Pigs in the Blanket Aka Stuffed Cabbage

Mama Cee Jay's Note:

I started with Mom's recipe and modified it over the 25 years of my marriage. Also I learned a method of rolling the "pigs" from one of Martha Stewart's books.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 10-12

Yield: 24.0 cabbage ...

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 lb pork sausage
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups white rice, cooked and cooled
• 1 large cabbage
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole canned tomatoes, crushed with a fork
• 32 ounces chicken broth (organic or homemade is best)
• olive oil, to coat roasting pan
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Wilt head of cabbage in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove cabbage from pot, cool slightly and separate leaves, taking care not to break the leaves.
2. Mix ground beef, sausage, cooked rice, garlic salt, paprika and pepper. Form 3 inch balls. Place meatball into cabbage leaf and fold leaf around the ball. Place roll into a large square of cheesecloth, cover and twist ends of the cloth to shape and tighten the roll. Remove cabbage roll and repeat until all filling is used.
3. In a large roasting pan which has been coated with olive oil, place layer of cabbage rolls (folded side down), cover with 1 can of tomatoes, and repeat. Pour chicken broth over the layers.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover roasting pan and bake for 2 hours or until until cabbage is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Reviews

[~Lynn~]

Made this for the first time last night and followed it pretty close except that I used 1 lb ground venison and 1 lb ground beef for the beef portion. Also, my roaster was pretty full and I used a whole quart of my stewed tomatoes so didn't add the chicken broth. The dish turned out FABULOUS and had lots of wonderful flavor. I think by using the venison it helped cut down on the grease. I didn't have cheese cloth but my rolls turned out great anyways. Will definatley make this dish again and again!

[FLKeysJen]

Completely perfected-I'm thrilled after being married 1 1/2 years to benefit from your 25 years of practice plus Mom's recipe! I made a half recipe so did not need to layer. I did not have a cheesecloth and wasn't a role-model roller, so would have needed two cabbages to make a full 24 rolls. This is delicious. Made for the Eastern European stop on the 2008 Zaar World Tour.