a boil, then lower it and simmer for 5 minutes. Line the bottom of the 9 x 13 pan with a layer of sauce.
Mix the ground beef with the eggs, minced onions, minced garlic, salt, pepper and rice. Divide the meat mixture into sixteen equal pieces about 2 - 3 oz each. Using slightly moistened hands, form the pieces into thick loaves. Place a loaf of filling near the bottom of the cabbage leaf and roll the meat filled cabbage leaf up.
Roll the meat filled cabbage leaf up, folding both sides over the filling and finish rolling to enclose the filling, like an egg roll. Continue, filling and rolling all the cabbage leaves. Place them seam side down on top of the sauce in the 9x13 pan. Top cabbage rolls with remaining sauce then cover the whole pan with tin foil. Bake for 2 hours in a preheated 350° oven.