Unstuffed Cabbage.....

Ingredients

• 1c. white rice
• 2- 2 1/2lbs of ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. salt or more
• 1 tb. Hungarian Paprika
• 2 tsp. dried parsley (feel free to use fresh if you have it)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 2 eggs
• the cooked rice
• Saute
• onion in a little butter, when soft add the garlic and saute a couple
• minutes more. Put meat in a lg. bowl, add all the rest of the list and
• mix a bit to distribute the spices a bit. Then add in the cooked onions
• and garlic and the rice from step 1. Mix well.
• 3. Layering
• Stuffing mix from step 2
• Cabbage from step 1
• 8oz. sauerkraut
• 1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes with sauce ( or plain tomato sauce even a plain spaghetti sauce like Classico with basil)
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• Preheat
• oven to 350 degrees. Pour about 1/4 of the can of tomatoes on the
• bottom of a lg. casserole dish or 13 x 9 in. pan. Mix half the
• sauerkraut with that and make sure its spread pretty even across the
• bottom of the pan. This is to distribute the flavors top and bottom and
• to keep it from sticking.
• Next make a nice layer of cabbage
• leaves. I cut out the thick main rib cuz it takes too long to cook. Then
• I just fit the lg. leaves across the bottom to cover. At this point
• assess how many leaves you have cuz you want a nice layer of cabbage for
• each. I had a very lg. head so this time I made 3 layers of cabbage to
• two layers of meat. But you can just put them on the bottom and the top
• if you don't have a lot and it will work too.
• Then top with a
• layer of the meat. Remember if you are making two layers to just use
• half...otherwise put the whole thing in there. Top with more cabbage and
• repeat if your doing several layers, finishing with cabbage. Top with
• the chopped inner cabbage leaves you saved and the rest of the
• sauerkraut. Mix the ketchup in the remaining tomatoes and pour over the
• top of the casserole covering it all. If the sauce is thick you could
• add a bit of water to it before you bake it.
• Cover with foil and
• bake for at least 2 1/2hrs. Check to see if it is drying out. It
• shouldn't with the meat juices and cabbage but if it does, add a bit of
• water and return to oven. You do not want this dry. I test the center to
• see if the cabbage there is tender. When it is, its done. Cut into lg.
• squares and serve. You could serve with a nice crusty rye bread and
• butter.
• For those who want traditional tho here is moms recipe:
• Moms Stuffed Cabbage Make about 26 rolls
• 1 head of cabbage (about 3lbs.)
• (soften cabbage in lg. pot with water and 1 tb. vinegar)
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1/4lb. butter
• (saute onions in butter)
• In lg. mixing bowl:
• 2 lbs. chopped beef
• 1 1/2 c. rice (mom uses Minute rice, I hate that stuff)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce (mix in well with above ingred.)
• Fill softened cabbage leaf with meat mixture:
• In lg. pot:
• Cut up excess cabbage leaves and put on bottom of pot. Layer stuffed cabbages in pot.
• Pour over cabbage:
• 2 (8oz. ) cans tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can water
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 1/2 c. water or more to cover cabbage
• (I also remember mom topping it with sauerkraut altho it doesn't say so in her recipe)
• Cover and bake in oven 2 1/2hrs. in 350 degree oven or till done. (We use a lg. covered enamelware pot for this)
• Next
• take that can of tomatoes and add a half cup of ketchup. (mom always
• does this and I like that flavor, you could however just add water